Nick Saban touts South Carolina football: ‘They’re really not that far off’

Former Alabama head coach and seven-time national champion Nick Saban is optimistic about South Carolina football this season.

The Gamecocks went 5-7 in 2023 and go into 2024 without Spencer Rattler under center for the first time in two years. But those things don’t give Saban much pause, he said Monday on the SEC Network’s “SEC Now” show. The coach-turned-analyst thinks South Carolina has the potential to have a successful season.

“They’re really not that far off,” Saban said at 2024 SEC Media Days in Dallas. “They weren’t that far off last year. ...They lost a couple really close games that could have made a huge difference.”

South Carolina blew a 14-3 lead at halftime in Athens, falling 24-14 to reigning national champion Georgia in September. USC also suffered a homecoming loss to Florida 41-39 in October. Had the Gamecocks won either of those games, their 2023 season would’ve ended with a bowl game instead of a heartbreaking loss to Clemson on Thanksgiving weekend.

Saban acknowledged the injuries that plagued the Gamecocks last season, which included 10 offensive linemen. But he, as coach Shane Beamer said earlier in the day, also said USC brings back a lot of experience on both sides of the line of scrimmage.

“They are gonna have a new quarterback but this guy is a talented guy, and they’ve got more depth on the offensive line than they’ve had in the past, and they do have a lot of experience back on defense,” Saban said. “They have some parts of the team that, if it works out, could work out very well for them.”