Kent State University
University of South Carolina
Golden Flashes Open 2026 at South Carolina, Face Experienced Gamecocks in SEC Opener
9/4/2026 6:18:00 PM | Football
COLUMBIA, S.C. — If there was any doubt about the standard head coach Mark Carney is trying to establish at Kent State, the 2026 schedule's opening act answers it clearly. The Golden Flashes travel to Columbia, S.C., to open the season against South Carolina on Saturday, September 5, at 12:45 p.m. inside Williams-Brice Stadium, one of the most intense atmospheres in college football.
"We're going into an SEC environment, and it's one of the outstanding environments in all of college football," Carney said.
It won't be easy. The only previous meeting between these programs ended in a 77-14 South Carolina victory on October 7, 1995. But the Golden Flashes carry more momentum into this opener than they have in years, having improved by five wins in 2025 after going winless in 2024, the fourth-largest single-year turnaround in the country and tied for the largest in program history.
Led by an Experienced Hand
The Kent State offense runs through redshirt junior quarterback Dru DeShields, who enters his second year as the unquestioned leader of the Flashes' attack. DeShields ranked in the top three in the MAC last season in passing touchdowns (18, 3rd), yards per attempt (8.46, 2nd), and passing efficiency rating (150.0, 2nd). His 14.93 passing yards per completion led the conference and ranked third nationally.
"He's earned it," Carney said. "He wants it. He's understanding in year two as a solidified starter that it's his team, and there's great responsibility that comes with that. He's been dealing with how to manage those things extraordinarily well."
DeShields has weapons around him. Redshirt senior tight end Terik Mulder, a John Mackey Award Preseason Watch List candidate, hauled in 19 passes for 198 yards and four touchdowns in 2025. Redshirt sophomore Wayne Harris, a preseason All-MAC selection as both a wide receiver and punt returner, adds versatility to the passing game. A rebuilt running back room features three competitive backs, including freshman Brandon White, whom Carney singled out as one of the standouts of fall camp.
The offensive line returns two starters, redshirt senior Dustyn Morrell (Phil Steele Preseason All-MAC Second Team) and sophomore Tyler Meadows, and bolsters the group with transfers Mofe Adewale (PFN Preseason All-MAC First Team) and Ben Midea. Carney praised Morrell as the steady constant of a group that has weathered considerable staff turnover in recent years.
The X-Factor in the Kicking Game
No Kent State player represents a bigger threat to flip field position or the scoreboard than senior Da'Realyst Clark. In 2025, Clark led the nation with two kick return touchdowns, averaging 28.3 yards per return (4th nationally), including a 100-yarder against Merrimack and a 91-yarder against Massachusetts. He enters 2026 on four preseason All-American lists and on the Jet Award Watch List, given annually to the nation's best returner.
"He's going to touch the ball in the return game if they kick it to him," Carney said. "He's one of those guys on our offensive roster that needs to touch the ball for us to be successful. He's a big one-on-one guy."
The Flashes added a layer of expertise to their return game this offseason by bringing Kent State Hall of Famer and Cleveland Browns legend Josh Cribbs back to campus as special teams analyst. One of the all-time greatest returners in NFL history, Cribbs' No. 9 jersey is retired at Kent State, and his presence provides elite guidance to a Clark-led unit.
A Loaded Gamecocks Roster
South Carolina enters 2026 as one of the most experienced teams in major college football. The Gamecocks rank 10th among all Power conference programs in career snaps, carrying 43,292 career snaps, 507 career starts, and 1,386 career games played on their roster. They return 32 letterwinners: 13 on offense and 17 on defense, and added a 27-man transfer class headlined by All-ACC offensive tackle Jacarrius Peak from NC State.
"Just overall physicality and athleticism," Carney said when asked what most impresses him about South Carolina. "People get recruited in the SEC for a reason. They're big, they're strong, they're physical. They average like 240 pounds across their entire roster, one of the bigger teams in college football. They've got those edge players with super long wingspans that are very, very twitchy. And they can all run."
South Carolina Offense: Sellers and a Freakish Supporting Cast
The Gamecocks' offense runs through the dual-threat ability of third-year starter LaNorris Sellers, a two-time team captain who is one of just 22 starting quarterbacks in FBS with 24 or more career starts. Sellers' 63.4% career completion rate ranks third in program history, and his 33 career touchdown passes rank 11th in school history. Under new offensive coordinator Kendall Briles, whose up-tempo spread system has produced elite quarterback play at multiple stops, Sellers is expected to rebound from an inconsistent 2025 campaign.
"Kendall Briles is a really sharp football coach," Carney said. "He's taken what was the old Baylor stuff and put his own spin on it. He's one of the great quarterback coaches in our game. I know he's got a great one there to work with."
Sellers distributes to one of the most physically imposing receiving corps in the country. Senior Nyck Harbor tops Bruce Feldman's annual "Freaks List" for the third time in his career, the only player to do so three times since the list's inception in 2005. At 6-foot-6 and 243 pounds with an 82.5-inch wingspan and a sub-10.2 100-meter dash, Harbor caught 30 passes for a team-leading 618 yards and six touchdowns in 2025, averaging 20.6 yards per reception (third in school history). Behind him, junior Mazeo Bennett Jr., sophomore Donovan Murph, and transfer wideouts DJ Black (UCF) and Nitro Tuggle (Purdue) round out a formidable group.
The running back room pairs Doak Walker Award Watch List candidate Matthew Fuller with transfer Christian Clark, who rushed for 105 yards and a touchdown in the 2025 Citrus Bowl while at Texas.
South Carolina Defense: Experience, Opportunism, and a Freakish Edge
Sixth-year defensive coordinator Clayton White brings back 17 letterwinners from a unit that allowed 22.1 points per game and forced 22 turnovers (25th nationally) in 2025. Over the past five seasons, the Gamecocks have forced 110 turnovers, the most in the SEC in that span, and produced 24 non-offensive touchdowns under White's direction.
The headliner is EDGE Dylan Stewart, a consensus preseason First Team All-American and one of the premier defensive players in the country. The 6-6, 250-pound junior recorded 12 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, eight quarterback hurries, and three forced fumbles in just 11 games in 2025, running his career totals to 22.5 tackles for loss and 11.0 sacks. He was No. 14 on Feldman's Freaks List this offseason.
The linebacker corps is deep and productive, led by Fred "JayR" Johnson and Justin Okoronkwo, who tied for the team lead with 64 tackles last season, and Shawn Murphy (49 tackles). The defensive tackle room adds transfers Kelby Collins (Alabama), Tomiwa Durojaiye (Illinois), and Jordan Thomas (Georgia), along with returnee Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy. Corners Judge Collier and Vicari Swain, a preseason All-American in his own right, anchor a secondary with size at every level.
"Clayton White has been there for a while and is one of the most underrated coordinators defensively in the country," Carney said. "Sound, leverages football well, always has his guys prepared, and has the ability to throw multiple looks to confuse the decision maker."
Bottom Line
The statistical gap between these programs last season was significant. South Carolina ranked 52nd nationally in total defense, while Kent State ranked 123rd, and the Gamecocks' roster is among the most physically imposing the Flashes will see all year. But Carney, in year two with a healthier, deeper, and more experienced team than he inherited, doesn't travel to Columbia without conviction. Kent State brings 60 returners, 14 returning starters, and a quarterback with a full season of starting experience under his belt. In Da'Realyst Clark, they carry one of the most dangerous players in the country in a phase of the game that can swing momentum in a heartbeat.
"Opportunities to win in critical moments are going to be there," Carney said, "and we've got to be ready to take full advantage."
In a road environment as loud and hostile as Williams-Brice, that readiness will be tested from the first kickoff.
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