Countdown to kickoff prediction series: A South Carolina assistant earns Broyles Award consideration

On Thursday, with it being 100 days until South Carolina kicks off the season, I posted a story on GamecockCentral entitled “100 predictions for the 2026 Gamecocks.” Now, that countdown is down to just 98 days.

The prediction paired with day 98 read “An assistant coach will earn at least a semifinalist nomination for the Broyles Award, given annually to the top assistant in college football.”

Let’s break down that prognostication.

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The Candidates

The Broyles Award is given annually to the top assistant coach in college football, typically an offensive coordinator or defensive coordinator. No South Carolina assistant has ever won the honor, but several have been nominated. A good season in Columbia could see that happen again.

Defensive coordinator Clayton White was a semifinalist for the 2024 edition of the Broyles Award. A return to that status in 2026 wouldn’t be out of the question. The defense was elite for that nine-win team, and another elite unit for White would be welcome in Columbia. White earned four other early-stage nominations at both Carolina and Western Kentucky.

New offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Kendla Briles was a finalist for the Broyles Award back in 2015 at Baylor and a semifinalist in 2018 at Houston. He was nominated at earlier stages several other times. If South Carolina is to have the season head coach Shane Beamer hopes to have, it might require Briles to do so again.

Though offensive and defensive coordinators typically win the Broyles Award, non-play callers have earned early recognition through the years.

Special teams coordinator Matthew Smiley is new in town. He takes over a special teams group that was above-average under former coordinator Joe DeCamillis. The group was elite, though, under Pete Lembo from 2021 to 2023, including when he was a 2022 Broyles finalist. A season like that would grant Smiley a chance at catching the Broyles Award selection committee’s attention.

Current USC defensive backs coach and co-defensive coordinator Torrian Gray was a semifinalist back in 2013 at Virginia Tech. He has also received other early-stage nominations. He would be the most likely coach other than White, Briles, and special teams coordinator Matthew Smiley to garner consideration.

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How White or Briles could get there

Because Clayton White and Kendal Briles are the most likely USC candidates for the Broyles Award, let’s talk about what it might take for them to earn the honor.

For White, success has always been related to his defense’s ability to take away the football. The Gamecocks were a top 20 national defense in 2024 in takeaways and led the country in forced fumbles. Though the team’s win-loss record was worse in 2025, the defense played pretty well and gave South Carolina a chance to win most games. USC led the SEC in takeaways along the way.

White also emphasizes creating havoc in the backfield. That doesn’t always require exotic blitzes (though that does happen), but getting to the quarterback sets the table for his defense. The 2024 front, led by Kyle Kennard and Dylan Stewart, was sixth nationally in quarterback sacks. The past two years have seen Carolina with two All-SEC EDGE players each season. Making that happen again would bolster White’s chances of postseason award recognition.

Briles has the task of fixing an offense that struggled mightily under Mike Shula last season. The Gamecocks were a competent offense away from winning at least a couple more games. If Briles can lead South Carolina to a steady stream of points, that naturally would be good for the team’s place in the standings.

Perhaps the most important part of Briles’ job this year will be his work with quarterback LaNorris Sellers. An All-SEC contributor and Freshman All-American in 2024, he didn’t have a great 2025 under Shula. However, if Briles can slow the game down for Sellers a bit—while tailoring the offense to his skillset—a resurgent Sellers would be a major boon to the Gamecocks.

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