The Gamecocks get the win in Atlanta to open up the 2025 season! Pat and Stephen break down what they saw and look ahead to the rest of the year. The guys also sit down with one of the many people responsible for the product fans see on the field. In this ever-changing, sometimes complicated world of college football, roster construction is a fascinating piece of the puzzle. Perhaps no one is better equipped to peel back the curtain than South Carolina's Director of Player Personnel and Recruiting, Darren Uscher. The Gamecock graduate joins the tailgate to let us in on how it all works.

It’s finally GAME WEEK! The Gamecocks are just days away from kicking off the 2025 season in Atlanta, and like the rest of us, Pat and Stephen are itching to hear some pads pop! A man who knows all about that is none other than this week’s guest, former Gamecock standout, Dunta Robinson. Buckle up the chinstrap for this one!

Star power, anyone? Eleven days out from the 2025 Gamecock football season, we're bringing you three of the biggest names wearing the "Block C" this year. A video game cheat code with world-class speed looking to take the next step, a feared defensive player of the year candidate, and a Swiss Army Knife that bleeds Garnet & Black. This week has it all. Get ready for kickoff with Nyck Harbor, Dylan Stewart, and Luke Doty!

A two-for-one special this week on the Tailgate! Heisman candidate and South Carolina's QB1, LaNorris Sellers, is up first. The game-changing playmaker is back under center for the Gamecocks in one of the most anticipated seasons in recent history. He's followed up by a man who protects him in the pocket and opens up running lanes. Cason Henry has become a leader on the offensive line, and if they want to take that next step, he'll play a key role. Pull up a chair as Stephen and Pat chat with the guys right after practice.

Arguably the greatest backfield trio in Gamecock history, together again like it’s 2010. Marcus Lattimore will go down as one of the best to ever wear the Garnet & Black purely based off his accomplishments on the field, but it’s the lasting impact he left on all of us that will be immortalized. You know part of his story already, but you haven’t heard it like this. Brothers in the backfield sharing memories from historic wins, opening up about the heartbreak of devastating injuries, and catching up like old times.

There are some conflicting reports around our next guest on the Tailgate, so let's go to the source, himself. Mike Uva, a transplant from New England, has made a name for himself as a Gamecock insider, covering South Carolina athletics for a decade. How did he get his start, what are the biggest stories he's reported on, and how does one become an "insider?"

First team All-SEC, NCAA record, top ten NFL draft pick. Troy Williamson covered a lot of ground in his three years in the Garnet & Black, and surely left his mark. The South Carolina native went on to play for six years in the NFL and is now back in the Midlands, raising kids and cheering on the Gamecocks.

Steve Spurrier's right hand man, DFO, NFL liaison. Whatever title you want to use, one thing is certain: Jamie Speronis wore more hats than you could count. The man who spent 12 seasons with Gamecock football and more than two decades alongside the Head Ball Coach has plenty of great memories and even more stories to share.

Offensive lineman never get the love they deserve, right? Well, they do on the Tailgate! John Strickland, the Gamecocks' center from 2000-2004, might be the biggest South Carolina fan out there. From big bowl wins, to a brawl, and playing for legendary coach Lou Holtz, John has plenty of great stories for Gamecock nation.

From under-recruited to second round pick, who doesn't love an underdog story? Demetrius Knight played sparingly his first four years in college, but became a fan favorite in a matter of a few months in the Garnet & Black. D-Knight joins the Tailgate right after his life-changing phone call on NFL Draft night.