SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE FOOTBALL MEDIA DAYS

July 14, 2025

Nick Barrett

South Carolina Gamecocks

Press Conference

Q. Can you talk about, you have waited for your chance. You had some guys ahead of you last year, but this is your time to shine. Can you talk a little bit about your feelings on going in this season and about being the guy, the leader on that defensive line this year?

NICK BARRETT: Over the past couple of years, sat down with some great players, like Tonka, T.J. Sanders (phonetic), Boogie Huntley. Just learned a lot from them. Whatever I learned from them these past couple of years, I'm going to take it and apply it to this year.

As far as me being a leader, I've been in this defense for five years. I know the standard, know the ins and outs of what's going on, just bring the young guys along, show them the standard of Gamecock football.

Q. When you think back to your recruiting process (inaudible) and signed with Coach Beamer, what do you remember your first impression with Coach Beamer the first time you talked to him on the phone and met him, what can you recall about that?

NICK BARRETT: He's a great guy. He's very intentional about what he wants to get accomplished. So just winning and everything.

He lives it. So like just his habits of coaching us, everything, I see it, he wants to win. That's like my impression of him. He's about what he says he's about.

Q. How surprised was the team by LaNorris' success last year? He was something of an unknown outside of the program going into last season. And how has his leadership resonated in the locker room?

NICK BARRETT: I don't think the team was surprised because we saw it his very first year, when Spencer was playing quarterback. It's just a matter of him doing it on a larger scale, on a bigger stage.

And his leadership has been great. He's the same guy. He's very consistent. You know, he does everything right and he just sets a great example for everybody.

Q. You mentioned Tonka, T.J. and Alex Huntley, what were some things you learned from them that you want to pick up and take into your game this year?

NICK BARRETT: I learned something from each and every one of them. Boogie, Boogie was our leader for the past two years. Just learning good leadership qualities from Boogie. And like T.J. and Tom, those guys made a lot of plays asking how did you get this done, how to execute certain stuff. Like just stuff like that.

Q. How do you feel like the expectations around the team have changed maybe from when you first got to South Carolina?

NICK BARRETT: Obviously from when I first got here, we were coming off -- they were coming off 2-8 season, I believe. A lot of people didn't really have high expectations, but the more games you win, the more expectations that you receive.

We just continue to come in with a chip on our shoulder, the team, to get better. That last season was last season. We understand that's a whole different story; it's a whole new team. We gotta do something different this year. We can't just live off last year.

Q. You've kind of been in the shadows for your first four years at South Carolina and you're going to be in the spotlight this year. What's the most important thing you want people to know about Nick Barrett?

NICK BARRETT: I'm going to be prepared. I'm going to do what I do to help lead this team. So I just make sure I do everything I'm supposed to do so I could help others to get to where they need to be at.

Q. What kind of identity do you think you'll all have as a defense here this year?

NICK BARRETT: We're working to come out to be dominant as we were last year.

Q. We just got to talk with Coach Beamer. Energy is infectious. What do you say about playing for him and just something that might surprise people who don't get to see them the way you do?

NICK BARRETT: It's fun. And come out every day at practice, it's just like we got core values. He has core values all over the world.

Like you see them when you walk in the locker room, he has it posted from when we walk out of the locker room. We just live out those core values, just go out there every day and practice.

Q. You've played in a lot of SEC stadiums at this point, but how would you describe how Williams-Brice Stadium compares to some of the others and what makes it unique?

NICK BARRETT: We have the best fans in the world. I mean, like I can't really say what I want to say because they're there for us. It's not like it's an away team, you know what I'm saying? I really can't answer that one.

Q. LaNorris Sellers, he had an amazing first year. I'm pretty sure it's not any surprise the amount of money thrown his way his offseason. He decided he wanted to stay home and compete with his brothers. Was it any stagger amongst the locker room when he decided to stay and compete with you guys?

NICK BARRETT: To be honest with you, I don't pay attention to other people's financial obligations.

I mean, like I said, he's a great guy. So, I mean, that wouldn't surprise me, you know what I'm saying, that he's wanting to stay here and finish what he started.

Q. What do you remember about playing Texas A&M? How much after the game last year looking forward to going to Kyle Field this year?

NICK BARRETT: It was a great game. We went out there and competed. We came out up top. So it was good. And then going into Kyle stadium, I know that we're going to get their best. We're going to bring our best.

Q. You lost a lot of production along the defensive front seven from a season ago. What's it like building chemistry with an entire new linebacker unit and who's stepping up?

NICK BARRETT: To build a chemistry we just do stuff outside of football. Play the game with each other, just joke around, spend time outside of workouts, like we joke around in the locker room and stuff like that. So things like that.