South Carolina center Nolan Hay named national player of the week after win over Tennessee

South Carolina center Nolan Hay was named the Outland Trophy National Player of the Week by the Football Writers Association of America on Tuesday, recognized for his performance up front in the Gamecocks' 27-24 win over No. 11 Tennessee in Week 9.

South Carolina produced 344 yards of offense in just 25:48 of possession against a Tennessee defense that had not allowed more than 356 yards in a game all season. That earlier high came in Week 2 against Georgia Tech, and nearly half of those yards came in the fourth quarter with the Yellow Jackets trailing by multiple scores, which made the Gamecocks' output in Knoxville's matchup all the more notable.

Hay, a fifth-year player from Katy, Texas, is the second South Carolina lineman to receive this weekly Outland Trophy honor, joining guard Torricelli Simpkins III, who earned it in 2024. Before arriving in Columbia in 2025, Hay played at Houston Christian and Incarnate Word, where he lined up at right tackle as a junior and earned All-Southland Conference honors from Phil Steele. He was also named to the 2025 SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll in his first season with the Gamecocks.

For Tennessee, the award underlines where Saturday's loss was decided: at the line of scrimmage, against an offensive front that controlled enough of the game to spring an upset. South Carolina, now 4-3 overall and 2-3 in the SEC, next travels to Oklahoma on Halloween, with kickoff set for 4:15 p.m. ET on SEC Network.