As SEC Media Days kick off, South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers draws national attention. The redshirt sophomore enters the 2025 season on the preseason Heisman Trophy watchlist and is widely viewed as a projected top-10 NFL Draft pick.
With SEC teams gathering to preview the season, Sellers remains a focal point. If his connection with South Carolina’s receiving corps grows, the offense can emerge as one of the most explosive in the country, but not without underlying questions.
SEC Spotlight on LaNorris Sellers, But South Carolina’s Achilles’ Heel Remains
As the 2025 college football season approaches, South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers stands firmly in the SEC spotlight. Widely considered one of the conference’s premier players, Sellers is already drawing national acclaim.
After leading the Gamecocks to a 9-4 finish last season, his emergence has sparked real conversation about South Carolina’s ability to shake up the SEC hierarchy. Yet beneath the optimism, serious concerns linger.
Joe DeLeone and Blake Ruffino revisited the Gamecocks’ trajectory and Sellers’ rise during a recent segment, highlighting his progression and the structural challenges that remain.
“LaNorris Sellers is definitely the best mobile quarterback, the best runner in college football, and he’s a damn good passer that showed improvement on a week-by-week basis,” DeLeone said.
That steady improvement is central to South Carolina’s hopes. Unlike quarterbacks who fluctuate with peaks and valleys, Sellers showed consistent development, particularly in his pocket presence and playmaking under pressure.
That pressure was significant. South Carolina’s offensive line was plagued by injuries and inconsistency last season.
“We watched last year their offensive line go through a lot of problems and LaNorris Sellers proved that he is too damn strong for that to be a problem for him,” DeLeone added.
Ruffino credited Sellers’ late-season heroics for putting the Gamecocks in playoff contention.
“LaNorris Sellers put this team on his back a year ago and got them there,” Ruffino said. “I think they should have been in the Playoff. They were a good enough team; they won enough games to do so.”
South Carolina’s case was further fueled by a controversial loss to LSU, which included a pick-six and a hit on quarterback Garrett Nussmeier that changed the game’s momentum.
Despite his heroics, the question persists: can South Carolina address its lingering weaknesses enough to elevate itself into true contention? The roster boasts top-end talent, with Ruffino pointing to “two of the best young players in college football” in Sellers and defensive lineman Dylan Stewart.
He also emphasized their transfer portal success and improved recruiting efforts, but acknowledged,
“There are absolutely holes that can hold them back,” DeLeone admitted. Questions remain about receiver development, particularly whether Nyck Harbor can become a consistent weapon.
“When he quit track, the route running looked like it really improved,” Ruffino observed, suggesting the ceiling is high but unproven.
The offense remains a work in progress. Ruffino posed critical questions about receiver Nick Harbor’s development and new offensive coordinator Mike Shula’s integration.
“Can Nyck Harbor take that next step now that he’s given a year over to football?” he asked.
Ruffino summed it up: “LaNorris has got to take off the glasses and go Superman again.”
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But even superhuman efforts might not mask the Gamecocks’ most persistent flaw.
