South Carolina narrowly missed the College Football Playoff in 2024 after winning its final six games in the regular season. The Gamecocks look to be a dark horse in the SEC in 2025 and make their first playoff appearance. A big reason why many view South Carolina as a contender is LaNorris Sellers. Sellers took the nation by storm down the stretch last year, with the Gamecocks being one of the hottest teams in college football by the end of the season. His physical gifts are undeniable, but he is still a very young prospect with some room to grow. The traits make him a likely first-round pick, but can he be the first player off the board in 2026?
2026 NFL Draft: LaNorris Sellers Player Profile
Background
Unlike many of the other top signal-callers in this class, Sellers wasn’t a blue-chip recruit coming out of high school. He was a three-star prospect coming out of Florence(South Carolina) and the 34th-ranked quarterback in the Class of 2023. Sellers chose to stay in the Palmetto State and committed to South Carolina. He sat behind Spencer Rattler as he redshirted in 2023. Sellers only saw action in three games as a true freshman, but he showed glimpses of what was to come. His only four passes of the season were against Furman, which were all completed for 86 yards and two touchdowns. He also had a 36-yard touchdown run against Vanderbilt.
Sellers took over as the starter in 2024, completing 65.6% of his passes for 2,534 yards, 18 touchdowns, and seven interceptions in 12 games. His athleticism was on full display as well, rushing for 674 yards and seven touchdowns on 166 attempts. 2024 got off to a rocky start, with Sellers suffering an ankle injury against LSU that caused him to miss the following game against Akron. His improvement as a passer was noticeable throughout the season. After throwing four touchdowns to four interceptions in the first five games, Sellers had 14 touchdown passes to three interceptions in the last seven.
Strengths
LaNorris Sellers
Nov 30, 2024; Clemson, South Carolina, USA; South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers (16) scores the winning touchdown against Clemson during the fourth quarter at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Ruinard-Imagn Images
Sellers has the ideal size teams are looking for in a franchise quarterback, measuring at 6-foot-3 and 240 pounds. He uses his frame as a runner, routinely bouncing off tackles to extend plays. Sellers is the best dual-threat quarterback in this class, with his combination of size and athleticism creating nightmares for defenders. He is a naturally gifted rusher who can break off an explosive run on any given play.
Sellers has one of the strongest arms in college football, and generates impressive velocity on his throws to thread passes into tight windows. His ability to throw on the run is second to none, and he is often at his best when the play breaks down. Sellers is a good deep-ball thrower who had an impressive completion percentage for a 19-year-old in his first season starting. Quarterbacks are judged most in high-leverage situations, namely two-minute drills. Sellers showed he could rise to the occasion with his late-game heroics against Missouri and Clemson.
Weaknesses
Ball security was the biggest issue for Sellers in 2024, leading the nation with 11 fumbles and tied for the most lost fumbles with six. Sellers doesn’t give up on plays, which is good, but this can lead to unnecessarily putting the ball in harm’s way. While his completion percentage was good, his accuracy on layup passes was inconsistent. Sellers also needs to speed up his internal clock and be more decisive as a passer. He can miss throwing windows by hanging onto the ball too long, causing him to miss easy completions. Working through progressions faster will help Sellers maximize his potential from the pocket. Sellers plays an aggressive style of football, which, to be fair, he has the talent to do so. This can lead to dangerous throws into windows that aren’t there and result in picks.
Overview
Sellers was one of the most exciting players to watch in the country last season, and he should be again in 2025. His ability to turn would-be sacks into big-time throws or runs is exceptional. The arm talent, size, and mobility of an elite quarterback are all there; it’s just a matter of developing the more nuanced aspects of the position. There’s still room for improvement when it comes to processing and taking care of the ball, but these are things that can be improved on with a young player.
His style of play is reminiscent of Josh Allen, with his physical running style and top-end arm strength. South Carolina is a trendy pick to make the playoffs in 2025, and Sellers is the primary reason. Nyck Harbor returning at wide receiver should help his growth. If Sellers can make these improvements, then he has a great chance of being the first-overall pick.
Main Image: Jeremy Reper – Imagn Images