LaNorris Sellers named to Maxwell Award Watch List as South Carolina star gears up for record-breaking season

South Carolina star quarterback LaNorris Sellers has been named to the Maxwell Award preseason watch list. Could Sellers bring the prestigious honor back to Columbia for the first time?
Nov 23, 2024; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks quarterback LaNorris Sellers (16) throws a pass against the Wofford Terriers in the first quarter at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images
Nov 23, 2024; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks quarterback LaNorris Sellers (16) throws a pass against the Wofford Terriers in the first quarter at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images | Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

South Carolina star quarterback LaNorris Sellers continues to make headlines and stack preseason honors ahead of what could be a breakout year in Columbia. On Monday, the redshirt sophomore was named to the Maxwell Award preseason watchlist, an honor reserved for the top 80 players in college football. The Maxwell Award is presented annually to the most outstanding player in the country. And while no Gamecock has ever taken the trophy home, Sellers makes a strong case that this could be the season South Carolina breaks into that elite conversation.

At 6-foot-3 and 240 pounds, the Florence native is coming off of a stellar debut campaign as the Gamecocks starting quarterback. Sellers was named the 2024 National Freshman Offensive Player of the Year by the Football Writers Association of America. He also laned on multiple All-Freshman and All-SEC teams. Sellers threw for 2,534 yards and 18 touchdowns while completing 65.6% of his passes. And he did just as much damage on the ground, rushing for 674 yards and seven scores.

Sellers has appeared on several preseason All-American lists and has quickly become the face of South Carolina Football for the upcoming season. The Maxwell Football Club will announce the semifinalists on November 11, the finalists on November 25, and the official winner being announced on December 11 during ESPN's College Football Awards Show. If Sellers keeps trending upward, he might just end the 2025 season as the first Gamecock ever to bring the Maxwell Award back to the trophy case in Columbia.