At the end of the season last year, LaNorris Sellers started to finally receive the recognition that he deserves. And as the 2025-26 campaign draws near, the buzz around the star QB's name is increasing. After a flawless debut back in 2023 against Furman, he took the reins as South Carolina's starting quarterback the following year and took off. Sellers led the Gamecocks to a 9-4 season that ended with a 17-14 win at Clemson, breaking Tiger fans hearts and cementing himself as a rising star in the SEC.
Shortly after, there was national talk about South Carolina in the College Football Playoff, but when the committee announced their selections, the Gamecocks were nowhere to be found. Despite six straight wins to close the season, including over ranked teams like Missouri, Texas A&M, and Clemson, the Gamecocks were snubbed in favor of 11-1 Indiana and a two-loss SMU team.
Recently, in an interview at the Manning Passing Academy, Sellers reflected on the exclusion of the team from the CFP: “It’s only three or four plays. Just those small plays in the game, one or two plays, it matters a lot. That’s what kept us out of the playoffs.”
Sellers, who has more than proved himself as a class act on and off the field, has since responded by leveling up his grind. At the camp, he was seen launching some missiles across the field, including one from the 28-yard line to the opposite 10. Even though he is coming off of a 2,534-yard, 18-touchdown season and has already been mentioned in the Heisman conversation and mock draft boards, he remains humble. “When I see my name in stuff like that, it’s cool to see, but I still gotta go out there and play,” he said.
And play he will. The South Carolina Gamecocks are set to open their season in Atlanta against Virginia Tech on August 31. And their schedule is brutal for the 2025-26 campaign, with LSU, Texas A&M, and Ole Miss on the road. With Shane Beamer at the helm for Year 5, and Sellers evolving into one of the most dangerous dual-threat QBs in the nation, South Carolina has one goal to crush: the College Football Playoff. And this time, the committee won't be able to ignore the Gamecocks.