South Carolina’s football program entered the 2024 season with a new starting quarterback in redshirt freshman LaNorris Sellers.
After two games, the quarterback masked by his googles, is settling in at the position and has his lenses focused on improvement.
Sellers, who was rated a three-star prospect by 247Sports’ composite rankings, joined the Gamecocks before the 2023 season. He had signed with the Gamecocks on Dec. 23, 2022 after flipping his commitment from Syracuse to South Carolina on National Signing Day.
During the 2023 football season, the young quaterback spent his time behind former Gamecock quaterback Spencer Rattler, who now serves as a backup for the New Orleans Saints in the NFL. During his true freshman season, he completed all four of his pass attempts, including a 50-yard touchdown pass against the Furman Paladins on Spet. 9, 2023.
Sellers earned the Gamecocks' starting quarterback campaign ahead of senior Robby Ashford, who transferred into the program from the Auburn Tigers during the offseason, after fall practice. His familiarity with the offense helped him win the job, head coach Shane Beamer said.
"LaNorris was our starting quarterback coming out of spring," Beamer said after announcing Sellers as the starter. "I think he continues to get better each week, his poise, his consistency, his understanding of what we're trying to do. You know, he's done what we've asked him to do coming out of spring practice."
A new era begins
Before taking the field against Old Dominion on Aug. 31, Sellers compared his first start for the Gamecocks to something you would dream about. But the game would not go according to plan, both for Sellers and South Carolina.
A flurry of dropped passes, overthrown passes and a 4th quarter deficit to the Sun Belt Conference school, Sellers would end his first career start completing just 10 of his 23 pass attempts for 114 yards.
Though he struggled through the air, his running ability was on full display. Sellers ran for 68 yards and one touchdown on 22 carries, the most rushing attempts for a South Carolina quarterback since Connor Shaw ran the ball 22 times in November 2013 matchup against Clemson.
Despite his rushing performance, the 6-foot-3 quarterback knew he had to be a better passer heading on the road for his first SEC start.
“You just gotta prepare the right way,” Sellers said after the Old Dominion game. “I need to get better, I'll say, just, being more patient, being myself, being confident.”
Sellers said in the following Tuesday's media availability that he played “timid” and was “scared to make a mistake.”
“As I went through the film, I could just tell I wasn't myself,” Sellers said. “I was kind of jumpy, I was kind of fast, going through my reads fast, probably skipping some reads here and there but I just need to be more patient.”
Offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains’ agreed in his assessment of Sellers' first start.
“In the process of playing that game, I think that he looked like a guy that was getting his first start and played for 15 plays up until that point,” Loggains said. “He knows that the burden of that job, what it entails, but you really don't feel it until you have to go do it for the first time… It’s an awesome opportunity to grow and he’ll get better every week.”
Sellers said he knew Saturday’s game against Kentucky would not be easy, but he aimed to make sure his slow start would not continue in the second week.
"It's frustrating," Sellers said. "But you know, first game...you can only get better from there. Still young, still got time, but I just need to get better faster."
Taking on the wildcats
The young quarterback would have his first career SEC start in enemy territory.
After leading a scoreless drive to start the game, he would help put South Carolina on the board by throwing a touchdown pass to freshman wide receiver Mazeo Bennett Jr. The touchdown was Bennett's first in his collegiate career. It's a play they practiced for a while, Sellers said on Saturday.
"We had high-lowed that defender right there,” Sellers said “If he took the flat, we'd have that. If he dropped back, we have the under on the down flat or whatever so just practice all week while they executed."
Shortly afterward, Sellers would suffer a minor hip injury early and miss the majority of the second quarter.
"I knew I was going back in," Sellers said. "It was never my decision to sit out at all so... I'm not really sure what happened it was just kind of sore."
Sellers would go on to complete 11 of his 15 pass attempts for 159 yards, along with two touchdowns, against the Wildcats.
He would experience some struggles during the game, though.
Despite showing improvement as a passer, the quarterback threw one interception.
Sellers also put the ball on the ground twice against Kentucky, both fumbles coming on back to back plays where the Gamecocks retained possession. Sellers has now three fumbles through the first two games of the season, but he said he isn’t worried about his ability to take care of the football.
“It wasn’t really like a ball security thing,” Sellers said. “I take that very seriously, like last week I fumbled too so I always take it serious, but they just caught me when I was breaking my hands going to throw the ball…both times”
Lenses focused on the future
Sellers will head into this Saturday’s pivotal matchup against the LSU Tigers having completed 21 of his 38 passes this season for 273 yards, along with two touchdowns and one interception.
He credited his success passing the ball last Saturday to just feeling more comfortable and getting the timing and chemistry down with his receivers. But Beamer said he wants to make sure Sellers doesn't get too high or low mentally, even after an improved performance.
“Sometimes I wonder, ‘What's really going on inside his head,’” Beamer said. “But his teammates have his back...when something bad happens…it wasn't like coming off the field wide eyes and rattled, he’s just very poised, knew what he did wrong, and just play the next play.”
Beamer has full confidence in Sellers as things move along in the 2024 season.
“There were some lazy narratives out there this week about this team,” Beamer told ABC in his on-field post-game interview. “LaNorris is gritty, he’s gonna continue to learn.”