South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers (16) carries the ball during the Gamecocks’ game against Kentucky at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia on Saturday, September 27, 2025.
Special To The State
One NFL draft analyst believes South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers will be back for another year of college and that other schools will be pursuing him.
The Ringer’s Todd McShay said Thursday on the “Todd McShay Show” that he thinks it would be beneficial for Sellers, a redshirt sophomore, to come back for another season of college football after talking with various NFL scouts.
“LaNorris Sellers, there is a strong opinion in NFL scouting circles … that he will be back in school next year. That he absolutely needs to for his development and when he is called upon to be a first-round draft pick,” said McShay, who spent 17 years working at ESPN. “It will be an uphill battle for him if he comes out in 2026. Everyone is supporting the concept that he needs another year of college. There are people in his camp that are in agreement with that, I’m told.”
McShay went on to say that if Sellers does decide to come back, you can expect other schools to try and land him. He mentioned that he was told that Miami might be one of those possible schools. The Hurricanes have landed two high-profile transfer quarterbacks in the past two years: Washington State’s Cam Ward in 2024 and Georgia’s Carson Beck this season.
Ward was the No. 1 pick by the Tennessee Titans in the 2025 NFL Draft.
“There are some programs and this is just scouts talking that are lurking. One person started putting the dots together,” McShay said. “There is a place in South Florida that has done a good job in handpicking quarterbacks the last two years and they have seen ascension in their game. And they have a lot of talent around that quarterback position. And they haven’t been able to take that next step.
“While Cam Ward was amazing and did some great things, but the defense wasn’t ready. This year, Carson Beck has been good. But how could they get to the next step with the existing coaching staff and support? Miami is a program I would be cautious of if I were Shane Beamer and the Gamecocks program of trying to come in with an offer that would be difficult to refuse.”
Others say LaNorris Sellers should stay in school
McShay isn’t the only NFL draft analyst who feels it might be better that Sellers come back for another season of college football. ESPN’s Jordan Reid mentioned it on Sunday after Sellers’ performance against Ole Miss.
Sellers was 16-of-30 passing for 180 passing, two TDs and two interceptions in the loss to Ole Miss. For the season, he is completing 61.7 percent of his passes for 1,536 yards, 10 total touchdowns and five interceptions.
“If he does declare for the 2026 draft, Sellers will be among the most debated prospects in the class,” Reid wrote. “He is still raw and needs to make a major leap in his development, and the team that takes a chance on him must understand that he’s a long-term project who will need time and patience in order to uncover his potential. Right now, Sellers looks more like a Day 2 prospect.”
Sellers began the season with the fifth-best odds to win the Heisman Trophy. Since his breakout season in 2024, he’s been mentioned as a Top 5 NFL Draft pick and maybe even the first quarterback selected.
ESPN’s Mel Kiper had the South Carolina quarterback as the 21st-best draft prospect and fourth-best QB in next year’s draft.
But Sellers and the Gamecocks have had their share of struggles this season. USC is 3-6 going into next week’s game against Texas A&M. USC fired offensive coordinator Mike Shula on Sunday and receivers coach Mike Furrey will be the team’s play caller.
USC coach Shane Beamer was asked about Sellers’ future during his weekly teleconference on Sunday.
“There’s a time and place to discuss his decisions beyond 2025,” Beamer said. “Right now, it’s helping him and the rest of our team be the best version of themselves these next three weeks. We still haven’t played our best football, and we’re still chasing that.”
This story was originally published November 6, 2025 at 3:02 PM.
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Lou Bezjak is the High School Sports Prep Coordinator for The (Columbia) State and (Hilton Head) Island Packet. He previously worked at the Florence Morning News and had covered high school sports in South Carolina since 2002. Lou is a two-time South Carolina Sports Writer of the Year by the National Sports Media Association.
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