LaNorris Sellers was supposed to be South Carolina’s superstar and a future NFL starting quarterback.
All of that has entered into plenty of doubt of late, though, and there are now even reports that Sellers could be benched by the Gamecocks as soon as Saturday against Kentucky.
It’s been quite the fall for Sellers.
He entered the 2025 college football season projected by many to be a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
A rough year had Sellers decide to remain in college, but that meant he’d take the next step this year, right? So far, that hasn’t happened.
South Carolina is 2-2 and on the brink of the season slipping away from them if they don’t find a way to put more points on the board, whether it’s Sellers or not.
Why Would South Carolina Bench LaNorris Sellers?
The reality for South Carolina at this point is that Sellers continues to struggle.
“Coach Shane Beamer stressed competition as a theme this week in front of the team, a source told ESPN,” ESPN’s Pete Thamel wrote on Saturday morning. “And the message to Sellers that he has to play better is clear.”
Sellers and the Gamecocks are already 0-2 in the SEC.
His completion percentage is 62.1%, second-worst in the conference among starting quarterbacks. He has thrown six touchdowns with four interceptions.
The positive for Sellers has been running the football, as he’s averaging 6.8 yards per carry.
“It’s the passing game — (South Carolina) ranks ninth in the SEC — where Sellers needs to improve, as (Kendal) Briles’ offense is known for quick decisions and typically leads to high percentage options,” Thamel writes. Sellers has failed to capture his form from 2024, when he emerged as an intriguing NFL prospect, accounting for 25 touchdowns as South Carolina went 9-4 and was in the thick of the College Football Playoff conversation.”
Who is South Carolina’s Backup QB?
Cutter Woods is the backup quarterback for the Gamecocks.
According to Thamel, Woods received “an uptick in first-team snaps this week,” which shows that South Carolina is serious about potentially sitting Sellers.
“Earlier in the week, Woods took nearly a quarter of the team’s first-team reps, sources told ESPN,” Thamel writes. “Later in the week, those first-team reps decreased as Sellers remains the starter.”
The Gamecocks do seem to be big believers in Woods.
“Woods is a talented second-year player who is viewed internally at South Carolina as the starter of the future,” Thamel writes. “He has played in six games so far, all in relief, completing 17-of-25 passes for 161 yards. He has one touchdown and one interception.”
The question for South Carolina becomes: How soon does the future arrive? And how soon does Sellers’ present end?
Those paths may be on a collision course sooner than anyone would’ve thought.
South Carolina Might Bench LaNorris Sellers — Here’s Why