It may be the start of the offseason, but college football fans never truly stop thinking about what’s next. With Saturdays still months away, early Heisman Trophy buzz has already begun, and South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers is once again part of the conversation.
Lanorris Sellers Heisman Hype Train Is Back In Motion
According to NCAA.com college football analyst Stan Becton, Sellers enters the 2026 season as one of the most intriguing wildcard candidates in the Heisman race. While last season didn’t live up to the massive expectations surrounding him, a major change in Columbia could set the stage for a resurgence.
“The biggest wildcard this year in preseason Heisman talks will be LaNorris Sellers at South Carolina,” Becton wrote. “He was one of the favorites entering last year, but had a disappointing season. Now he’ll have a new offensive coordinator as Kendall Briles comes into town with his Air Raid offense. If Sellers can live up to the hype this year, he could return to Heisman talks.”
Heading into the 2025 season, Sellers’ hype train was rolling at full speed. Around the sport, he was spoken of in the same breath as Arch Manning, a reflection of just how highly evaluators viewed his ceiling.
Heisman buzz, first-round NFL Draft potential, even No. 1 overall pick talk, surrounded the South Carolina signal-caller. Some even pegged the Gamecocks as emerging SEC contenders with Sellers at the helm.
Instead, 2025 proved to be a rough year. Sellers struggled to maintain consistency, and the production never met expectations. Still, context matters, and the numbers suggest the regression wasn’t solely on him.
South Carolina’s Supporting Cast Is The X-Factor
One of the biggest culprits behind Sellers’ down year was an underwhelming offensive line. According to PFSN’s CFB Team Offensive Line Impact Grade, South Carolina posted a grade of 73, ranking 78th nationally. Even more telling, the Gamecocks allowed a 12.6% sack rate, leaving Sellers under constant pressure and frequently running for his life in the pocket.
For any quarterback, especially one still developing, those conditions are a recipe for stalled drives and shaken confidence.
That’s where Kendall Briles comes in.
South Carolina’s new offensive coordinator arrives from TCU with a reputation for explosive offense and quarterback development. Under Briles, TCU consistently fielded one of the more productive attacks in the country, finishing inside the top 25 of PFSN’s CFB Offensive Impact Grades this past season.
Briles’ recent work with quarterback Josh Hoover further boosts optimism. Hoover has ranked inside the top 25 of PFSN’s CFB QB Impact Grades during his three years as a starter, a strong indicator of Briles’ ability to maximize quarterback talent within his system.
With an Air Raid-based offense, improved spacing, quicker decision-making, and a renewed emphasis on quarterback-friendly concepts, Sellers could finally be placed in a position to thrive.
Combine a better play-caller, a track record of quarterback development, and an upgraded supporting cast, and suddenly Sellers’ outlook looks much different. The 2026 season could become what many believed 2025 would be, a breakout year that reintroduces LaNorris Sellers as one of college football’s most electric players.
It’s still early, and plenty must go right. But if Sellers lives up to the talent that once made him a Heisman favorite, South Carolina may not just have its quarterback of the future, it could have a legitimate Heisman Trophy contender on its hands.
And for college football fans starving for Saturdays, that possibility alone is enough to keep the offseason buzz alive.
