Upside sells in the offseason, and few 2026 NFL Draft quarterback prospects have more upside than South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers. The redshirt sophomore still has progress to make before he can be called a pro-ready passer, but the groundwork and the trajectory are there.
Here’s some of what Sellers shows on film.
LaNorris Sellers Showed NFL Potential in His First Year Under Center
There’s an irony in Sellers’ last name: his physical skill set does much of the selling for him. As a 2026 NFL Draft prospect, he’s already compelling because of his 6-foot-3, 241-pound frame, high-energy athleticism, and strong, elastic arm. But there’s even more under the hood that lends well to Sellers’ developmental upside: his mentality.
A four-star recruit, Sellers was thrust into the starting role as a redshirt freshman in 2024 after Spencer Rattler made the jump to the NFL.
Sellers presided over a 1-3 record in the team’s first four SEC matchups but persisted through adversity and led the Gamecocks in a six-game winning streak to close out the regular season — a streak that culminated in a gutsy last-second win over 12th-ranked rival Clemson.
Overall, Sellers completed 196 of 299 passes (65.6%) for 2,534 yards, 18 touchdowns, and just seven interceptions in 2024. On the ground, he contributed 674 rushing yards and seven additional TDs.
At the end of the season, the 19-year-old was voted by his teammates as a permanent team captain for the Gamecocks. Throughout the year, he adjusted quickly, grew up fast on the gridiron, and, as a result, should firmly be on the NFL’s radar as a QB with potential for a first-round breakout.
LaNorris Sellers Deep Dive: How Does the South Carolina QB Win?
It’s extremely fun to think about what Sellers can become. That’s evident in his best reps. You almost need aliens at QB in the modern NFL, and Sellers comes close to “alien” status with his raw tools.
This one rep against Kentucky shows plenty of that. With his frame, Sellers naturally has the strength to resist solo tackle attempts and pry through contact. He can evade sacks and escape into the flats with his free-flowing mobility. And with his arm elasticity, he can make eye-catching throws off-platform while keeping pace.
Some of the key selling points with LaNorris Sellers (pun unintended):
– Evasive athleticism and strength at 6’3″, 242
– Calm, cool, and composed under pressure (sometimes too calm)
– Easy velocity generation and off-platform ability pic.twitter.com/53sHSHMNWQ— Ian Cummings (@IC_Draft) April 9, 2025
In the play above, some of Sellers’ question marks are also quietly visible. He had a checkdown option available when he stepped up away from pressure but held off the trigger and instead sought to extend. You’ll see Sellers rely on that ability to create to a fault at times on tape, but more often than not, it’s a resounding strength.
Sellers is one of the most dangerous running QBs since Justin Fields, and that’s not a hyperbolic statement. He routinely makes defenders look silly — not just with his grown-man strength at quarterback, but also with his turbocharged explosive capacity, logic-defying cutting flexibility, and lower-body reduction freedom.
Below, you can see that wicked cutting flexibility, energized athleticism, and explosiveness in action on the run. He’s not just a raw athlete. Sellers knows how to set up defenders in space and stack quick cuts. Even with small seams, he can wash downfield for valuable chunk gains.
LaNorris Sellers still has room to keep growing as a passer. But I like that he doesn’t force things too often (2.3% INT rate on 299 attempts in 2024), and his creation ability is tantalizing.
Explosive, energized, with great angle freedom on his cuts. pic.twitter.com/e0i6wGAnYq
— Ian Cummings (@IC_Draft) April 9, 2025
Below, you’ll find another dramatic example of Sellers’ superlative creative ability. This one comes with a “clutch play bonus.” It’s Sellers’ game-winning TD run in South Carolina’s final regular-season game against the Clemson Tigers.
It’s important to note that Sellers did have the slot post available on this play. Some extraneous dropback footwork might’ve delayed him too much to hit that route. However, with pressure from Peter Woods and T.J. Parker bearing down, Sellers again manages to turn a potential loss into a win with his elite physical talent.
This was on 3rd & 15, down 10-14 against Clemson. Game is essentially on the line.
Could argue he had the slot post, but it’s hard to step up with Peter Woods bearing down.
So instead, LaNorris Sellers creates a game-winning TD out of thin air. pic.twitter.com/xIdvQD2RNi
— Ian Cummings (@IC_Draft) April 28, 2025
Athletically, there isn’t much Sellers can’t do. He can step up in bursts to escape trailing pressure. He can reach his top speed and bend to evade tackling angles. He also rapidly adjusts his attack angle upfield to capitalize on defenders who break down too early. Lastly, Sellers can finish with physicality and keep his feet beneath him the way other QBs simply can’t.
However, encased within Sellers’ strength as a creator is a very pressing issue to address in 2025: he’s not yet a high-end processor or anticipatory passer.
Good building blocks are visible, but Sellers’ field vision can be questionable, and his trigger can be slow when working progressions. These flaws sometimes dictate that he relies on his creativity to a fault.
Below, you’ll find a small example of this. Sellers is working a simple mesh concept, where he’ll have his short crossing WR open over the middle.
However, Sellers’ dropback footwork is inefficient, and he fails to anticipate the receiver through the clutter in the middle of the field. His feet are behind his eyes when he finally triggers because he hasn’t reset. The throw is late, low, and behind, and a simple completion becomes an avoidable drop.
LaNorris Sellers’ patience and risk aversion is a definite strength, but it can also stem into the realm of indecision on the Venn diagram at times — especially when reading through clutter.
That, combined with extraneous dropback footwork, can lead to costly delays. pic.twitter.com/CBRIYb6HvB
— Ian Cummings (@IC_Draft) June 9, 2025
Sellers’ risk aversion and discretion are very strong for a young passer. He had just a 2.3% interception rate in 2024. But if you picture his Venn diagram, there are plenty of plays where Sellers’ patience and indecision overlap.
That indecision — often sourced from a lack of anticipation — can create bad situations on its own. He’ll need to grow out of that to reach his full potential.
Where is Sellers best as a processor? When he doesn’t have to sift through clutter in the middle of the field. Upon isolating individual opportunities, he has shown to identify throws and triggers early in reps.
The play below from South Carolina’s 2024 Citrus Bowl loss against Illinois is a great example. The left boundary CB carries vertically off the snap, and the flat defender stays shallow, leaving an intermediate void in a situation akin to Cover 2. Sellers sees this and lets loose a perfect touch pass into the corner from the opposite hash, layering pace and touch.
As a processor, LaNorris Sellers appears at his best when he can isolate opportunities. The ID skills are there.
He recognizes the left CB carrying vertical and sees the flat DB at shallow depth. Oppo hash corner dime. Wouldn’t mind a pump fake here to bait, but this is good. pic.twitter.com/Uq1VqyoIV8
— Ian Cummings (@IC_Draft) June 9, 2025
As is often the case with Sellers, even his opposite-hash gambit wasn’t perfect. He could’ve pump-faked the flat defender to buy more time and create more space, better anticipating the throw. But the building blocks are there, even if they present without ideal consistency.
Identifying leverage 1-on-1 is another skill that Sellers has at his disposal. An earlier throw against Illinois was proof of this. It’s a slot end-zone fade, where Sellers’ man quickly gets a step out of the release. He vaults a laser-like pass high where only his receiver can reach. It’s dropped, but Sellers’ leverage ID skills meet his risk propensity here.
Loved this throw from LaNorris Sellers on film. Quickly recognizes the leverage advantage on the slot EZ fade. Places it where only his WR can reach with a mix of velocity and touch.
This one is ultimately dropped, but this is throwing a guy open in a tough spot. pic.twitter.com/ezb7nNvY0k
— Ian Cummings (@IC_Draft) June 9, 2025
Sellers still has a lot of work to do before he’s locked into the Round 1 conversation. It’s easy to project growth from a processing standpoint, but it’s harder for prospects themselves to take that leap.
Some quarterbacks become NFL-level processors. Others keep the limitations that ultimately restrict their success in the league.
Sellers has the baseline risk aversion, discretion, and leverage IQ you want, and he flashes solid eye manipulation in the short range. However, within the NFL lens, his mental game still has room to incorporate more active anticipation and manipulation at a quicker pace overall. More development with footwork could also yield better results there.
Nevertheless, Sellers’ current tools are tantalizing. He’s built for the NFL with his frame, and he’s an incendiary athlete under center who can alter what’s possible for a team and what’s not, both in designed run situations and amidst off-script chaos.
The best is yet to come, though it’s still uncertain if it will. But Sellers has another full season to supplement his growth, and he can become a first-round talent if he uses it.
