Shane Beamer explains naming LaNorris Sellers as current starting quarterback
As South Carolina comes out of spring practice, LaNorris Sellers is the starting quarterback of the Gamecocks. Now, after making that decision this week, Shane Beamer has shared more of his thoughts on that choice.
Beamer addressed the pick of Sellers as South Carolina’s QB1 during a media availability in Charleston. He said that the staff felt that way about the position after the competitions from practices over this last period. From here, though, he expects to see Sellers continue the work he did to earn this designation as there’s nothing officially official yet with kickoff still a few months out.
“Yeah, we compete every day in our program. My conversation with LaNorris was, ‘Yeah, coming out of spring practice, you’re our starting quarterback,'” said Beamer on Wednesday at the Welcome Home Tour. “Now I expect you to continue to do the things this summer. Just like I expect Kai Kroeger at punter to continue to do those things, Debo Williams at linebacker.”
“No one’s ever content or complacent. I know LaNorris isn’t,” Beamer said.
That same outlook also applies to Robby Ashford, the presumed backup quarterback, now too according to Beamer. He wants the transfer to continue to compete and do what he needs to do from now until the opener. That’s when final decisions will really come in with their best contributors being who gets to see the field.
“I told Robby too,” Beamer added. “I mean I called Robby on Monday night and reiterated to him again that we’re continuing to compete throughout the summer.”
“When we get to the first game, the guys that give us the best chance to win the football game are the ones that are going to be out there playing,” said Beamer.
With Spencer Rattler off to the NFL, the Gamecocks have an open spot as their starting quarterback. Sellers, the redshirt freshman, and Ashford, the fifth-year, redshirt senior addition from out of the portal, came in as the leading candidates for the role.
That led to the decision of Sellers by Beamer and the coaching staff as the team goes into the summer. This comes after he appeared in three games last fall where he posted 137 total yards and three scores.
Beamer respects where all the battles are trending as they head into the next couple months before preseason practices. He now is looking for the entire roster, including the quarterbacks, to continue contending against one another in order to improve going into next season.
“We’ve got a lot, a couple, a handful of really talented quarterbacks,” said Beamer. “Eager to watch those guys, along with our other players, continue to develop this summer.”