LaNorris Sellers injury update: Shane Beamer gives initial update following loss to Vanderbilt

It was a rough night for the South Carolina Gamecock football program, as it suffered its first loss to Vanderbilt since 2008. The Commodores jumped out to a 14-7 lead and outscored Carolina 17-0 in the second half, escaping Columbia with a dominant 31-7 win.

After taking a big hit towards the end of the first half, Gamecock quarterback LaNorris Sellers missed the remainder of the game. Head coach Shane Beamer did not yet have an update on Sellers postgame.

Shane Beamer: No update on LaNorris Sellers or Cason Henry.

Going forward, no answer on that either. Way too soon to declare if it's Doty's show or have another QB battle. Got to see what the injury to Sellers is.

— David Cloninger (@DCPandC) September 14, 2025

Backup quarterback Luke Doty relieved Sellers and remained in the game for the final 1:48 of the first half and the entire second half. Doty completed 18/27 passes for 148 yards, no touchdowns and one interception in an emergency role.

“Shane Beamer coming out, I asked him about LaNorris Sellers’ health,” SEC Network‘s Cole Cubelic said prior to the start of the second half. “He quickly just told me ‘he’s done and will not go the rest of the football game.”

It took about a minute for the SEC officiating crew in Columbia to buzz down to review for targeting following the hit, right as Carolina’s center snapped the ball to Doty. Doty hit wide receiver Nyck Harbor in stride for what would have been a major pickup, but the play was blown dead due to the review.

“I asked (the referee) as soon as it happened if they were looking at it for targeting; for our quarterback to be laying on the ground like that, he probably got hit in the head,” a furious Beamer continued. “For whatever reason, it took them a while to buzz down. I don’t know what’s going on in Birmingham or wherever they look at it, but I thought it was pretty obvious.”

Sellers threw an interception and no touchdowns prior to injury

Prior to Sellers’ injury, the preseason All-SEC selection completed 6/7 passes for 94 yards. He threw one interception and rushed for -3 yards on three carries. He hit the locker room prior to South Carolina kicker Mason Love‘s missed 53-yard field goal with 20 seconds remaining in the half, where he began testing for a possible concussion.

Sellers’ absence in the second half was a massive loss for the Carolina offense. Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea discussed Sellers’ ability to make good decisions with the ball and create plays with his legs earlier this week.

“I think there’s everything you’d want to see out of a quarterback,” Lea said during a Tuesday press conference. “Not necessarily as someone defending a quarterback. I mean, he’s big and physical and smart and makes good decisions with the ball and can create with his legs. He’s got arm strength… He’s really talented in all the areas you want a quarterback to be talented in.”

Sellers’ status for South Carolina‘s game against Missouri next Saturday is currently up in the air.