Shane Beamer reacts to touching moment between Frank Beamer, LaNorris Sellers after win vs. Virginia Tech

There was a little extra emotion in the opening game of the 2025 season for South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Shane Beamer. He saw his team take on the Virginia Tech Hokies, a team he’s intimately familiar with as his father, Frank, became a legend coaching there, and Shane both played and coached for him.

In the end, South Carolina got the win, and it was star quarterback LaNorris Sellers who had a special game ball to give out, presenting it to Frank. That was a gesture that Shane wouldn’t find out about until later on, but as Beamer shared on the weekly SEC teleconference, it is something that he’s incredibly grateful for.

“I appreciate it,” Shane Beamer said. “That was a really special day in a lot of ways. Really, really emotional, not gonna lie, for everyone involved. But glad we were able to get a win. I really appreciate LaNorris doing that.”

Initially, South Carolina did not publicize the moment. However, it was captured on video, and that video leaked out. Incidentally, those videos that made it online were how Shane Beamer found out about the gesture.

LaNorris Sellers gave the game ball to Frank Beamer 🥹 pic.twitter.com/MYLhKI3ehQ

— ESPN (@espn) August 31, 2025

In the video, LaNorris Sellers can be seen walking around with the ball, shaking hands. On his way to the stage to celebrate with his team, he spots Frank Beamer sitting in a nearby golf cart. There, he shook hands with the legendary coach and passed him the ball.

“I had no idea he did that until we got in the plane in Atlanta to fly back. I was just looking at my phone and I saw that pop up on social media — I had no idea. My dad didn’t tell me. My mom didn’t tell me. Nobody had told me that. Then, I found LaNorris on the plane and just sought him out and thanked him for doing that. That’s just who he is. I didn’t tell him to. He did that out of his own heart and that’s who he is as a person. Really grateful and blessed to be able to coach him,” Beamer said. “And all the guys on this team that I get to coach.”

LaNorris Sellers finished the game completing, 12 of 19 passes for 209 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for 25 yards and another touchdown. Along the way, he helped to reestablish himself as one of the best quarterbacks in the SEC.

Now, however, South Carolina needs to turn their attention to the next challenge. That’s a home game against South Carolina State next week.

ESPN analyst sees ‘flashes of Cam Newton’ in LaNorris Sellers performance

One analyst at ESPN who is incredibly impressed with LaNorris Sellers is Jordan Rodgers. In the week following the win over Virginia Tech, he went as far as to compare the South Carolina signal caller to Cam Newton.

“Man, I saw flashes of Cam Newton for exactly what Louis is saying. The big, physical, strong runner who can throw you and run by you, I thought was so impressive. He can change a game with his feet,” Rodgers said.

“Now, I’ll say, he needs some help around him. Only six receptions by wide receivers in that game. Only 12 completions. Nyck Harbor had a couple of big drops, one early on a drive route that could have been a big catch and run. And a touchdown where he’s got two hands on it. You’ve got to bring that down. The one pass attempt that went further than 15 yards downfield, that bomb to Nyck Harbor that changed the game, that’s the flash of brilliance we see from LaNorris Sellers, and that’s why I think he’s put himself in position to be a Top 10 pick next year because of that.”