Shane Beamer thought LaNorris Sellers was 'pretty dang good' for South Carolina in Week 2
LaNorris Sellers isn’t the starting quarterback, but for a moment, all eyes were on him. After Sellers’ impressive showing in South Carolina’s 47-21 win over Furman on Saturday, head coach Shane Beamer discussed his freshman QB’s growth.
“I thought he looked pretty dang good, I don’t know about you,” Beamer said. “He’s awesome. He’s a tough kid. Running the ball, he’s a load to bring down. So he’s a weapon running the ball. That throw he had was pretty dang impressive.”
That throw Beamer is referring to was a beautifully-placed 50-yard bomb to Tyshawn Russell to give the Gamecocks a 40-14 lead. Beamer smiled as he recalled the play.
“Dowell’s on the headphones just saying, ‘Run it, run it, run it.’ Then he rears back and throws that thing. I thought he was going to throw it into the Cockpit. Tyshawn Russell came out of nowhere and made that play.”
Sellers completed all four of his pass attempts in the game for 86 yards and two touchdowns. While it was the 6-foot-3 freshman’s first appearance for the Gamecocks, those familiar with him weren’t surprised.
LaNorris Sellers must earn his time
Sellers was a four-star recruit out of South Carolina’s backyard. According to On3 Industry Ratings, he was the No. 21 quarterback in the Class of 2023. Although Sellers wasn’t at the top of his class, he quickly turned heads at training camp with his work ethic and standout athleticism.
“LaNorris is just a gamer. You saw it in the spring game. When he gets in there the moment’s not too big for him. He’s young,” Beamer said. “He made some mistakes and will continue to get better. I really didn’t have a chance to say anything to him. He came off the field after throwing that touchdown and I think giddy is the right word to use.”
Sellers can’t get too excited yet. He is currently listed as third on the team’s depth chart, sitting behind QB1 Spencer Rattler and backup Luke Doty. After Rattler’s performance last week, it doesn’t look like his starting spot is in jeopardy in time soon.
In the win over Furman, Rattler completed 25-of-27 passes (92.6%) for 345 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for a fourth TD. For his efforts, he was named the SEC’s Offensive Player of the Week.
South Carolina will need a similar performance from Rattler this weekend if it wants a chance at winning. On Saturday, the Gamecocks will square off against No. 1 Georgia at 3:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast on CBS.