IShowSpeed, Theo Von pull up to Vanderbilt practice ahead of South Carolina game

Vanderbilt is gearing up for a huge test this weekend. The 2-0 Commodores will travel to Columbia to face the undefeated South Carolina Gamecocks in Week 3.

Ahead of the showdown, Clark Lea’s squad got a surprise boost of energy at practice. Vanderbilt hosted streamer IShowSpeed and comedian Theo Von in Nashville on Wednesday afternoon, with both entertaining the team and drawing plenty of smiles. Check it out here.

While you can tell their visit brought good vibes, the Commodores will need much more than that to survive a rowdy Williams-Brice Stadium on Saturday night. That’s because South Carolina is led by star quarterback LaNorris Sellers. 

The sophomore quarterback was widely considered one of college football’s top signal-callers entering the season. Ahead of the matchup, Lea gave a glowing scouting report when asked about Sellers 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.”

To highlight that arm strength, Lea pointed back to South Carolina’s bowl game against Illinois last season. One play in particular stood out: as an Illinois defender delivered a hit, Sellers still managed to launch a pass nearly 60 yards downfield to a wide-open receiver — without even completing a full follow-through.

Lea’s respect for the South Carolina star goes beyond the field. Though he’s never met Sellers personally, Vanderbilt’s head coach spoke highly of his reputation.

“I don’t know him,” Lea admitted. “Obviously, I’ve competed against him, but everything I’ve heard about him is that he’s a first-class human. Those are the guys you want to compete against. This is going to be a great opportunity for us. I have a ton of respect for him and the way he plays the game.”

Still, Vanderbilt enters the matchup confident in its own quarterback, Diego Pavia. The head-to-head battle between Pavia and Sellers adds even more intrigue to what should be one of Week 3’s marquee games — with IShowSpeed and Theo Von sure to be watching closely.

— On3’s Griffin McVeigh contributed to this article.