'We got our hands full': LaNorris Sellers has Kentucky's full attention

South Carolina is having some major offensive issues to start the 2025 season. Under new offensive coordinator Mike Shula, the Gamecocks rank sub-100 in numerous key offensive metrics. Yet, this offense enters every game with one of the best weapons in college football and a chance to put up big numbers at any turn. Carolina has star power.

Redshirt sophomore quarterback LaNorris Sellers is one of the biggest stars in the SEC. The Palmetto State native was a very big recruiting win for head coach Shane Beamer and will very likely be a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Kentucky is well aware of what the talented dual-threat quarterback can accomplish on the field.

“I think the quarterback helps put strain on the entire defense. Right? Because if you play with fewer guys in the box to protect some of the deep shots — one they can run the ball but two they can go with the QB run so now they’ve added an extra blocker into the run game,” Kentucky defensive coordinator Brad White said about Sellers on Wednesday. “So that can really be a problem. Then if you try to stop that, it isolates the outside.”

The talented third-year quarterback can be a walking big play. That showed up against Missouri where the only thing Carolina really did well was create explosive plays through the vertical passing game. Kentucky must stop No. 16 to stop South Carolina.

“I think you can see there’s control and command within the offense. Like anybody else, at any position, the more reps you get just the more comfortable you feel,” White explained. “System wise, even though they had a change at coordinator, it’s a system that he’s comfortable with. And you can see that.”

“There’s a maturity to the way he operates. Again, you go back and you watch all his games last year, sort of the beginning of the season all the way through, and the way he operates. The way he commands the two-minute drill. He doesn’t get flustered. He seems very composed, in control of what he wants to get done. That’s why he led a couple of game-winning drives last year.”

South Carolina has one of the worst rushing attacks in college football, is very bad on third downs, and has been awful in the red zone. Yet, the Gamecocks have one of the biggest difference-makers in college football at the sport’s most important position. LaNorris Sellers makes this offense dangerous every week because a big breakout could just be one big Sellers game away.

“We got our hands full,” said White.