LaNorris Sellers' 'Superman' abilities as a runner aren't surprising to Shane Beamer
Shane Beamer’s reaction was a lot like everyone else’s as he watched the play unfold.
“Words I probably can’t repeat in a press conference when I saw him coming over there,” Beamer said.
The play Beamer was referring to happened in the second quarter of South Carolina’s 44-20 win over Texas A&M on Saturday. With a 14-6 lead and facing a key 3rd and 8 situation, LaNorris Sellers dropped back and looked to pass but couldn’t find an open target.
His next move was rolling to his right to try and extend the play with his legs. He had an open lane and picked up a few yards. With only one defender between him and the first down marker, Sellers lowered his right shoulder and plowed through Aggies defensive back BJ Mayes.
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There were a lot of cheers from the crowd when Sellers picked up the first down. At the time, it was a big third down conversion for the Gamecocks still early in the game. And a few plays later, they added to their lead with a much shorter field goal, all thanks to Sellers’ extra effort.
“When I saw that, ‘Wow’ would be the best way to put it,” Beamer said. “It certainly brought a lot of energy and excitement to our sideline when he did that. It really awesome to see.”
Sellers had his highest rushing output of his college career, finishing with 106 yards and one touchdown on the ground. He averaged 7.1 yards per carry and forced 12 missed tackles, according to PFF.
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It’s not a surprise for Beamer to see how much Sellers is willing to put his body on the line to make a play. He’s shown many instances of making plays like this since the time he arrived on campus in the spring of 2023.
“You think back to last year’s game against Vanderbilt, there’s a play where he has a touchdown run and he runs through somebody. That was a wow moment, as well,” Beamer said.
“We had a scrimmage where he was fresh out of high school, and we made him live where you could tackle the quarterback. There was a play over there on the near sideline over here by the building and he fought for extra yardage on a run. Our defense was trying to tackle him, and guys are just bouncing off of him and he’s carrying guys and things like that. And that was very much a moment early in his time here at South Carolina where I remember thinking this guy’s different and is going to be a real problem for teams trying to tackle this guy.”
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What allows Sellers to do what he does in the run game, at least in Beamer’s opinion, is his strength and size. But he also believes it has to do with having a good sense to evade pressure and make defenders miss.
“I was texting with another SEC head coach that texted me on Sunday morning about him and he said, ‘You’ve got freaking Superman back there playing quarterback with just how strong and fast he is,'” he said. “And he is. He works really hard in the weight room. He’s a naturally strong guy. He’s 240 pounds and can run. And that’s just him.”