The 2026 quarterback class has fallen short of preseason expectations, largely due to the ground that Texas's Arch Manning and LSU's Garrett Nussmeier have lost in the early going. Yet, it's worth monitoring this crop of passers, remaining open to the idea that this crop might be different than we expected, rather than inherently worse.
Stocks are fluctuating after September's action, and a handful of passers have benefited from the turbulence. One such prospect is South Carolina Gamecocks quarterback LaNorris Sellers.
Sellers entered the year with a polarizing blend of hype and hesitation, boasting incredible tools but little proof of concept within structure. That perception hasn't necessarily changed, but Sellers had treaded water while showing flashes of development.
Now, as an SEC schedule gets into full swing, the time is nigh for Sellers to assert himself as the class's top quarterback.
LaNorris Sellers could rise with a strong six weeks
South Carolina enters Week 7 at 3-2, having lost its SEC contests against Missouri and Vanderbilt (the latter of which Sellers exited with an injury). The Gamecocks will have the chance to flip the script against the conference's best teams in the coming weeks. That starts with a trip to Baton Rouge on Saturday.
Outplaying Nussmeier would help entrench Sellers in the early Round 1 conversation. The Tigers have playmakers across the defense, and the need to keep pace should be present. It's easy for Sellers's athleticism to take over games against lesser competition. Doing so against a bunch of high-pedigree, high-star recruits is a different challenge.
How Sellers handles that challenge will be important to put on tape. As a 10-point underdog, rising to the occasion could improve the soft factors in his profile. Can he do what Drew Allar and Penn State haven't? Can he pass the test Manning failed in Week 1? If South Carolina is competitive because of Sellers, it could move decision-makers.
However, South Carolina is staring down more than just a ranked road contest. The following six weeks include as many ranked opponents, each with real College Football Playoff aspirations.
- Week 7: at No. 11 Louisiana State
- Week 8: vs. No. 6 Oklahoma
- Week 9: vs. No. 8 Alabama
- Week 10: vs. No. 4 Ole Miss
- Week 11: Bye
- Week 12: at No. 5 Texas A&M
That's a lot of stiff competition, and thus a lot of room for things to go poorly. A right-tailed outcome for Sellers would see the intersection of his development and team success. It seems with each passing week, Sellers has improved. He kept the ball out of harm's way in a win over Kentucky and saw his average depth of target drop to its lowest mark of the season (a welcome change).
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He's still not operating within structure a ton; the offense is a lot of vertical passing that's inherently volatile. There was a little more RPO action against Kentucky, but it will be interesting to watch Sellers try and masquerade as a game manager if South Carolina has a lead late. Against Oklahoma and Alabama, he'll be seeing more complex defenses. The Gamecocks asking him to continuously make magic happen out of structure might be good for entertainment value, but it wouldn't help his stock.
We know Sellers has all the tools and infinite potential out of structure. If I'm going to feel good about giving him a first-round grade, I want to see big-time throws from the pocket and the ability to mitigate pressure. So many quality defenses will set the stage for that growth. South Carolina falling apart and Sellers being stuck playing backyard ball throughout October would make this a wasted opportunity.
The physical talent is set for Sellers to be the first overall pick in April. Proving he has the intangibles to win on Sundays should be revealed over the next six Saturdays.
More South Carolina news
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- Dylan Stewart's post-game behavior sparks transfer portal rumors after Missouri loss
- LaNorris Sellers tops Garrett Nussmeier in latest 2026 NFL Draft projections