LaNorris Sellers’ Heisman chances aren’t just tied to his stats, SEC pundits say
Shane Beamer and South Carolina football were among the teams highlighted during the first day of SEC Media Days in Atlanta on July 14.
Beamer was joined by quarterback LaNorris Sellers, defensive back DQ Smith and defensive lineman Nick Barrett at the Omni Hotel and College Football Hall of Fame for the preseason media event.
The Gamecocks head into the 2025 season with high expectations after going 9-4 last year in what was the best finish of Beamer’s tenure at South Carolina.
The State asked a few national media members for their opinions on the Gamecocks as the new season approaches. Here’s what they had to say:
Note: Answers have been edited lightly for brevity.
Do you think LaNorris Sellers is a Heisman Trophy candidate?
Richard Johnson, CBS Sports: “Absolutely, just because of how electric he is. If you’re a quarterback that can go out and put up big numbers and gaudy stats, you can win it on a team like Lamar (Jackson), for instance. You can win it on a team that’s not a national champion, like Travis Hunter last year won it on a team that was not competing for national championship, but he did something eye-popping statistically. Now, (Sellers has) got the name recognition. He’s in the video game and people are going to recognize him in general.”
Nicole Auerbach, NBC Sports: “He’s not atop the betting odds list, but he’s on my short list for sure. He’s just one of the most exciting players to watch. So he feels like he is must see TV. And like I said, if he does what he did last year, if he stays in that Heisman race, like they’ll win a lot of games, because he did a lot himself.”
Greg McElroy, ESPN: “(It’s) too early. I don’t ever like to talk about Heisman this time of year, partly because it just doesn’t matter. Ultimately, the Heisman often goes to guys that are winning games. It’s not often we see a guy that you know, is on a 7-5 team that wins the Heisman, at least not in this generation. So in order for him to be in the mix, they’re gonna have to be in the playoff hunt. If they’re in the playoff hunt, he’s got a shot.”
Ben Portnoy, Sports Business Journal: “I think he is, assuming he lives up to a lot of the billing. I think the thing with LaNorris is that we’ve seen a lot of flashes. We’ve seen him be really good in spurts, but I’m curious to see it carry out over a full season. Obviously, last year’s his first year as a full-time starter. That’s a harder thing to sort judge without seeing it. But having seen it for a year, you have to think that he’s going to take another step with another offseason, with, theoretically, probably what should be a better receiving corps than he had a year ago. I think when you add those things up I think he has every ability to be a Heisman contender. If South Carolina is in the mix, and if they’re in that sort of nine win range, maybe they’re pushing toward 10, realistically, he’s gonna be a reason that they are. I think if that’s the case, he has every ability, he is absolutely in the conversation to be someone that could be in New York at the end of the season. I think it’s just a matter of, what does South Carolina do as a team?”
Alyssa Lang, ESPN: “The sky’s the limit for LaNorris Sellers. The get-off-the-bus-look of LaNorris Sellers is everything you want in a star quarterback, right? He checks every box for measurables. He’s so intelligent, eats, sleeps, breathes, football. It’s going to be an exciting conversation to have if LaNorris comes out of the gate swinging. Obviously, the Old Dominion game last year, people are going, oh my gosh, what’s going on? He got sacked four times in that game. This will be different. He has the experience now. He understands what life in the SEC looks like. He’s confident. When I asked him about the nickname LaHeisman he said, ‘I love it,’ ...I would not be shocked if we saw him up there (in New York).
Jordan Kaye contributed to the reporting of this article.
This story was originally published July 23, 2025 at 8:59 AM.
