South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers has never been shy about using his legs. The third-year signal caller was second on the team in both rushing yards and rushing attempts last season, proving he’s as dangerous outside the pocket as he is under center.
Heading into 2025, Sellers is expected to take another leap as a passer. With Oscar Adaway III and Rahsul Faison anchoring the backfield, the Gamecocks have more balance than they’ve had in recent years. Still, offensive coordinator Mike Shula made it clear: Sellers’ legs will remain a central weapon in USC’s playbook—just with more intentionality.
“We want him running it because he wants to, as opposed to, ‘I didn’t quite see the read correctly, so I just took off and ran,’” Shula explained.
That approach was on display in the Gamecocks’ 24-11 season-opening win over Virginia Tech in Atlanta. Sellers carried the ball 13 times for 25 yards, including a designed 15-yard touchdown run on the opening drive. For Shula, those planned plays are exactly the kind of moments he wants to see, rather than panicked scrambles.
Last season, Sellers often found himself fleeing pressure. USC’s offensive line surrendered 38 sacks in 2024, the second-most in the SEC. Even against Virginia Tech, he was brought down four times, one of which forced a fumble the Gamecocks were fortunate to recover. Fixing that pass protection is a must if Sellers is to avoid unnecessary hits.
“He’s a weapon, both throwing the ball and running the ball, so we want to make sure we use that,” Shula said. “But we also want to kind of keep him healthy. Not kind of — we want to keep him healthy.”
That doesn’t mean the explosive scrambles are gone. Late in the fourth quarter against the Hokies, Sellers iced the game with a clutch 3rd-and-13 conversion, weaving through the rush and sprinting past the sticks. His postgame comments showed how much he’s maturing in his decision-making.
“If more guys are coming, I’m going to get down,” Sellers said. “But if it’s one guy or if he’s a pretty good distance away, [I] just try to stay up and break it.”
The coaching staff knows Sellers’ dual-threat ability is rare—and they don’t want to limit it. What they do want is to strike a balance between unleashing his athleticism and keeping him upright for the long haul.
“We want to have the ability to be able to have him run the ball, kind of at any time,” Shula emphasized.
For the Gamecocks, that means planned runs, improved protection, and a smarter, more confident quarterback. And for Sellers, it means embracing both sides of his game—while making sure he’s around to use them all season long.
