LaNorris Sellers, QB #16 vs Virginia Tech 2025
Player: LaNorris Sellers, QB, South Carolina
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 240 lbs
Class: RS Sophomore
Opponent: Virginia Tech
Year: 2025
Final Stat Line:
12/19, 209 Yards, 1 TD, 0 INT
13 Carries, 25 Yards, 1 TD
Overview
There’s been plenty of excitement around LaNorris Sellers to start the season, and his performance against Virginia Tech gave fans more reasons to believe in his upside. He showcased the arm talent, athleticism, and playmaking ability that make him one of the SEC’s most intriguing quarterbacks. At the same time, two costly breakdowns under pressure served as a reminder that his pocket awareness is still a work in progress. The ceiling is undeniably high — but so is the importance of cleaning up those in-game processing lapses.
Film Review - Key Plays
Play 1: 12:15 1Q – 15-Yard TD Run
In an empty set, South Carolina dials up a QB draw. Sellers identifies the crease immediately, bursts through the line, breaks an arm tackle, and finishes by lowering his shoulder through a defensive back at the goal line. It’s the kind of physical, tone-setting run that reminds defenses they can’t treat him like a standard pocket passer in the red zone.
Play 2: 4:39 1Q – Safety on Sack
Backed up near his own end zone, Sellers takes the shotgun snap and sees the pocket begin to constrict. Rather than resetting his launch point or throwing the ball away, he hesitates, trying to escape late. The delay gives the defender time to wrap him up for a safety — a costly lapse that shows the importance of processing speed when field position is at a premium.
Play 3: 6:17 2Q – Sack-Fumble
Operating from an empty formation, Sellers drops back as a rusher splits a double team. Instead of sliding laterally, he steps up directly into the pressure. The hit jars the ball loose, and only an alert offensive lineman saves possession. This is a textbook example of how pocket movement and ball security must improve for him to reach his ceiling.
Play 4: 7:51 4Q – 65-Yard TD Pass
From pistol with play-action, Sellers steps up into a clean lane and unleashes a deep ball that drops perfectly in stride to a streaking receiver behind the defense. The throw has the touch, velocity, and timing that translates to Sundays. It’s a reminder that despite the earlier miscues, his vertical passing ability remains a game-changing asset.
Play 5: 4:31 4Q – 3rd & 13 Houdini Escape 🔥
Pressure from the backside looks certain to end the drive, but Sellers spins free, rolls left, evades another would-be sacker, and accelerates down the sideline for a first down. Plays like this aren’t sustainable as a primary plan, but they demonstrate the competitive toughness and athletic improvisation that can break a defense’s back in key moments.
Final Thoughts
LaNorris Sellers’ performance against Virginia Tech offered a clear look at both his exciting traits and the areas that still need refinement.
He showcased:
Deep-ball accuracy: Perfectly placed 65-yard touchdown that hit the receiver in stride.
Physical rushing ability: Willingness to run through contact on designed QB runs.
Playmaking under pressure: Escaping multiple would-be sacks to convert a critical 3rd & 13.
Areas for improvement:
Pocket awareness: Quicker recognition of collapsing pockets to avoid drive-killing sacks.
Ball security under duress: Reducing fumbles when contact is imminent.
Sellers’ mix of size, mobility, and arm talent gives him one of the higher ceilings in the SEC. Cleaning up the in-pocket decision-making will determine just how quickly he can evolve from an exciting young playmaker into a consistently reliable offensive leader.
