Could Mike Shula apply what worked for Cam Newton to LaNorris Sellers? It's possible
It’s hard not to draw the comparisons. Whether it’s the similar size and frame, the dual threat play style, or just the ability to run through defenders and turn a hopeless play into something special. There’s a resemblance.
When turning on the tape and watching LaNorris Sellers, the quarterback he is most often compared to is Cam Newton, a former Heisman Trophy and NFL MVP winner. It’s frequently brought up, especially considering Newton, who played his college football at Auburn, spent 10 seasons with the Carolina Panthers.
For Newton’s first seven seasons in the NFL, Mike Shula had a front row viewing of the best years of his career unfold. Shula spent the first two years of Newton’s career as the Panthers quarterback’s coach before becoming the offensive coordinator for the next five seasons. Now this year, Shula has been able to work with Sellers at South Carolina and will be his offensive coordinator for the foreseeable future starting in 2025.
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Because Shula has been around both Newton and Sellers, he’s fully aware of all their similarities. He even spent two seasons with Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, another player who has many of the same traits as the other two. And with all he’s seen working with those type of players, it’s not out of the question to look at what they did before and apply it to Sellers’ game.
“You actually kind of find yourself looking back and I think we’ll do that some in the offseason,” Shula said. “Maybe there’s some things that we did back there with Cam that maybe we haven’t done in a while that might fit here with LaNorris.”
Throughout his pro career, Newton could always take off and run when he needed to. He averaged nearly 650 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground per season. Sellers is also like Newton in that he rushed for 655 yards and seven touchdowns while averaging 4.2 yards per carry in his first year as the starter at South Carolina.
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Shula is fully aware of what both players did or can do with their legs and use it as a weapon that not all quarterbacks possess. However, the veteran coach said they’re both passers first. In his new role with the Gamecocks, that’s what he wants to see from Sellers. He wants him to be a fast thinker and to anticipate.
“Go to the right receiver with the ball. Get the ball there on time. And get the ball there accurately,” Shula said on the three keys for playing quarterback. “All of a sudden, if you have a guy that can move around and run, then we’ll add to that.”
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Once the season ends, Shula could look into what he could pull from Newton’s skillset to help Sellers. But it’s not as simple as watching old highlight reels on YouTube. It would be a much deeper process.
“It’s going to probably be more philosophy wise regarding X’s and O’s than it would be ‘Hey, watch how he runs,'” Shula said. “… So, it’s hard to have it both ways. That’s the one thing I’ve learned with guys that can carry the football and run like both Cam and LaNorris. LaNorris has still got a long way to go. It’s just his first year. But we’ll continue to try to build on those things.”
