'He's a weapon': LaNorris Sellers rewarded for efforts during practice with touchdown run on Saturday
The game was out of reach, all but over. South Carolina was on its way to a blowout win on Saturday afternoon.
As the minutes ticked down, it was inevitable. It was bound to happen, and when it did, the place erupted.
With just over four minutes to go, freshman quarterback LaNorris Sellers checked into the game. His job was simple: handle the snap and feed the ball to his running back. But he had one trick up his sleeve.
On fourth and two, Sellers faked a hand-off to Bradley Dunn and took off. He found a hole, put his shoulder down to run over a defender, and was off to the races.
“Didn’t expect him to pull that ball, we really just wanted him to hand the ball off and let our running back keep it. But he did,” head coach Shane Beamer said, laughing.
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From there, Sellers had nothing but green grass in front of him and Vanderbilt defenders in the rearview. He slid his way into the end zone for a 36-yard touchdown run to cap off what was an incredible win for the Gamecocks.
“I’m so happy for him and he’s a great young man,” Beamer said. “I’m happy to see him get out there and have some success today.”
The fans who stuck it out went bananas. Even some of his teammates, like fellow quarterback Tanner Bailey, were jumping up and down like it was Christmas morning.
Sellers would only play one series on Saturday. But his impact went deeper than just that touchdown run. In the days leading up to the game, he was playing scout team quarterback to get the Gamecock defense ready for Vanderbilt’s multiple quarterback system.
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It was good enough to impress the coaching staff, including defensive coordinator Clayton White, who said Sellers gave them “too good of a look.”
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So when South Carolina was winning by a large enough margin, Beamer made sure to reward him for his efforts.
“I think it goes back to how he prepares and how he practices,” he said. “I’m in those quarterback meeting every day and Dowell (Loggains) coaches LaNorris in those meetings and holds him accountable, just like he’s Spencer Rattler.
“So some of those plays that LaNorris had were checks, where LaNorris has to know that we’re running this play or that play based on how Vanderbilt lines up. He knew that because of his preparation during the week. And then, I see it in practice also. He splits time during practice with the offense and then also with the scout team a little bit as well. So he certainly presents problems to our defense when he goes over there. He continues to get better as a quarterback.”
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After Saturday’s game, Sellers has played in two games, totaling three touchdowns —two through the air, one on the ground. This means he can still play in the final two games of the year and still preserve his redshirt.
But make no mistake, the hype is real. And the future looks bright with him under center.
“Yeah, he’s a weapon,” Beamer said. “Go back to the Furman game, when he’s coming into the game, good things have happened. So credit him to do like he did.”
