LaNorris Sellers seeing growth in fall camp, handling 'healthy' quarterback battle well
So much of LaNorris Sellers’ freshman year at South Carolina was about getting his feet wet and adapting to the college game. As he prepares for his second season, the redshirt freshman quarterback is a lot more ready for what’s ahead.
“It’s a lot easier,” Sellers said. “Last year, I was pretty much just learning the system. This year, I actually understand the system. I can go out there, execute it, do it, communicate better, know what everybody else is doing.”
Through four practices, South Carolina’s offense still has a ways to go before the season opener on Aug. 31. But from Sellers’ perspective, as one of the leaders on offense, there’s been a lot of good signs in the early going.
“We’re fast learners — everybody’s pretty much grasped the system faster,” he said. “We’ve been going over it for a while, so we’ve just got to go out there and execute. We’re doing that a lot better.”
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So far, Sellers’ teammates have all spoken highly of him as a player and person. He’s received much praise from a handful of his teammates, even newer ones like transfer wide receiver Vandrevius Jacobs, who haven’t been around him that long.
“LaNorris is a stud, for sure,” Jacobs said. “I feel like LaNorris can make any throw, I feel like he can make any read. He’s just that X-Caliber quarterback, stud quarterback. So it’s just a pleasure and a privilege playing with him, and he’s going to make me better.”
Intertwined with working with the offense, Sellers is also in the heat of a quarterback battle. Despite many calling for it, South Carolina hasn’t named him as the starter yet. Right now, him and Robby Ashford have been working in practice competing for that role.
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While it may seem like the two are pinned up against each other in this battle, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Sellers called it a “healthy competition” with both quarterbacks bringing different skills and qualities to the table.
“He has college experience, I’ve been taking that from him. I have knowledge of the system, and he’s taking that from me,” Sellers said. “So we’ve still got to go out there and do it and compete and just lift each other up when stuff goes bad, and then just help each other out.”
As camp goes on, South Carolina will grow closer to naming a starter under center for Week One. It may feel like it’s Sellers’ job to lose since he’s already been in this offense for a year with a high ceiling. But even a player as good as him still knows he has things to work on.
“I’d say knowledge and communication is the two biggest things I’ve improved on since last year,” Sellers said. “Something I can work on is probably just the smaller things, the fundamentals of it, staying calm in the pocket, just keep going through my progression and things like that.”
