What LaNorris Sellers said during 107.5 The Game appearance

South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers was the special guest on the Gamecock Club Hour on 107.5 The Game earlier this week to give the latest on spring ball.

Check out a transcript of the Q&A below…

Q: How are you doing, and how do you think spring ball has gone so far?

A: “I think it’s going pretty good. Spring ball just is time for trial and error, see what you got. See what the young guys got. See what new transfers and everything got. Picking up from last year, really, with offensively, defensive scheme, stuff like that, and just competing against each other. So I think it’s been going pretty good. Young guys coming along, transfers coming along, good, good competition. So it’s going pretty good, in my opinion.”

Q: How has it been working with Coach Shula as the offensive coordinator and having continuity in the coaching staff?

A: “Like you said, we just continued the same relationship from last year. Once we found out he was going to be the OC, we got straight into it. He changed some stuff around, changed some verbiage, put in some new stuff, making sure I liked everything, was comfortable with everything, added some stuff that I liked, some stuff that he liked, added some stuff the guys he brought in liked. We just kept the relationship going.”

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Q: Do you feel more empowered in your second year to have a say in the offense?

A: “Yeah, I do. It feels god. Last year just kind of just compete for the starting job, first year in it, so I was kind of, like, taking it all in fast or whatever, but I feel like now, since I’ve played, I got the system down and all that changing stuff is not really as big of a deal as you might think. It’s a quick, easy fix. They communicate and then it gets changed.”

Q: How has the rapport been with the talented receiver group, including your brother?

A: “It’s different just because they just come out of high school, whatever. First time out of high school, they’re supposed to still be in high school. It’s different. They gotta get used to the speed, getting off press, getting open, and making those competitive catches. I think they’re coming along good. But I’m excited to work with them. It’s good working with them. I’m having fun.”

Q: Can you speak on the progress of Nyck Harbor, Mazeo Bennett, Vandrevious Jacobs, and Jared Brown?

A: “Yeah, pretty much the same thing, last year they were just taking it all in with Mazeo being a freshman, JB and Dre coming in. Nyck played my freshman year, so he had the game experience and everything. But those guys last year were just learning the system, taking it all in, like I said. This year they got another year under the belt already. So it’s like clockwork to them.”

Q: How is your progression in deciding when to run versus when to stay in the pocket?

A: “I think this is the perfect time to really practice it. Because in practice quarterbacks aren’t live so you get tapped and you’re pretty much down and it’s a sack or whatever. So in the pocket in practice you can’t really run because as soon as you get touched you’re down, so you might as well just stay in the pocket and go through your progressions, so I feel like it’s a good time to do it now and summer and fall camp because we’re not live.”

Q: Going back to the Clemson game, what was your thought process during the 3rd and 16?

A: “So I knew there were going to be in man coverage. They were a big man team. They mixed in a lot more zone than we had originally planned for. But I knew they were going to have a quarterback spy and man coverage. It’s like they might added on pressure or whatever. So I might only have really had time to go through my first two progressions down to the the checkdown, which was the back, and then pretty much run. Once I took my drop, went through my progression, the line like opened up in front of me and I saw the green grass. And then, I knew they had the QB spy but the way we pass protected that game was kind of like, once they saw me step up, they just went to go block the QB spy. Once they did that, it was pretty much like open grass. Once I put the move on the first guy, it was, they didn’t want to tackle me, so I saw the end zone and just ran and went and scored.”

Q: Have teams started to account for your legs more in their game plans?

A: “Yeah. And I knew that was going to eventually happen. Just playing football for so long, you can’t just play man and have everybody chase the receiver down the field if you got a quarterback that can run. D-Low told us that last season. D-Lo told us, I can’t remember which game, but teams are going to start to play more zone just to get all eyes on me. I think Bama or Ole Miss was the first team to do it and then that’s when we knew that we were probably going to have to expect it more. Then Illinois come out and played pretty much zone the whole game when they had played man all season, kept all eyes on me, QB spies all game. So I mean just looking forward to it now.”

Q: Is there anything you’re personally focused on improving the most in the upcoming weeks?

A: “Yeah, just bringing those younger guys along, building the chemistry with the offense, making sure me Boaz are on the same page with protections and all that. Me and RJ on the same page with protections and all that. (Making sure) the running backs are good, the receivers are good, like I said. Then just bringing the team along. Just showing them the ways of how we do things.”

Q: Do you feel like you’ve become more of a vocal leader this year?

A: “I do and I’m trying to be. It’s not really a, I don’t want to say get out of my comfort zone thing, but I’ve just never been a talkative guy really. So I’m trying to be. I know we’ve got a bunch of younger guys, new guys on the team. The guys that was on the team last year heard me talk and stuff but I think I need to be that voice for the young guys and transfer guys coming in.”

Q: You mentioned Boaz and RJ there at center. We’ve got to interview both of those guys, man. What can you tell us about the newcomers there on the O-line and what you’ve seen working with them personally?

A: “Pretty much, they just step right in. Honestly, the offensive line has always been one of the hardest working groups in the room. Meeting time, extras meeting time, going up to the facility, watching the film and stuff together. They just kind of went in and did that too. With Boaz being the center, stepping into the shoes of Vershon. And Vershon was pretty much one of the smartest guys on the offensive line and that’s the same with Boaz. He’s learning. He picked up on it quick. And then so far we’ve been on the same page. He knows everything, how everything should be. If he needs to change something, he’ll change it. So he has that confidence in his ability. So I’m confident in him.”

Q: How do you feel like the progress has been in the quarterback room just around you, especially with the younger guys like Cutter and Air?

A: “Yeah, I mean, younger guys, we had Cutter come in, we had Air come in. Just guys who haven’t really played, but are good enough guys to play. They’re smart. Cutter is smart, he was in the state championship playing against my brother last year. And Air was at Ohio State who had a loaded QB room. But they’re come along good, asking questions, getting used to everything, asking me questions, not being afraid to make mistakes. They go out there and they play free. We’ve got Dante, we’ve got Jimmy Francis, who was there last year and knows the system. There’s no real animosity in the room or anything like that because we’re all competing at the end of the day so we’ve got to help each other because only one guy can play and if one is successful, all are successful. So we’re not holding that against each other. We’re just having fun with each other with Shula.”

Q: What has it been like having your brother on the team?

A: “Yeah, it’s good, it’s special. We played together in high school, but to play at the SEC level, it’s crazy. Just in practice, just throwing with him and all that, it’s something that he got to get used to, yes. But he’s coming along, he’s adjusting to it well. He’s never been the type to shy away from somebody if they were like bigger, faster, stronger than him. It’s exciting to see him go out there and compete with those older guys and not be afraid to do it. I think the first touchdown between us will be really special.”

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