There are big expectations surrounding South Carolina football coming into the 2025 season, and a lot of that centers around star quarterback LaNorris Sellers. The dual-threat signal caller is regarded as one of the best quarterbacks in the nation and has a lot of buzz about a potential Heisman Trophy bid and a No. 1 overall pick in the draft.
Sellers didn't have his best game on Sunday in No. 13 South Carolina's season-opening win over Virginia Tech, but he still showed off all of the skills that make him one of the top players and prospects in the country. On Monday morning, he earned a comparison to legendary quarterback Ben Roethlisberger from ESPN analyst and former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky.
“Because he is Big Ben (Roethlisberger), but fast,” Orlovsky said, per Sam Gillenwater of On3 Sports. “He’s 6-foot-3, 235 pounds. A tremendous athlete, but the ability that he has shown to throw the ball downfield has grown.
“He's one of the best quarterbacks in football.”
While you may have to squint a bit to see the comparison, especially as a passer, the strength of the pocket jumps off the screen for Sellers just as it did for Roethlisberger throughout his great career with the Pittsburgh Steelers. That was on display on Sunday especially on the final drive, when Sellers escaped a pair of tacklers in the backfield before scrambling for a first down.
LaNorris sack avoidance and strength to brush off defenders is one of the best I've ever seen from a guy at this level pic.twitter.com/7csQ32WM9c
— Billy M (@BillyM_91) August 31, 2025
At his size, it is very difficult to get Sellers on the ground due to his strong base in the pocket. He is also one of the fastest players in the game in the open field, making him a nightmare dual-threat for opposing defenses to gameplan against.
However, it was also clear on Sunday that Sellers has a long way to go as a passer in order to be considered at the very top of the draft next spring. The Gamecocks' passing game, and offense as a whole, was pretty underwhelming for much of the opener against a stout Virginia Tech defense until Sellers found Nyck Harbor for a 64-yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter to seal the 24-11 victory.
However, the young quarterback has plenty of time to get all of that cleaned up. When he gets into midseason form, there could be no stopping the Sellers hype train.
