One of the more surprising teams in college football last season was South Carolina football. The Gamecocks barely missed out on a trip to the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff after getting hot at the end of the regular season and picking up a number of big wins over top SEC opponents.

After such a successful year for Shane Beamer and company, the Gamecocks will be catching nobody by surprise in 2025. star quarterback LaNorris Sellers is back in the fold, and the dual-threat standout is a big reason why South Carolina will be a trendy pick to reach the CFP this season.

Sellers is also seeing himself near the top of plenty of NFL Draft boards and mock drafts heading into the season. On Friday at the Manning Passing Academy, the 20-year old spoke about what it's like to be getting so much buzz from the NFL heading into what could be his final college season, according to Alex Byington of On3 Sports.

“When I see my name (in NFL mock drafts) it’s cool to see, but I’ve still got to go out and play, so that’s all I’m worried about,” Sellers said.

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Sellers is keeping the right mindset heading into a pressurized South Carolina season where he will be dealing with not only the expectation of living up to the NFL hype, but also the pressure to win games for the Gamecocks.

It's easy to see why NFL teams are so enamored with Sellers. The 6-foot-3, 240-pound signal caller is one of the fastest players on the field every time he laces up the cleats and can hurt defenses equally as badly with his legs as he can with his arm. He is a talented passer, and while he can use some fine-tuning in that area, the raw tools are impossible to ignore.

Sellers had a very strong season in 2024 for South Carolina, throwing for 2,534 yards and 18 touchdowns with just seven interceptions. He was also a monster on the ground, running for 674 yards and seven scores.

He should take another level up in 2025 with a year of experience in the SEC under his belt. If he does continue to improve, LaNorris Sellers could be a Heisman Trophy candidate when October and November roll around.