When Alabama and Kane Wommack line up against South Carolina, the biggest question may not be what the Crimson Tide do on offense. It’s whether they can keep LaNorris Sellers from turning the game into another uncomfortable night in Tuscaloosa.
Sellers was the central problem the last time these teams met there. In Kalen DeBoer’s and Kane Wommack’s first Alabama seasons, South Carolina came to Tuscaloosa and pushed the Crimson Tide to the edge before Alabama escaped with a 27-25 win.
That game showed just how dangerous Sellers can be, even when the box score doesn’t fully capture the damage. Alabama’s pass defense had trouble handling him, and while he was a threat as a runner, he did not do much on the ground in that matchup. Later that season, he broke out for 166 rushing yards in a win over Clemson.
Sellers’ 2024 season was strong enough to earn him college football’s Freshman Offensive Player of the Year award from the Football Writers Association. But his 2025 season has not lived up to those expectations. The drop-off was one of the main reasons Shane Beamer moved on from Mike Shula and hired Kendal Briles as offensive coordinator.
The hope was obvious: Briles would bring an RPO-heavy, faster, quicker-thinking attack that would help Sellers get back to his 2024 level.
So far, that partnership has not taken off.
Last week, South Carolina suffered a stunning home loss to Mississippi State. Before that game, Tyler Schuster wrote for Athlon, "Through two games this season, new offensive coordinator Kendal Briles has failed to get the most out of Sellers."
South Carolina did jump out to a 16-0 lead, but Mississippi State stormed back to win 41-34. Sellers finished with 282 passing yards and 52 rushing yards, yet the collapse wasn’t just on the defense.
Mississippi State quarterback Kamario Taylor threw four touchdown passes, and Sellers hurt his own team with interceptions on back-to-back drives. One pundit called them "ill-timed throws" a veteran shouldn’t have made and said Sellers looked "hesitant" instead of in control of the offense.
That’s the version of South Carolina Alabama will be dealing with: a talented quarterback still searching for rhythm in a new system.
And Alabama has given Briles and Sellers at least some reason to believe there’s an opening. The Crimson Tide’s pass defense against FSU was loose enough to suggest South Carolina might find chances in Bryant-Denny.
Still, the expectation is that those problems were outliers, not the norm. Alabama’s secondary is highly regarded, and more than one of Wommack’s defensive backs made mistakes that simply can’t keep happening.
Wommack likely won’t need to overhaul his coverages for this one. If Alabama can get after Sellers and make him hurry, Briles and his quarterback are not likely to suddenly discover the answer inside Bryant-Denny.
In Other News...
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Alabama May Already Have A Freshman Fans Can't Ignore
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Crowell finished with 51 rushing yards on seven carries and scored a touchdown, but the numbers were only part of the impression he made. His two hurdles in the game turned heads as well, and both teammates and quarterback Keelon Russell have already shown confidence in what he can do moving forward, a sign Alabama may have found an early contributor it will keep leaning on. [Read more 🡒]