LaNorris Sellers Plans to Stay at South Carolina in 2026 - and He’s Helping Build the Team to Win
South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers isn’t going anywhere - at least, that’s the plan.
Sellers confirmed over the weekend that he expects to return to Columbia for the 2026 season, giving the Gamecocks a major boost at the most important position on the field. While he hasn’t officially signed a revenue-sharing deal with the program just yet, Sellers made it clear that his commitment is firm.
“Yeah, that’s the plan,” he said during an autograph signing event in Columbia.
Now, there’s still some paperwork to finalize - roster and agreement details, according to Sellers - but the bigger story is that he’s not just coming back to play. He’s actively involved in shaping what the 2026 South Carolina roster will look like. That’s right - the quarterback is in the war room, watching transfer portal film and passing along his thoughts to head coach Shane Beamer and the rest of the staff.
“(The coaching staff) said I was a big piece of it,” Sellers said. “They said the quarterback is the main thing, so when guys hear from the quarterback it means something more. … All I can do is talk to the guys and get them here.”
It’s a clear sign of how much trust the program is placing in its young quarterback - not just as a player, but as a leader and recruiter. Sellers is embracing the role.
His decision to return comes just days after South Carolina hired Kendal Briles as its new offensive coordinator - a move that appears to have Sellers’ full support. As Beamer was narrowing down candidates, Sellers took it upon himself to study film of the coaches being considered. When he watched Briles’ TCU offense, something clicked.
“I liked him then,” Sellers said.
The connection makes sense. Briles’ system shares a lot of DNA with the offense South Carolina ran in 2024 under Dowell Loggains - a scheme Sellers thrived in as a redshirt freshman.
That year, he threw for over 2,500 yards and 18 touchdowns, leading the Gamecocks to wins over Texas A&M, Missouri, and rival Clemson. Loggains and Briles worked together at Arkansas, and Sellers sees clear similarities in their offensive philosophies.
“They ran the same thing at Arkansas,” Sellers said. “(Loggains) brought that offense with him to USC. It is (very similar).”
That familiarity could be key for Sellers as he looks to bounce back from a tough 2025 campaign. South Carolina finished the season 4-8, and the offense struggled under coordinator Mike Shula, who was let go in November.
Sellers, playing behind an offensive line that gave up 43 sacks, saw his production dip across the board. The pressure was constant, and the rhythm that made him so dangerous the year before was hard to find.
It was a stark contrast to the preseason hype. Sellers entered 2025 as a projected top-five NFL Draft pick in most mocks. But as the season wore on, his stock slipped - and with it came the opportunity to reset.
“Obviously there was stuff I felt like I had to work on as well,” Sellers said. “Pretty much, (NFL scouts) were saying the same thing. It was just a lot - weighing out all my options and what was best for (right) now and the future.”
So instead of heading to the league, Sellers is betting on himself - and on South Carolina. He’s staying put, helping recruit talent through the portal, and preparing to run an offense he already knows how to thrive in.
As for when the contract will be finalized?
“Shoot,” he said with a shrug. “I don’t really know.”
But make no mistake: LaNorris Sellers is locked in for 2026. And if South Carolina can shore up its offensive line and reload with the right pieces, the Gamecocks could be in for a serious bounce-back season - with their QB1 leading the charge on and off the field.