Can't Wait For Saturday Illini can vouch for talents of Gamecocks star Sellers
NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...
Jun. 29—***
Earlier in June, I used this space to count down the Top 10 Heisman Trophy candidates for 2026. (The list is at the bottom.)
That doesn't come close to covering all the possibilities. Last year, Fernando Mendoza wasn't considered a candidate going into the year. So, into July. I will float some names of guys who might enter the conversation if they get off to a hot start.
Today, a guy Illinois saw up close and person at the 2024 Citrus Bowl.
LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina quarterback
Remember when the Gamecocks quarterback was going to the next great SEC star? I sure do, hearing all about the phenom in the buildup to the 2024 Citrus Bowl.
The Florence, S.C, native got off to a great start as a freshman, throwing for 2,534 yards and 18 scores while earning SEC Freshman of the Year honors. He ran for another 674 yards and seven more scores.
Most figured Sellers would be off to the NFL after the 2025 season, his third in Columbia. But his numbers fell in 2025 and so did the team's record. Sellers threw for fewer yards and touchdowns while his interception total rose.
Even worse, the Gamecocks stopped winning. After taking eight games in 2024, they won four in '25. It got bad enough that coach Shane Beamer, the talk of the state after his '24 success, is now on the hot seat.
But it can all be fixed with one good season. Sellers has a reliable receive he knows very well. his brother Jayden. That should help. The offensive line, with four new starters, must improve. Sellers is a great athlete who functions better when not running for his life.
Alabama, Georgia and Clemson are the most difficult games on the schedule. The Gamecocks don't have Texas or Mississippi, so that's good.
Sellers has the size (6-foot-3, 240 pounds) and athleticism to dominate games. The guess from me is he does it a lot in 2026.
1. Jeremiah Smith Ohio State receiver
2. Arch Manning Texas quarterback
3. Malachi Toney Miami receiver
4. Julian Sayin Ohio State quarterback
5. Trinidad Chambliss Mississippi quarterback
6. CJ Carr, Notre Dame quarterback
7. Dante Moore, Oregon quarterback
8. Demond Williams Jr., Washington quarterback
9. Josh Hoover, Indiana quarterback
10. Darian Mensah, Miami quarterback
Byrum Brown, Auburn quarterback
Sam Leavitt, LSU quarterback
John Mateer, Oklahoma quarterback
Bo Jackson, Ohio State running back
Jayden Maiava, Southern California quarterback
Marcel Reed, Texas A&M quarterback
More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos