CLEMSON, S.C. — Earlier this fall, South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer got a text message from another SEC coach who had reached out to sing the praises of Beamer’s quarterback, LaNorris Sellers. South Carolina had just defeated then-No. 10 Texas A&M and Sellers had accounted for 350 yards of offense.
‘You’ve got bleeping Superman playing quarterback back there,’” Beamer recalled his colleague writing.
But on Saturday afternoon, as fans yelled with excitement and the band played in the Gamecocks’ tunnel, Beamer took it a step further.
“LaNorris Sellers is the best player in the country,” Beamer said. “And all you media people that vote on the Heisman, if you’re not voting for that guy (to be) in the mix for the Heisman Trophy, you’re out of your minds. Name a player in the country that’s done more than that kid has this year.”
Sellers may not be quite ready for a Heisman run this season, but there’s no denying the 19-year-old redshirt freshman has become must-see TV — especially as the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff has given more teams in the hunt increased national exposure in the regular season.
Such was the case again Saturday, when No. 15 South Carolina (9-3, 5-2 SEC) beat No. 12 Clemson (9-3, 5-2 ACC) 17-14 in a road matchup that all but spoiled the rival Tigers’ Playoff hopes.
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Sellers — a 6-foot-3, 242-pound escape artist — dazzled, breaking through contact all afternoon. Even when it looked like the Tigers’ defense had him wrapped up, he still found a way to slip through and turn on the jets. And with the game on the line and South Carolina facing a third-and-16 with 1:18 to play, he ripped off a 20-yard touchdown run that ultimately won the game.
In a game that will forever cement his legacy with the Gamecocks, Sellers finished the afternoon with 16 carries for 166 yards and two touchdowns, in addition to passing for 164 yards. Of South Carolina’s 431 yards of total offense, Sellers accounted for 330. He led the Gamecocks to only their second win in the Palmetto Bowl in the last decade.
“LaMagic, LaComeback, whatever you want to call him — he’s a magician for sure,” junior defensive back Nick Emmanwori said. “LaHeisman, I think he’s a Heisman candidate. … I’m glad he’s on my team.”
Sellers said his final run, with South Carolina trailing 14-10, was actually supposed to be a pass play. Clemson even had a spy on him to help mitigate the threat of him taking off with his legs. But as Sellers went through his first read, then his second, looking for a wide receiver, all he saw was green grass.
“I just stepped up,” he said. “Why not take it when I’ve been doing it all game?”
And into the end zone he went as some 81,000 Clemson fans sat in stunned silence.
“I saw a great player in Sellers today. That was pretty special. There’s a couple you just tip your hat and you’ve gotta give him credit for that,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said.
“Just watch every game. It’s like a rerun. It doesn’t matter who they’re playing.”
Indeed, Sellers has torched defenses all season long — rushing for 106 yards in the upset win against Texas A&M earlier this month and passing for 353 yards two weeks ago against Missouri.
The best part? He still has three more years of eligibility after 2024 as South Carolina looks to build itself into a Playoff contender. Beamer now has more wins through his first four seasons than any other South Carolina coach did in the same time frame, including Steve Spurrier. Behind Sellers, the Gamecocks are on the way, and that’s great for college football as expansion creates more contenders.
“He’s a competitor. He’s a warrior. Nothing bothers him. He’s so poised and doesn’t get too high or too low. He was just having fun out there playing,” said Beamer, who also made a case for his team being included in the Playoff despite three losses.
“I get it. The committee has a really tough job. They have to choose the 12 best teams. I get it, we have three losses, I understand that. But it’s hard for me to sit there and say we’re not one of the 12 best teams in the country when you look at our strength of schedule, when you look at our wins on the road.
“I don’t know if there’s a hotter team in America.”
Or a hotter quarterback than Sellers for that matter.
(Photo: Isaiah Vazquez / Getty Images)
