With the College Football Playoff National Championship now in the rearview mirror, the offseason marks the start of “lists and projections season.” On Thursday, On3 released its rankings of the top 25 quarterbacks heading into the 2025 season, with South Carolina standout LaNorris Sellers earning a prominent spot.
Sellers was ranked No. 5 overall, a recognition of his “remarkable turnaround” during the 2024 campaign. According to the report, the Gamecocks’ rising star earned his place with a season that showcased rapid improvement and resilience.
“Remarkable” is an apt way to describe Sellers’ performance last fall. The South Carolina quarterback, sporting jersey No. 16, flashed brilliance early in the season but faced challenges due to inexperience and an ankle injury. As the season progressed, Sellers found his groove, delivering dominant performances and establishing himself as a force on the field.
The Palmetto State native shattered multiple USC freshman records, including 3,208 total yards and 25 total touchdowns, during his debut season. He also set a single-month touchdown record with 16 scores in November. Sellers guided the Gamecocks to a six-game winning streak, their longest since 2013, and became South Carolina’s first-ever All-SEC quarterback, as selected by league coaches.
Ahead of Sellers in On3’s rankings are Arizona State’s Sam Leavitt, Penn State’s Drew Allar, Florida’s DJ Lagway, and Texas’ Arch Manning. Sellers ranks third among SEC quarterbacks and fourth among rising sophomores nationally.
The Gamecocks face a challenging schedule in 2025, with matchups against four of On3’s top-15 quarterbacks. South Carolina will travel to Baton Rouge to take on LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier (No. 6) and host Clemson’s Cade Klubnik (No. 8), Oklahoma’s John Mateer (No. 9), and Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia (No. 14) at Williams-Brice Stadium.
Sellers and the Gamecocks are set to kick off their 2025 campaign on August 31 in Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, where they’ll face Virginia Tech in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff. The stage is set for Sellers to build on his historic freshman season and further solidify his place among the elite quarterbacks in college football.
