LaNorris Sellers explains why he chose to return to South Carolina for 2026 season
Published:
LaNorris Sellers could’ve chosen to play his football anywhere else than Columbia in 2026.
But the dynamic, dual-threat quarterback decided to return to South Carolina as a third-year starter instead of transferring to another program or perhaps even taking his talents to the NFL. There was no transfer portal and no NFL Draft in the offering for the signal-caller who’s shown flashes of brilliance during his first 2 seasons as the Gamecocks’ starter.
Sellers chose to stay loyal to Shane Beamer and South Carolina, and so he’ll be under center again this fall as a redshirt junior to try to lead the Gamecocks to SEC relevancy.
On Tuesday at SEC Media Days in Tampa, Sellers spoke to reporters on a number of topics and also stopped by for a one-on-one interview on SportsCenter to explain his decision to come back to Columbia.
“It’s home for me. I’ve built a relationship with these guys, I trust these coaches,” Sellers said. “I’m blessed to have this opportunity. It is home for me. Love these fans.”
Sellers was also asked about adjusting to a lot of new things in 2026 and coming back stronger after a somewhat disappointing 2025 season.
“Just bringing that new excitement, that confidence, new system, new coaches, new players, new teammates, just a lot of new opportunities. Just super excited about that,” Sellers said.
Sellers’ touchdown passes went down from 18 to 13 from his first season as the starter in 2024 to last season. His passing yards dipped a little bit, and Sellers’ rushing yards plummeted from 674 yards to just 270 last season.
Now, Sellers is back at South Carolina in 2026 for some retribution, individually and for the Gamecocks as they battle to improve on last year’s 4-8 overall record and 1-7 SEC mark.
With Sellers back in the fold in 2026, South Carolina has a lot better chance to be a factor in the SEC title discussion. Here is what the Kalshi market is currently saying about the Gamecocks’ chances to compete with the usual SEC heavyweights for that conference crown in December:
/
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
