Aug 31, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks quarterback LaNorris Sellers (16) drops back to pass against the Virginia Tech Hokies during the second half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
LaNorris Sellers QB South Carolina |
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
| Jersey: #16 PLAY STYLE: Dual Threat QB | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: 09/16/2026 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draft Year: 2027 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FORTY time: 4.55 seconds (94%*) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Age: 21.3 DOB: 06/23/2005 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jersey: #16 | |
| PLAY STYLE: Dual Threat QB | |
| Last Updated: 09/16/2026 | |
| Draft Year: 2027 | |
| Forty time: 4.55 seconds (94%*) | |
| Age: 21.3 DOB: 06/23/2005 | |
| Overall Rating: |
86.4 / 100
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Average rating of opposition Defense player has faced | ||
| Defense Rating: |
|
80% |
| Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
| Release Speed: |
|
77% |
| Short Passing: |
|
69% |
| Medium Passing: |
|
72% |
| Long Passing: |
|
87% |
| Rush/Scramble: |
|
74% |
|
DRAFT PROJECTION:
2nd - Mid
Overall Rank:
#47
Position rank:
#7 (QB)
|
||
| College Games: 28 College Snaps: 1670 | ||
ESPN RATING: 81/100
|
||
247 RATING: 88/100
|
||
|
RIVALS RATING: 5.6 (92%)
|
||
| Player Comparison* (Similarity level) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cole Payton - North Dakota State |
|
82% |
| Michael Pratt - Tulane |
|
79% |
| Riley Leonard - Notre Dame |
|
78% |
Draft Profile: Bio
LaNorris Sellers led South Florence High to a 4A state championship in South Carolina, throwing for 2,948 yards with a 45-to-2 touchdown-to-interception ratio while adding 1,338 rushing yards and 17 scores as a senior. He signed with the Gamecocks as a three-star recruit who didn't receive a scholarship offer from South Carolina until midway through his senior year.After redshirting behind Spencer Rattler in 2023, Sellers took over as the starter in 2024 and won six straight to close the regular season. He earned FWAA National Freshman Offensive Player of the Year and SEC Freshman of the Year, completing 65.6% of his passes for 2,534 yards and 18 touchdowns while setting the school record for rushing yards by a quarterback with 674.
His 2025 season was a step back. Behind coordinator Mike Shula, the Gamecocks fell to 4-8 as Sellers' completion rate dipped to 60.8% with 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions. His rushing totals cratered to 270 yards. He flashed late, throwing for 901 yards and six scores over his final three games, but the overall regression was notable. He enters 2026 with 5,057 career passing yards and 33 touchdowns across 25 starts.
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Rare size-speed at 6-3 and 240 with high-end straight-line speed
- Deep-ball accuracy and touch; hits receivers in stride 50 yards downfield
- Dangerous scrambler who breaks tackles most quarterbacks never escape
- Lower-body power lets him absorb contact and still deliver accurate throws
- Threw for 302 against Missouri and surged for 901 yards over the final three games
- Above-average arm strength to drive the ball to every spot on the field
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Slow processor who locks the first read, among the longest times to throw in the FBS
- Sacks pile up, 40 of them, behind a shaky pocket clock and slow trigger
- Short-area accuracy is inconsistent and the completion rate dipped under sixty percent
- Puts the ball on the ground too often for a quarterback his size
Scouting Report: Summary
Sellers is a rare physical talent at 6-3 and 240 with high-end straight-line speed, above-average arm strength and deep-ball accuracy that hits receivers in stride 50 yards downfield, and he breaks tackles most quarterbacks never escape; the build and arm carry some Josh Allen-like traits. However, he is a slow processor who locks onto the first read and holds the ball too long, which contributed to 40 sacks, and his short-area accuracy and ball security waver.Overall, Sellers has the physical tools of a franchise quarterback, but the processing is the make-or-break trait and makes him a bet, and a scheme change under Kendal Briles in 2026 is the tape that decides it. He projects as a boom-or-bust starter, with the ceiling of a franchise passer and the floor of a developmental backup.
How other scouting services rate LaNorris Sellers (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
36.1
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
8.0
*Percentile Ranking in Player's Position Group (NFL Combine Historical Data): This percentile reflects how a player's specific statistics rank
in comparison to historical performances at the NFL Combine, specifically within their position group. A higher percentile indicates a better performance.
For instance, being in the 90th percentile for a particular stat means the player outperformed 90% of their peers in that category.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.