South Carolina's plan for utilizing LaNorris Sellers' legs will fire Gamecock fans up

Although the South Carolina Gamecocks finished 4-8 last season, there is a lot of buzz surrounding the program entering 2026. Sixth-year head coach Shane Beamer made plenty of changes this offseason, and one of the biggest was hiring offensive coordinator Kendal Briles from TCU. 

Another reason for optimism surrounding South Carolina in 2026 is the return of star quarterback LaNorris Sellers. The Palmetto State native is entering his third season as South Carolina's starting quarterback. Although he is known for his ability to take off on the run and open up South Carolina's ground game, that fell off last year. The Gamecocks' signal-caller finished with a career-low 270 yards with five touchdowns on just 149 carries. He was also sacked a career-high 43 times. 

At SEC Media Days on Tuesday in Tampa, Fla., Gamecocks head coach Shane Beamer was asked about how Sellers' running ability fell off last season. He was also asked how South Carolina plans to utilize his quarterback's running ability in 2026.

"Yeah, I think we would be crazy not to utilize LaNorris's legs," Beamer said at the podium. "He's a load to bring down. Do we want him running the ball 40 times a game? No, but what I think what makes LaNorris great is his ability to throw the ball and run the ball. So will there be some designed runs for LaNorris? Absolutely. Will there be some plays that break down from a protection standpoint that he needs to improvise and make plays with his feet? I'm sure there will be.

"But, yeah, that's a weapon. We'd be remiss, in my opinion, if we don't utilize what makes LaNorris Sellers great, and his legs are a big part of it."

During Sellers' first season as South Carolina's starting quarterback in 2024, the quarterback had 674 yards with seven touchdowns on the ground, averaging an impressive 4.1 yards per carry. Sellers had 166 carries that season, which comes out to around 12.8 carries per game. As Coach Beamer points out, the Gamecocks don't want him averaging a ton of carries per game, as the goal is obviously to keep him healthy. 

Sellers was also sacked a season-high 43 times last season, which hindered his ability in the run game. But with the addition of offensive tackle Jacarrius Peak this offseason, the Gamecocks are expected to be able to open up Sellers more in the run game this season. 

His new offensive coordinator, Briles, didn't exactly have a mobile quarterback at TCU the last three seasons in Josh Hoover. Since he is more of a pro-style quarterback, Hoover finished with -10 rush yards across his three seasons. But given Sellers' running ability, Briles would indeed be crazy not to put in some designed run packages here and there this season.   

Don't be surprised if 2026 is the South Carolina quarterback's best season in the run game yet.

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This article was originally published on garnetandcocky.com as South Carolina's plan for utilizing LaNorris Sellers' legs will fire Gamecock fans up.