COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers status for his team’s upcoming mathup with SEC rival Missouri is uncertain. Sellers left Saturday’s game against Vanderbilt late in the second quarter after suffering a concussion sustained during a helmet-to-helmet hit. The Gamecocks went on to lose 31-7.
The injury occurred when Sellers was hit by Vanderbilt linebacker Langston Patterson. Patterson was assessed a targeting penalty and ejected after officials reviewed the play, which showed his helmet making contact with Sellers’ chin. Under NCAA concussion protocol, Sellers must be cleared by medical staff before he can return to the field.
Gamecocks coach Shane Beamer was visibly upset with the delayed review of the hit. During an interview on “Gamecock Football With Coach Shane Beamer,” he recalled questioning the official on the field. “As soon as LaNorris got hit and was on the ground,” Beamer said, “I walked up to the official and I said, ‘Our quarterback’s on the ground with a concussion right now, probably a head injury, it’s probably likely that he got hit in the head, are y’all not looking at this for targeting?’”
After Sellers’ departure, fifth-year senior Luke Doty took over at quarterback. Doty completed 18 of 27 passes for 148 yards, but also threw an interception and lost a fumble on a third-quarter sack. Beamer has said he was unsure who will start at quarterback next weekend.
Doty, who previously played quarterback for the team in 2023, converted to wide receiver before returning to the quarterback room last month as the emergency option behind Sellers. Doty has a career total of 1,691 passing yards, with nine touchdowns and nine interceptions. The Gamecocks currently rank last in the SEC in several offensive categories, including total offense and rushing yards.
