It’s a dog-eat-dog world in the SEC. You’ve got South Carolina coming off a head-turning nine-win season and Florida fresh from an eight-win run. Both teams are generating buzz, but the Gamecocks? They’re straight-up turning heads in ’25. The hype train is rolling, and extending Shane Beamer through 2030? That just throws gas on the fire. But the real mic-drop moment is keeping quarterback LaNorris Sellers under center. However, the road ahead won’t be easy, and now Beamer faces a tough wake-up call about his franchise quarterback.

Here’s where things get interesting. Over on 247 Sports, Cooper Petagna, Brad Crawford, and Smoke Dixon were deep in a conversation about rivalries and bold predictions. Then, bam! Crawford’s own tweet pops up on the screen: “Why is DJ Lagway getting more preseason hype, love, and adoration than LaNorris Sellers right now?” And Cooper? He jumps right in with, ‘Yeah, Crawford, explain that!’

It’s a legit question. You’ve got two electrifying SEC QBs—Sellers and Lagway—yet all the buzz seems to be around DJ Lagway. So, what gives? Is Sellers the real deal, or is Lagway just stealing the spotlight? Well, Crawford wasn’t about to let the hype train leave Sellers behind. He came to his defense, making it clear that both Lagway and Sellers are elite talents. “I think both these guys are going to be top three, maybe top four SEC quarterbacks next season. Both are probably going to be in the Heisman conversation. But here we are, March 3—the first two and a half months or so of 2025—and I just don’t understand why DJ Lagway has received considerably more offseason hype than Sellers after both these guys had terrific years. Sellers was the National Freshman Quarterback of the Year,” Crawford pointed out.

Then came the numbers. Sellers proved he’s the total package, throwing for over 3,000 yards and 30+ touchdowns while keeping turnovers low. But his dominance didn’t stop there—he torched defenses for 800+ rushing yards and 10+ rushing scores. That performance earned him the National Freshman Quarterback of the Year title and solidified his status as one of the SEC’s best heading into 2025.

So Crawford doubled down, saying, “I don’t want to go just stats-wise, but Sellers had more passing yards, a better completion percentage despite 100 more attempts, more touchdowns, fewer turnovers, 600 more rushing yards, and oh, by the way, he led the Gamecocks to six straight wins to close out the year—three of those against ranked teams—and had South Carolina, for the first time in program history, in that playoff conversation.”

But Crawford wasn’t done making his case. “I mean, LaNorris Sellers from September to November—there was probably not a player in college football who made bigger strides at quarterback than Sellers. And like I said, I think he and Lagway are going to be great, but based on what we saw last season on the field, I’m just surprised that Lagway has been ranked so much higher in a lot of these preseason power rankings.”

The rankings tell the story. Clint Brewster of 247 Sports ranked his Top 10 QBs for 2025. In 2024, Lagway was ranked 14th overall. Now, in 2025, he’s jumped to No. 3, with LaNorris Sellers not far behind at No. 5. So, Crawford had every reason to scratch his head—why all the hype for Lagway?

Cooper Petagna had an answer: “You look at Florida and that situation—Billy Napier was really dead in the water. Then DJ Lagway comes in, starts his first game against Tennessee, plays in seven games, goes 5-2 during that stretch, and suddenly, this is a completely different team.”

We all saw it—DJ Lagway stepped up when Florida needed him most. The true freshman took over after Graham Mertz went down, and he didn’t just fill in—he made an impact. Over 12 games, he completed 115 of 192 passes (59.9%) for 1,915 yards, averaging 10.0 yards per attempt. His passer rating? A solid 154.93. But stats only tell part of the story—context is key.

Sure, you can compare stat sheets, but perspective matters. When Billy Napier was on the hot seat with a $27.1 million buyout looming, Lagway changed everything. As Cooper put it, “Billy Napier is the head coach of the Florida Gators because he got DJ Lagway right. He’s faced a lot of turbulence, but he’s been given extended life because he got the quarterback position right.”

While the Lagway vs. Sellers debate rages on, Shane Beamer has bigger concerns. The spotlight is on his star quarterback, but the real question is—can South Carolina’s offense hold up?

Protecting LaNorris Sellers

Shane Beamer might have his guy under center, but if the offense isn’t strong enough, it won’t matter.

In 2024, LaNorris Sellers had a stacked receiver room, and it showed. Transfer standouts like Gage Larvadain, Jared Brown, and Ahmari Huggins-Bruce gave the Gamecocks a serious boost through the air. But heading into 2025, things look a little different. Tyshawn Russell took his talents to Syracuse, chasing more playing time. Dalevon Campbell has played his final snap, leaving a void in the lineup. With key pieces gone, South Carolina faces a new challenge—keeping the offense explosive and making sure Sellers has the weapons he needs to shine.

In the same episode, Brad Crawford didn’t hold back when pointing out South Carolina’s biggest question mark—their wide receiver room. He raised a crucial concern, saying, “Who is WR1 in South Carolina? Florida and Lagway, we know some weapons around him—some guys coming back, some guys they got in the portal. The Gamecocks still need a wide receiver one. Unless it’s Nyck Harbor stepping up in a big way—which I don’t foresee happening—you have to wonder, will Sellers have the same numbers as last season?”

With uncertainty at receiver, the pressure is on for LaNorris Sellers to elevate the offense—whether he has elite playmakers or not.

On the flip side, DJ Lagway is stepping into a loaded Florida offense. His arsenal? Stacked. Eugene Wilson III brings speed and playmaking ability as the go-to guy. J. Michael Sturdivant, a savvy UCLA transfer, adds veteran presence and reliability. And that’s not all—the Gators went big in recruiting, landing 5-star phenom Vernell Brown III and 4-star sleeper Naeshaun Montgomery. With this firepower, Florida’s passing attack is set to light up the SEC. Now, the question shifts to South Carolina—can Shane Beamer build the right protection around LaNorris Sellers?