Dakereon Joyner on LaNorris Sellers: ‘I truly believe we’ve found our generational quarterback’

Although LaNorris Sellers has never started in a collegiate game up to this point, former South Carolina do-it-all star Dakereon Joyner wants Gamecock fans to know that the hype is real with the second-year quarterback.

“He’s gonna be everything that everybody thinks that he’s gonna be,” Joyner told GamecockCentral. “I’ve watched him in person. Throughout that last year and in spring, I watched him a lot. I don’t want to set the bar too high and put any pressure on him… I believe he’s gonna be that. I truly believe in that. I truly believe we’ve found our generational quarterback, to say the least. To say the most, honestly.”

Playing behind Spencer Rattler last season, Sellers still managed to shine anytime his number was called. Appearing in three games as a true freshman this past season for the Gamecocks, he completed all four of his pass attempts for 86 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for 51 yards on five carries, including a 36-yard touchdown.

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“He’s gonna start early as a (redshirt) freshman and I feel like the next three to four years he’s gonna take this program to heights that we know that we can be at. With our defense being strong, a lot of returning offensive linemen, and a lot of weapons around LaNorris, I truly think that LaNorris can take this team very, very far. He’s super skillful, super smart. All the intangibles that you want within a quarterback; leadership qualities. I know what he can do and I’m just excited for the rest of the world to be able to see what he can do.”

While some might be just hopping onto the Sellers’ bandwagon, Joyner was leading the charge a year ago.

“The guy I think fans should be excited about is LaNorris Sellers. Quarterback out of South Florence,” Joyner said during fall camp in 2023. “He’s a guy that I believe is gonna take this thing over eventually. He’ll have a year to sit behind Spencer Rattler and Luke Doty and will just learn but I think that’s a guy who will really take the city of Columbia over. I have a lot of faith in him. Being a dual-threat quarterback, I see a lot of talent in him and a lot of maturity.”

Even if Joyner doesn’t say it, some of that maturity also came from Sellers being able to easily pick his brain a lot last season.

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“His locker is two lockers down from mine so I talk to him often,” Joyner added last August. “When he has great days and when he has bad days, I’m always there to just pick his head up. One thing that I always tell him is just to stay true to yourself. Don’t ever let someone tell you what you can’t do in this era of playing quarterback. Just to stay true to yourself man and to never give up on your dreams. If you want something then go get it.”

Although it feels like the writing is on the wall that Sellers will be South Carolina’s Week 1 starter, back in May Shane Beamer made it clear that the young QB will have to continue to earn it during fall camp. A task he believes Sellers is certainly up for.

“I’ll tell you guys what I told LaNorris and all the quarterbacks coming out of spring practice. ‘Coming out of spring practice, LaNorris (Sellers) is our starting quarterback,’” said Beamer during a Welcome Home Tour in Florence. “But, just like all of our positions, we’ll continue to compete at all positions… LaNorris did a great job and I expect LaNorris to continue to compete and earn that position.”

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