Texas A&M's Improved Run Defense Faces Its Toughest Test Yet

There aren’t many quarterbacks in college football who present quite the same problem as LaNorris Sellers. The South Carolina quarterback is fast enough to leave defenders behind, strong enough to run through them and comfortable making plays when everything around him appears to be falling apart.

Texas A&M has experienced that problem before, and the Aggies will get another reminder Saturday in Columbia.

Sellers has rushed for 603 yards and six touchdowns through eight games, averaging 6.2 yards per carry. He’s coming off consecutive 96-yard rushing performances against Tennessee and Oklahoma, scoring twice on the ground in each contest while helping South Carolina extend its winning streak to three games.

Additionally, the Gamecocks lead the SEC with 217.5 rushing yards per game, an uncomfortable statistic for a Texas A&M defense that has struggled against the run this season.

Texas A&M Must Keep Sellers Under Control

Oklahoma Sooners defensive back Courtland Guillory & South Carolina Gamecocks quarterback LaNorris Sellers — Oklahoma Sooners defensive back Courtland Guillory (4) tries to bring down South Carolina Gamecocks quarterback LaNorris Sellers (16) during a college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the South Carolina Gamecocks at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Aggies linebacker Ray Coney understands the difficulty awaiting Texas A&M. He watched Sellers break through multiple Oklahoma defenders during Texas A&M’s bye week, an example of the quarterback’s ability to turn an ordinary play into something really dangerous.

“It's not one of those guys who's going to go down easily,” Coney said. “We just know we got to come wrap him up get him under control and get him on the ground.”

The Aggies have made improvements against the run in recent weeks, particularly during stretches of their loss to Alabama. Head coach Mike Elko has praised the increased physicality of his defensive front, although Sellers presents a different challenge from a conventional rushing attack.

Defensive linemen must maintain their rushing lanes without giving Sellers an escape route. Linebackers have to recognize when he’s preparing to run while remaining disciplined against South Carolina’s running backs, and defensive backs face the unpleasant responsibility of covering receivers long after the original play should’ve ended.

A Bye Week Spent Searching for Answers

Sep 5, 2026; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies linebacker Ray Coney (21) reacts during the first quarter against the Missouri State Bears at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Texas A&M used its extra preparation time to address those responsibilities. Coney said the linebackers gathered to study film, discussing their run fits and how they should react when Sellers escapes the pocket.

“We all sat down and watched a couple clips just together,” Coney said. “Just to pick each other's brain, what we're seeing, what we can add to what we talk about in linebacker meeting rooms.”

The Aggies already know what happens when they fail to contain Sellers. He rushed for 106 yards and a touchdown during South Carolina’s 44-20 victory in 2024, although Texas A&M limited him to 28 rushing yards during last season’s dramatic 31-30 comeback win.

Either way, the best way for the Aggies to win Saturday is to stop Sellers. If they can’t manage that, then it might just be curtains not only on the game but on the season entirely.

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