LaNorris Sellers predicted to replace future Hall of Fame QB in 2026 NFL draft

Oxford, Mississippi, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks quarterback LaNorris Sellers (16) passes the ball during warmups prior to the game against the Mississippi Rebels at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

LaNorris Sellers is a 6-foot-3, 240-pound dual-threat quarterback who enrolled at South Carolina in 2023 and emerged as the Gamecocks’ starter last season after backing up Spencer Rattler as a freshman.

In his season under center full-time, he earned SEC Freshman of the Year, third-team All-SEC, and Freshman All‑American honors after throwing for 2,534 passing yards, 18 passing touchdowns, and seven interceptions, along with 674 rushing yards and seven rushing TDs.

This season, he has logged 1,782 passing yards, nine passing TDs and six INTs, while rushing for 186 yards and three rushing scores.

While his numbers this year have been slightly disappointing, Sellers has already produced several high-volume passing games, including a 302-yard outing vs. Missouri, a 224-yard performance against Alabama, and a 246-yard game vs. Texas A&M just last week.

Couple that with his elite athletic traits, and he naturally becomes one of the biggest QB prospects for the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft.

On Saturday, after Sellers’ big game versus the Aggies, USA Today’s Ayrton Ostly released a new 2026 NFL mock draft, projecting Sellers to land with the Pittsburgh Steelers at No. 20.

“Pittsburgh has to get a quarterback at some point. Aaron Rodgers isn't the long-term answer,“ Ostly wrote. “Sellers has arguably the best tools of any player in this class, but needs development as a passer to stick long-term in the NFL. He could sit a year behind Rodgers and take over, or work his way into the lineup and operate a similar offense to Justin Fields as he learns under Arthur Smith.” 

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) comes off the field after failing to convert on third down in the second quarter of the NFL Week 11 game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Pittsburgh brought in Aaron Rodgers for 2025 as a clear win-now move, pairing him with a roster that is already stacked with big contracts, proven playmakers, and veteran experience.

Rodgers initially hinted that 2025 might be his final season, but he later walked that back and remains Pittsburgh’s starter as the Steelers sit at 6-4 with their playoff hopes — and the chance for a deeper run — still intact.

However, even if it’s not necessarily after this season, Rodgers will retire soon, and Pittsburgh needs a succession plan.

Pittsburgh might already have a developmental option in sixth-rounder Will Howard, but the team still holds 2026 draft capital it could use to add a higher-upside quarterback while Rodgers supplies short-term stability.

Sellers’ size, arm and mobility give him the kind of ceiling that fits a plan of sitting a year behind Rodgers, learning under Arthur Smith and the staff, and eventually growing into a dual-threat starter.

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