Paul Finebaum Names SEC Star Who's Underrated

The 2026 college football season is underway, and one of the most intriguing teams is the South Carolina Gamecocks.

LaNorris Sellers Ready for Bounce-Back Season in 2026

The Gamecocks had a down season last year, going 4-8. This followed what seemed like a breakthrough in 2024, when the Gamecocks went 9-4. A big reason for the poor season was South Carolina having one of the worst offensive lines in college football, despite having one of the better quarterbacks in the SEC, LaNorris Sellers.

Sellers has thrown for 4,971 yards, 31 touchdowns and 15 interceptions, while rushing for 944 yards and 12 scores in his two seasons as the starting quarterback. He also elected to return for his third season under center. But the poor season last year seems to have hurt his reputation.

CBS Sports ranked the top 50 starting quarterbacks in college football entering the 2026 college football season. Sellers came in at No. 34 in those rankings. That ranks him No. 10 among SEC quarterbacks.

South Carolina Gamecocks quarterback Lanorris Sellers (16) passes under pressure. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Paul Finebaum Pushes Back on Sellers' QB Ranking

ESPN's Paul Finebaum was asked about that ranking on "The Paul Finebaum Show." The SEC Network analyst said he doesn't agree with that ranking.

"I don't," Finebaum said. "I think that he's an outstanding quarterback, and last year some of the problems were self-inflicted."

Finebaum's assessment is significant because Sellers' 2025 season cannot be evaluated entirely through his statistics. South Carolina's offensive struggles made life difficult for its quarterback, particularly behind an offensive line that failed to give him consistent protection. At the same time, Sellers did have some mistakes of his own, meaning there is legitimate room for improvement entering his third season.

South Carolina's Offensive Line Could Determine Sellers' 2026 Ceiling

That makes the offensive line one of the most important storylines surrounding South Carolina this season. Sellers has already demonstrated the arm talent and rushing ability to make plays outside the structure of the offense. Giving him more time in the pocket and a more reliable running game could allow those strengths to show up much more consistently.

The opportunity is now in front of Sellers to change the perception that followed him out of 2025. A strong season could push him from the middle of the SEC quarterback conversation toward the top of it, while another difficult campaign would make CBS Sports' ranking much easier to defend.

Ultimately, Sellers doesn't need to win an argument with a ranking. He needs to give South Carolina the season that its talent suggests is possible. If the Gamecocks' offensive line takes a leap forward and Sellers turns his considerable physical tools into more consistent production, the No. 34 ranking could look very outdated by the time the SEC race reaches its decisive stretch.

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