Paul Finebaum Names College Football QB Who Could Be The Best in Program History

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jaron Spor | Last updated Jul 6, 2025 2:00 PM ET

The 2025 college football season is expected to be another opportunity for growth for the South Carolina Gamecocks, a rising team in the SEC. Last season, they finished with a record of 9-4 and narrowly missed the College Football Playoff, ending the year ranked No. 15 in the final CFP standings.

According to ESPN's Football Power Index (FPI), South Carolina is ranked as the ninth-best team in the SEC and is projected to have a 7-5 record this season. The FPI gives the Gamecocks a 1.8% chance of winning the SEC but a 20.3% chance of securing a spot in the College Football Playoff.

One challenge facing the team is the significant loss of production from last season. South Carolina ranks No. 71 in terms of returning production, with only 56% of its players returning. This issue is particularly concerning for the defense, as the team is expected to bring back just 46% of its production. Key losses include defensive end Kyle Kennard and running back Raheim Sanders.

Kennard was a standout on defense, leading the team with 11.5 sacks and 16 tackles for loss. He was selected by the Los Angeles Chargers in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

Meanwhile, Sanders rushed for 881 yards and scored 11 touchdowns, in addition to contributing 316 receiving yards and two touchdowns. He joined the Chargers as an undrafted free agent.

Despite these challenges, ESPN's Paul Finebaum has expressed confidence in the Gamecocks for this season. On his show, "The Paul Finebaum Show," he emphasized his optimism is likely due to quarterback LaNorris Sellers.

"To me, LaNorris Sellers is the best quarterback they've had; I mean, they've had a couple of good ones, but I think he could be the best," Finebaum said.

Sellers had an impressive performance as a redshirt freshman, passing for 2,534 yards, 18 touchdowns and seven interceptions, with a completion rate of 65.6%. In addition to his passing stats, he also rushed for 674 yards and scored seven rushing touchdowns.

Finebaum has previously stated that he believes Sellers is one of the three or four best quarterbacks in football. However, the question remains: Is he the best in the program’s history?

According to a list on On3, Connor Shaw is widely regarded as the best quarterback in Gamecocks history. Shaw played from 2010 to 2013 and threw for 6,074 yards, 56 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions throughout his career. He also rushed for 1,683 yards and scored 17 touchdowns, leading South Carolina to three consecutive 11-win seasons.

Sellers will aim to surpass these achievements in the 2025 season, which will begin with the Gamecocks facing the Virginia Tech Hokies at 3:00 p.m. on Aug. 31.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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