Paul Finebaum Names Emerging SEC QB Among Nation’s Top Five Signal Callers

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jaron Spor | Last updated Jun 18, 2025 6:00 PM ET

The 2024 college football season witnessed the emergence of several programs, notably the South Carolina Gamecocks.

With a record of 9-4, this marked their best performance since the 2013 season. Finishing at No. 15 in the final College Football Playoff rankings represents the highest position in program history and only the second time they have concluded the season ranked.

A significant factor in their success was quarterback LaNorris Sellers. The redshirt freshman passed for 2,534 yards, threw 18 touchdowns and recorded seven interceptions, achieving a completion rate of 65.6%. In addition, he rushed for 674 yards and scored seven rushing touchdowns.

On "The Paul Finebaum Show," the SEC Network analyst shared his thoughts on how he would rank this talented young quarterback among the best in the country.

"I frankly think LaNorris Sellers is one of the three or four best quarterbacks in football," Finebaum said.

While some analysts, like Finebaum, are optimistic about the upcoming season, others are more cautious. ESPN's Football Power Index (FPI) ranks South Carolina as the ninth-best team in the SEC and predicts a record of 7-5 for the season.

The FPI gives the Gamecocks a 1.8% chance of winning the SEC but a 20.3% chance of making the College Football Playoff. One challenge the team faces is a significant loss of production from last season.

South Carolina ranks No. 71 in returning production, with only 56% of its players back. This is particularly troublesome on the defensive side, where the team returns just 46% of its production. Among the major losses are running back Raheim Sanders and defensive end Kyle Kennard.

Sanders rushed for 881 yards and 11 touchdowns, and he also had 316 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Kennard stood out defensively, finishing with a team-leading 11.5 sacks and 16 tackles for loss.

The Gamecocks will open their season against 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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