If you’re Shane Beamer, Todd McShay just gave you something new to worry about.
The Ringer’s lead NFL Draft analyst spent part of Thursday’s episode of The McShay Show floating the idea that South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers might be better off staying in college for another year. And if he does stay, McShay suggested, Miami could come calling with an offer that’s hard to turn down.
“LaNorris Sellers, there’s a strong opinion in NFL scouting circles… that he will be back in school next year,” McShay said. “That he absolutely needs to, for his development and to be ready when he’s called upon as a first-round draft pick, and all first-round quarterbacks, whether they plan on it or not, start in Year 1. And if he is to start in Year 1, while he has the mobility and all those things to get himself out of trouble that less mobile quarterbacks couldn’t get themselves out of trouble, it’s still going to be a real uphill battle for him as a rookie, if he comes out in 2026.
“So, everyone is supporting the concept of he needs another year of college. And there’s people in his camp who are in agreement, is what I’m told.”
Todd McShay mentions the Miami Hurricanes while discussing South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers’ future. pic.twitter.com/x5t8BjeVIT
— Grant Speaks (@GrantSpeaks1) November 6, 2025
There’s nothing shocking about McShay’s developmental concerns. Sellers can make plays with his legs and has a strong arm, but reading NFL defenses from the pocket is a different animal. For pure draft preparation, staying another year makes sense.
Where things get interesting is what McShay said next. The ex-ESPNer pointed to Miami as a serious transfer threat, citing scout chatter about programs positioned to make Sellers an offer that would be “very difficult to refuse.”
“There is a place in South Florida, where they’ve done a really nice job of hand-picking quarterbacks the last two years, and they’ve seen accessions in their game(s),” McShay continued. “And they’ve seen a lot of talent around that quarterback position. And they haven’t been able to take that next step.”
McShay referenced Cam Ward, who transferred to Miami from Washington State and turned one season in Coral Gables into the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Ward threw for 4,313 yards and 39 touchdowns, finished fourth in Heisman voting, and boosted his draft stock from Day 3 to the top of the board.
Carson Beck followed a similar path this year. The former Georgia starter transferred to Miami after an inconsistent 2024 season, and elbow surgery tanked his draft stock. Beck’s performance early in the 2025 season has reportedly impressed evaluators, according to McShay, and he’s working his way back into Day 2 draft conversations.
“Miami is a program I’d be very cautious of if I’m Shane Beamer and the Gamecocks’ program, of trying to come in with an offer that is very difficult to refuse,” McShay noted.
The problem for South Carolina is that Sellers has plenty of reasons to listen if Miami calls. The Gamecocks are 3-6 this season and 1-6 in SEC play. The offense has been a disaster. South Carolina ranks 129th nationally in total offense, 118th in scoring, and 126th in yards per rush. The offensive line can’t protect Sellers, the run game doesn’t exist, and the offense has scored just 16 offensive touchdowns all season.
Sellers isn’t blameless. He’s completed just 61.7% of his passes with seven touchdowns and five interceptions. But he’s also operating behind one of the worst offensive lines in college football with almost no support around him. His 1,536 passing yards through six games are well off last year’s pace, when he threw for 2,534 yards in 12 games as a first-year starter.
McShay made it clear he wasn’t suggesting there’s been any contact between Miami and Sellers. “I’m not here to say there’s collusion,” he said. “I promise you that no one said a word that Program A has reached out to Player A in this situation.” But he also made it clear that scouts are connecting the dots.
Sellers is from Florence, South Carolina. He committed to Virginia and Syracuse before eventually signing with South Carolina. He’s a local kid who grew up a Gamecocks fan. Leaving Columbia for Miami would be a gut punch to Beamer and South Carolina fans who’ve watched Sellers develop into one of the most exciting players not just in the SEC but in the entire country.
Beamer acknowledged this week that he and Sellers have discussed the quarterback’s future beyond 2025, but he’s keeping those conversations private for now. “Certainly, we’ve discussed, there’s a time and place to discuss his decisions beyond 2025,” he said. “Right now, it’s helping him and the rest of our team be the best version of themselves these next three weeks.”
South Carolina still has three games left — at Texas A&M, home against Coastal Carolina, and home against Clemson. The Gamecocks need a clean sweep just to become bowl-eligible. If they don’t, and if the offense continues to struggle, it’s easy to imagine Sellers looking around at his options.
Miami will be in the market for a quarterback again after Beck exhausts his eligibility. And if McShay’s sources are right, they’re already eyeing Sellers as a potential target. ESPN NFL Draft analyst Matt Miller posted on X Thursday that “word on the transfer portal streets is that Miami is ready to break the bank for a QB.”
Word on the transfer portal streets is that Miami is ready to break the bank for a QB. Gonna be very interesting to see who they get
— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) November 6, 2025
All of this to say, whether Sellers stays at South Carolina, transfers to Miami, or declares for the 2026 NFL Draft won’t be decided for months.
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.