LaNorris Sellers NFL Draft projection: Where will South Carolina QB be picked in 2026?

It’s never too early to start looking ahead towards the 2026 NFL Draft, especially when it comes to quarterbacks. One prospect that has seen his stock climb recently is South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers. 

Sellers is a redshirt sophomore entering 2025. In his first season as the Gamecocks’ starter in 2024, he threw for 2,534 yards with 18 touchdowns and seven interceptions, and helped lead South Carolina to a 9-4 mark. He added another 674 yards and seven scores on the ground. 

His impressive breakout season in 2024 paired with his physicality and size—checking in at 6-foot-3, 240 pounds—makes him an intriguing NFL quarterback prospect. Before South Carolina begins its 2025-26 season, let’s take a look at Seller’s NFL draft projection for 2026. 

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When is LaNorris Sellers projected to be drafted?  

While it’s still quite early in the draft evaluation process, several experts peg Sellers squarely inside the top-three picks for 2026. 

NFLMockDraftDatabase combines NFL draft boards from outlets across the interwebs. The vast majority of boards have Sellers behind the likes of Texas’ Arch Manning or Cade Klubnik at No. 1 overall.

The most popular landing spot for Sellers is the New York Jets at either No. 2 or 3 overall. A couple other mocks have him going to the Cleveland Browns or Indianapolis Colts. 

Speaking of the Colts, Sellers’ size alone makes him an easy comparison to Anthony Richardson. As CBS Sports’ Mike Renner pointed out over the summer, his quickness running the football is earning him plenty of NFL interest: 

Sellers could switch to running back tomorrow and still be a top 100 pick by the end of his career. His feet and agility at 6-foot-3 and 240 pounds are special. Even compared to his most obvious physical corollary in Anthony Richardson, Sellers stands out with the precision in his cuts and ability to change directions.

According to PFF, Sellers ran for 852 yards last season and broke 47 tackles on 141 rushing attempts (by NFL stat-keeping rules). This isn’t a Cameron Ward or Shedeur Sanders, both of whom are “mobile”; Sellers can make house calls if your defensive end crashes to the running back or if your blitzing corner didn’t pack his lunch.

That will buy him a lot of leeway as a passer at the next level that his tape says he could use. 

While Sellers’ stock appears to be high heading into 2025, he still has room to improve as a passer. His 2,534 yards ranked 10th in the SEC, and his yards per game (211.1) checked in at ninth overall. An improvement in the passing game in 2025 could elevate his ceiling as a prospect even higher.   

Norris showed off some of that ability in South Carolina’s season-opening win over Virginia Tech, finishing 12-of-19 for 201 yards and two total touchdowns.

OH MY LANORRIS 😱@GamecockFB pic.twitter.com/Qc9VVzxRe0

— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) August 31, 2025

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Where is LaNorris Sellers going in mock drafts?

The beginning of the fall is still pretty early for NFL mock drafts. Even so, there are still some early mock drafts released eight months ahead of 2026’s draft and Sellers is in several of those first-round mocks.  

ESPN’s Field Yates has Sellers going No. 2 overall to the New York Jets, via a trade with the New York Giants. CBS Sports also has him going to the Jets, but at No. 3 overall. 

The Athletic’s mock draft has Sellers landing No. 2 overall to the Cleveland Browns, joining the likes of 2025 picks Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel. SB Nation has Sellers outside of the top five picks but still in the top 10, going No. 8 overall to the Las Vegas Raiders. 

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2026 NFL Draft QB rankings

Here’s how the 2026 draft-eligible quarterbacks break down, according to NFL Mock Draft Database’s consensus rankings: