USC’s New Offensive Coordinator Aims to Avoid Making Sellers Play Like a Running Back This Season

Today’s focus is on LaNorris Sellers and his evolving role in the South Carolina offense, as the Gamecocks’ offensive coordinator, Mike Shula, spoke to the media during his first spring press conference.

Shula kicked things off by discussing his goals for Sellers, particularly how he plans to allow the talented quarterback more freedom in using his legs this upcoming season. After reflecting on the first two practices of the spring, Shula made it clear that the goal is to build on the progress made at the end of last year, not revert to the beginning of the season.

“Our goal is to pick up where we left off at the end of the year, not at the start of the year,” Shula said. “We looked at some things in the offseason, looking at defenses, getting your eyes in the right place a little bit quicker, making sound decisions quicker, things like that.”

At the close of last season, LaNorris Sellers became a pivotal figure, leading the offense through a six-game win streak, with many of those victories fueled by his playmaking ability, particularly his ability to run the ball. A key example was his thrilling 20-yard game-winning touchdown run against Clemson, which clinched the rivalry win.

However, Shula emphasized that while many of those runs were instinctive and not part of the game plan, he wants to slightly adjust that dynamic this year. His goal is to help Sellers operate more within the offensive system, without taking away his ability to make plays on his own.

“The faster you can process and make good decisions with the football, the less you may have to run with the football,” Shula said. “He’s really a pretty good runner, so we don’t want to take that ability away from him. We want to enhance that, but we want to do it on our own terms, not because ‘I didn’t quite understand the read’ or ‘I didn’t see this’ or ‘I’m late on doing that, now I have to run.’ He’s not going to be a running back where he’s carrying it 25 times a game, and that’s part of his growing process.”

The addition of a promising recruiting class of wide receivers should aid Sellers in this transition. Freshmen like Malik Clark and Jordon Gidron will be looking to emerge as key targets for Sellers in the upcoming season, making the Gamecocks’ offense even more dynamic.

For now, it’s clear that Shula’s vision for Sellers involves a delicate balance between unleashing his athleticism and refining his decision-making skills to fit the system. We’ll see how this evolution plays out in the coming months.