CFB analyst picks South Carolina's LaNorris Sellers over Arch Manning for the 2025 Heisman Trophy honor

South Carolina's LaNorris Sellers gave some impressive performances in the 2024 season, with the 17-14 victory over the then No. 12 Clemson Tigers mesmerizing the nation.

That day, Sellers threw for 164 yards with one interception. However, it was through the rushing game that he became a difference maker for the Gamecocks, recording 166 yards with two touchdowns in 16 carries.

Now, as we look to the upcoming 2025 season, some analysts are considering him as a potential Heisman candidate. While Sellers isn't among the frontrunners for the award, with Sports Illustrated setting his odds at +1800, many do see him as a dark horse.

College Sports Network's Cam Mellor is one of this latter group, with him saying on Wednesday:

"Sellers can go from potential star to Heisman favorite in 2025."

If Sellers wants to turn this potential into reality, he needs to become a more efficient signal-caller in the air. While his 674 rushing yards in 2024 are impressive for a quarterback, his passing numbers could do with some improvement.

He threw for 2,534 yards, with 18 touchdowns and seven interceptions, while completing 65.6% of his passes.

ESPN's QBR, which gives us a more holistic view of a quarterback's performance and contribution, only gave LaNorris Sellers a 69.8 mark. That number ranked 40th in the nation.

That is no indictment of his abilities on ESPN's part, as the network also added him to their list of early Heisman candidates. However, it does show that there's room for improvement.

NFL team's GM praises LaNorris Sellers ahead of the NFL Combine

Speaking with Sports Illustrated during the pre-NFL Combine events in Indianapolis, the general manager of one of the franchises praised the South Carolina quarterback:

"He (is) currently the highest-rated quarterback on our board. Sellers is the smartest quarterback we've evaluated since Andrew Luck. He just doesn't make the same mistakes twice," said the GM whose identity remained undisclosed.

The interaction shows that LaNorris Sellers is already on the minds of NFL decision-makers, despite being several years removed from potentially joining the league.

Therein lies the biggest advantage Sellers has. 2024 was only his redshirt freshman year, and he has already shown great potential. Sky is the limit for a player who's already considered the best returning signal-caller in the SEC.