How often do NFL greats find their worthy successors? With some college football players nearing the tail end of their eligibility years, experts are back to drawing comparisons. Some bold, some strikingly accurate. They’re now raving about a particular SEC QB, who had a game-changing season in 2024, and changed the trajectory of his team. Analysts are drawing parallels between him and Eagles icon Jalen Hurts and Buffalo Bills phenom Josh Allen. All these comparisons come with this player having had just one breakthrough season.

The QB in question is none other than South Carolina’s very own hero, LaNorris Sellers. In 2024, the star Gamecocks QB pitched in 2,534 yards, 18 TDs. He needed a little more fine-tuning as a sophomore, but etched his name on the books as one worth looking out for. Against LSU, when the Tigers quickly made up the 17-0 lead established by South Carolina, it was No.16 who turned things around. A 75-yard TD, aided by guard Kamaar Bell, proved that Sellers is not your everyday QB. The Tigers won by a 3-point lead. If Sellers hadn’t suffered the ankle injury, the results could have materialised in South Carolina’s favour.

Despite a rocky 2024 season, Sellers has experts and fans hyping him up for 2025. He is expected to go big in the draft, too, and potentially be the successor of Jalen Hurts. Todd McShay said in a June 2 episode of his podcast, “This guy’s a bigger Jalen Hurts in my mind. And I want you to remember where Jalen was at Alabama in his first year as a starter. There were flashes, there were soe amazing things, but he was a hell of a lot better as a runner than he was as a passer, right? He’s two inches taller than Jalen. He’s 20 pounds, 15-20 pounds heavier than Jalen. Yet, he’s just as fast and he’s just as sudden. And when he’s playing with confidence, he’s just as creative. That creativity is so dangerous and you can’t coach that sh–, okay? You can’t coach what Jalen has.” That’s quite the praise for Sellers, who is still a teenager with one full season under his belt.

Stephen Muench thought Josh Allen was another fit for Sellers. “I see Josh Allen because I see that frame,” he said. The two disagreed about whether Sellers had that arm talent that Allen has, but Muench highlighted that Sellers is still a work in progress. “I know it’s the ceiling. I know LaNorris Sellers isn’t there yet, I get it. But the raw ability, the tools, the talent, I mean, it’s exciting.” There’s a lot that still needs to be worked on when it comes to Sellers’ 2025 season. The passing game could get slightly better, and that dangerously high number of turnovers needs to come down. Nevertheless, experts are willing to bet high on Sellers’ NFL expectations.

More surprising comps for LaNorris Sellers amid No. 1 chatters

There are a lot of QBs who are touted to go as No. 1 picks in the 2026 draft. There’s Arch Manning, then there’s Garrett Nussmeier. It’s going to be a tough fight for the man who ultimately walks away with the prize. ESPN’s Jordan Reid, however, has Sellers going as the top pick. “He [LaNorris Sellers] is a Ferrari man…He has so much horsepower to his game. I mean, he was only 18 years old Last year, and you saw so many glimpses with him,” he said in a May 8 appearance on This is Football. Reid also has a study of his own. “I’ve made the comparison of Donovan McNabb to him, but even stronger than what McNabb was coming out of Syracuse. I know that’s way back for a lot of people, but he just has that thick frame.”

McNabb, the veteran Eagles icon, has more than 40,000 NFL yards. Getting him into the list of comps for Sellers adds a lot of pressure, especially because he just had one season as a starter. But what’s important to note is that these comparisons are coming in after just one breakthrough season. Sellers has them sold already, he seems to have good odds to win the Heisman this year. If he manages to clean up his style this season, those praises will keep coming.

Todd McShay wrote in his scouting report of Sellers that he looked a little overwhelmed mentally. Footwork and accuracy are other issues highlighted as problem areas. And yet, McShay believes LaNorris Sellers has that Jalen Hurts factor in him. Shane Beamer can look at another good season with the way the expectations are lining up. Will the Gamecocks’ QB be able to live up to such lofty comparisons?