LaNorris Sellers, underclassmen stand out for South Carolina football in 2024 spring game

COLUMBIA — It didn’t matter that there was no visiting team to chirp at. Fans of South Carolina football filled Williams-Brice Stadium on Saturday for the 2024 spring football game.

After four quarters, Team Garnet defeated Team Black 17-0. The quarterback race to replace Spencer Rattler was on full display as redshirt freshman LaNorris Sellers ran the offense for Team Garnet, competing against Robby Ashford, the graduate transfer from Auburn. In the second half, second-string freshman Dante Reno played for Team Garnet, with graduate Davis Beville on for Team Black.

LaNorris Sellers stands out

LaNorris Sellers commanded the running game from the start, bringing in the first touchdown for Team Garnet on a 13-yard run. He rushed for 27 yards on his first drive and went 4-for-4, throwing for 38 yards. He looked strong, converting twice on third down and scrambling efficiently against pressure. Sellers connected with sophomore Tyshawn Russell and graduate student Joshua Simon, who grabbed 17- and 11-yard catches, respectively.

Ashford couldn’t get Team Black on the board in his first two drives, throwing for 14 yards and rushing for nine. He threw a sideways pass to Gerald Kilgore, a defensive back serving as a receiver on the trick play, but Kilgore’s throw to freshman Mazeo Bennett was nearly picked off.

Sellers sat the second half, giving Reno a chance to run the offense. To wrap up the first, Sellers went 9-for-11 for 70 yards and and rushed for 38 yards, scoring on one of five attempts.

Underclassmen on stage for South Carolina

It wasn’t just Sellers who stood out for the underclassmen in the spring game. Coach Shane Beamer mentioned the spring game’s importance in giving freshmen a chance to play under the lights. Team Black edge rusher Dylan Stewart, a freshman who enrolled early, had one sack and three tackles for a loss.

Bennett showed potential on a 14-yard catch, and Team Black defensive back Vicari Swain, a redshirt freshman, picked off Reno at the start of the fourth quarter. Reno had tried going over to find Nick Elksnis, but Swain got his hands on it.

Sophomore tight end Maurice Brown sealed the deal for Team Garnet with a catch in the end zone to make it 17-0 with seven minutes to play.

Despite throwing the first interception of the night, Reno redeemed himself on the 15-yard touchdown to Brown.

Walk-on freshman Isaiah McClary shut down Team Black’s final hopes for a score when he picked off Beville’s throw with just under two minutes to play in the game.

South Carolina’s offensive line

The Gamecocks’ Achilles’ heel from the 2023 season hasn’t necessarily disappeared — the offensive line drew five penalties in the first half. Beamer noted that he wants to target the offensive line in the transfer portal, given the injuries and a desire for depth.

Monkell Goodwine, a redshirt junior who transferred from Alabama, had a solid sack on Belville, revealing more cracks in the offensive line.

BEAMER’S IDEAL PORTAL: What positions South Carolina football coach Shane Beamer is targeting in transfer portal

Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email her at lkesin@gannett.com and follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @Lulukesin.