With college football players hitting the ‘SWAP’ button at the slightest hiccup, or for those big-money deals, Shane Beamer has been one lucky man. The South Carolina Gamecocks’ head coach hasn’t had to sweat that too much, thanks to his quarterback, LaNorris Sellers, deciding to stick around this season. And while Sellers is the main focus, we can’t forget Beamer’s other weapon, his two-way quarterback star. Now, is this dual threat going to put extra heat on Sellers? Beamer laid out his clear take on that. Meanwhile, is Norris even worried about the 23-year-old?
The two-way player we’re talking about is Luke Doty. He didn’t walk on South Carolina’s senior day back on November 23rd, which pretty much signaled he’d be back on the Gamecocks’ roster for 2025. This two-way star came to South Carolina as a four-star quarterback out of Myrtle Beach High back in 2020. Even though he’s bounced around positions and his playing time’s dipped over the years, he’s confirmed he’s coming back to Beamer’s squad. The Gamecocks had their spring game on April 18th at Williams-Brice Stadium, and that’s where Doty grabbed the spotlight, connecting with freshman Malik Clark for a touchdown to end the first half.
After the spring game, Beamer faced the media, and you know the reporters were itching to know about Doty’s status. One of them straight-up asked, “Is he really vying for that backup quarterback job right now?” Beamer’s reply was a confident and quick, “Absolutely.”
Beamer then went on to shower the quarterback with praise. “Luke’s had a really good spring. He’s a just a he’s a good he’s just a really good football player he’s a great teammate. He’s a great leader, he makes our team better whether he’s playing receiver, whether he’s playing special teams whether he’s playing quarterback.” The annual spring game definitely showed Doty at his best. With just 14 seconds left on the clock from the Black 40, Doty found Jared Brown for a solid 24 yards. But this two-way star isn’t just athletic; he’s a real inspiration for Beamer’s squad in other ways too.
Over the last five years, Doty’s become a rare find in today’s college football—a veteran who sticks around for (at least) four years at the same school. In an era where NIL pretty much dictates player moves, he sees it differently. As Beamer’s dual-threat quarterback shared, “Obviously, money is in high demand right now with the way that things are going. But being able to have the opportunity to create relationships and make connections with people not only out in the community, but throughout the state, and to have those kinds of opportunities that’ll pretty much set you up for life, I think that’s the coolest part of this whole thing.” Just like Doty, Sellers also seems to have a healthy perspective on NIL. So, does all this create extra pressure on Sellers?
Shane Beamer’s quarterback room has a good one at center
The 2025 season has already shown numerous instances where college football players significantly increased their earnings with a single transfer. Take Carson Beck and Darian Mensah, for example. Reports indicate the “true” NIL figure Beck is receiving from Miami is a little over $3 million, doubling what Cam Ward earned through the same collective. The same trend applies to Tulane transfer Mensah, who reportedly secured a massive $4 million per year deal ($8 million over two years) with Duke. And the latest? Tennessee’s $8 million man, Nico Iamaleava, apparently ditched the team because his $2-2.4 M annual paycheck still wasn’t enough. That’s when the buzz started circulating about Beamer’s quarterback, Sellers. As analyst Pete Nakos tweeted, “LaNorris Sellers at South Carolina could have been over $3 million easily if he had gone in.”
But no. Beamer’s signal-caller is happy with where he is at the moment. He also holds a positive outlook towards everyone in his quad. When facing the media on April 18, Sellers could not help but praise Doty. He said, “Y’all know Luke. He’s been here forever. He did his thing same thing with Dante [Reno]. They went out there, did their thing, worked with what they had, moved the ball when they needed to, got stuff done.” But Sellers must not forget that Beamer and co. does not want to settle for less when it comes to him.
So, what are the expectations? On April 11, Shane Beamer made an appearance on the SEC Network, where he made himself clear. “He’s established. Last year, he was trying to find his way. He’s competing after a season like he had in 2024. I see him being more vocal, being willing to hold his teammates and himself accountable. Just a lot more confidence in the role and confident in himself and more vocal.” With LaNorris Sellers bringing in just a tad bit of confidence in the room, Beamer’s quarterback room is good to go.
The post Shane Beamer Clears Stance on His New 2-Way QB as LaNorris Sellers Addresses Threat to His Crown appeared first on EssentiallySports.