South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers’ availability is uncertain for Saturday’s game against Akron. Sellers, the Gamecocks’ starting QB, is dealing with a sprained ankle from the first half of the LSU game.
Sellers has not practiced all week with the Gamecocks and, until Wednesday, his right ankle was in a cast and he was getting around on a knee scooter, two team sources said. On Wednesday, though, he was out of the cast at practice and went through a handful of drop-backs on the side with his helmet on before changing into street clothes, one source said. That’s progress. On Wednesday, the cast was off but Sellers’ ankle was heavily taped. Robby Ashford took the first-team quarterback reps during this week’s practices, per one team source.
South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer told reporters Tuesday that “LaNorris assured me he is good and ready to roll.”
When asked Wednesday if Sellers would play against Akron, offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains simply said: “I’m expecting him to do more tomorrow than he did today. Those are my expectations.” The Gamecocks are only required to release “availability reports” for conference opponents, so there might not be anything definitive announced about Sellers or any of his injured teammates in the lead-up to Saturday’s game (7:30 p.m., ESPNU) against Mid-American Conference foe Akron. USC is a 27.5-point favorite against the Zips.
The good news if Sellers can’t play: He will get extra time to heal. South Carolina doesn’t play the weekend after facing Akron, giving Sellers two weeks to recover until the Gamecocks’ next SEC contest — the highly-anticipated home matchup against Ole Miss on Oct. 5.
Ashford, who transferred from Auburn in the offseason, played almost the entirety of the second half against LSU, connecting on two throws for over 40 yards while running 11 times for 11 yards. Ashford came in on the final play before halftime of the 36-33 South Carolina loss, just before a Tigers pass rusher landed awkwardly on Sellers’ ankle. Sellers got back on the field for one series in the second half, but he looked so limited in three plays that the coaching staff opted to play Ashford over Sellers the rest of the game.
To that point, the Florence native was having one of the best games of his career. Through the first half, Sellers had the Gamecocks leading after completing 9-of-15 passes for over 100 yards while running 10 times for 88 yards and two scores, including a brilliant 75-yard scamper.
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