Two SEC QB1s. One opponent. Two very different approaches. As the countdown to the 2025 college football season begins, South Carolina Gamecocks’ LaNorris Sellers and Florida State’s Thomas Castellanos are both gearing up to face Alabama—Castellanos on August 30th and Sellers on October 25th. While Castellanos threw verbal haymakers at the Tide, Sellers took a measured tone that echoed something rarely heard in modern trash-talk culture—respect.
“Shoot, Alabama’s still Alabama to me,” Sellers said on the Zach Gelb Show, giving his reactions to Castellanos’ comments. “They were good last year. They’re a good team. They’re big, strong, and fast. That’s how I remember watching them growing up, and I don’t really think they’ve changed that much. Obviously they’ve got a new coaching staff and all that, but that’s still SEC ball, that’s still Alabama.” That type of reverence feels almost retro. It’s not surrender. It’s just a player who’s been in the fire and understands what Bama still represents—post-Nick Saban era or not.
And he would know. LaNorris Sellers and South Carolina pushed the Tide to the brink last year in Tuscaloosa, falling just short in a late-game heartbreaker. In that matchup, Sellers threw for 238 yards and two touchdowns, but a costly interception proved pivotal. The Gamecocks believed a win at that moment could’ve punched their ticket to the CFP. This year, they’ll get the Alabama Crimson Tide at home in Columbia, and you better believe that date is circled in garnet red.
Meanwhile, Thomas Castellanos is leaning all the way into the spotlight.
The FSU QB1, who transferred in from Boston College this offseason, took aim at the Tide in an interview with On3. “I’m excited, man,” Castellanos said. “People, I don’t know if they know, but you go back and watch every first game that I played in, we always start fast. I dreamed of moments like this. I dreamed of playing against Alabama. They don’t have Nick Saban to save them. I just don’t see them stopping me.”
It’s bold talk from a player joining a team that finished 2-10 last season with just one win over an FBS opponent—a narrow victory against Cal. But confidence isn’t a bad thing. Castellanos is betting on himself in a big way, and it’s clear he wants this Week 1 stage to announce his arrival nationally. Alabama will travel to Tallahassee for that game. Whether FSU is ready for prime time or not, we’re going to find out fast.
As for Bama, they’ll likely be favored in both early-season matchups. But these are no ordinary openers. For Kalen DeBoer, year two is where the reintroduction begins. The Tide’s identity without Saban is still forming. But these kinds of matchups—one with a rising SEC star like LaNorris Sellers, the other against a brash, energetic QB in Castellanos—are the perfect tests.
Story of a $8 Million man (who said no): LaNorris Sellers
LaNorris Sellers didn’t just stick around South Carolina to chase wins. He turned down eight million dollars to do it. That jaw-dropping nugget came via a report from The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman, who revealed that Sellers was offered a two-year, $8 million NIL deal from another program after his breakout 2024 season. And yet, he stayed put—never even blinked.
“There were several talks, but it never really crossed his mind (to leave),” Sellers’ father, Norris, told Feldman. “It’s a challenge with colleges offering younger guys that kind of money. Who’s gonna say no to $8 million for two years? They’re gonna be swayed if you don’t have the right people in your corner.” That’s the kind of loyalty college football rarely sees anymore.
While the report doesn’t name the schools chasing Sellers, that $8 million figure (for 2 seasons) matches what’s reportedly handed to Carson Beck at Miami in 2025. And he’s not alone. Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia says he was offered over $4 million from an SEC team to enter the portal. In an era where loyalty often comes second to the bag, Sellers’ decision to stay feels like a throwback. Old-school values, new-age QB1.
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