Sunday afternoon brings us a marquee matchup as Virginia Tech and South Carolina face off in the 2025 Aflac Kickoff Game from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
LaNorris Sellers hopes to build on a strong sophomore season for the Gamecocks, and he is one of the players we’re targeting in our Hokies vs. Gamecocks prop picks.
Read more in my college football picks for Sunday, August 31.
Virginia Tech vs South Carolina props for Week 1
Sellers o53.5 rushing yards (-114)- Harbor o47.5 receiving yards (-114)
Drones u186.5 passing yards (-114)
Prop bet #1: LaNorris Sellers Over 53.5 rushing yards
LaNorris Sellers is quite dangerous, and it’s his dual-threat ability that makes him so tough to defend.
The South Carolina quarterback rushed for 674 yards last season and found the endzone seven times. He logged double-digit attempts in all but one game, where Sellers lost 11 yards on eight carries against Kentucky.
Although the dual-threat pivot cut back on his carries as the season went along, Sellers showed against both LSU and Clemson that he can negate the upfield rush by escaping potential sacks.
He gained 166 yards on 16 carries against his in-state rival, and 88 yards on 10 carries against LSU.
Virginia Tech will be hesitant to blitz in passing situations, with some question marks in their secondary. Giving the likes of Nyck Harbor 1-on-1 coverage downfield could be playing with fire.
Sellers is playing behind an offensive line that lost three starters and has a new coordinator in Mike Shula. He's likely to rely on his legs a bit more here if things break down, as he looks to limit mistakes and keep drives alive.
Prop bet #2: Nyck Harbor Over 47.5 receiving yards
Speaking of Nyck Harbor, the 6-foot-5 receiver is a matchup nightmare. While he didn’t post gaudy numbers last season, he did begin developing a strong chemistry with Sellers as the season came to a close.
Harbor played just 10 games, but he caught 15 of his 26 passes over the final five. He also picked up at least 43 yards in his last five outings, after four of his first five contests saw him fail to top 18 yards.
He had 48+ yards in his final four games, and topped the 50-yard mark in three of those outings. Harbor finished the season with four catches for 61 yards against Illinois and is expected to take a big step forward with the offense this season.
After splitting his focus between football and track the last two seasons, Harbor is now solely a gridiron star. With his size and speed, he will always be a threat for a big play downfield, and this might be one of the lower totals we see for the Gamecocks' tight end this season.
Prop bet #3: Kyron Drones Under 186.5 passing yards
Kyron Drones was a bit of a dual-threat option for the Hokies last season, rushing for 336 yards and six touchdowns while throwing for over 1,500 yards on the season. However, Drones wasn’t a guy who aired it out, as he lacked dangerous options to utilize in the passing game.
After throwing for 322 yards in the opener against Vanderbilt, Drones only topped 200 yards in one other game. He failed to top 170 yards in five contests, including each of his last three.
That’s not going to change here, especially with Philip Montgomery now calling plays on offense. He’s going to rotate running backs and give them all plenty of carries, building on an offense that ranked 43rd in rushing yards per game last year.
South Carolina lost quite a few weapons up front, but it still has Dylan Stewart leading the pass rush. Protecting Drones was a serious problem last season, and running the ball is a great way to negate that and test the Gamecock front seven.
Without a go-to guy in the passing game, grinding it out on the ground and utilizing one of the best field-goal kickers in college football is a smart game plan. Look for Drones to have another passing output around 150 to 160 yards.
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