Why South Carolina is waiting to name a QB starter for season opener
South Carolina still doesn’t have a starting quarterback.
Head coach Shane Beamer told reporters on Tuesday that he and his staff are hoping to get a better feel on who will be USC’s starter for the Sept. 4 season opener against Eastern Illinois later this week.
“All those guys are ready to play, whoever it is,” Beamer said.
Luke Doty, who was expected to be South Carolina’s starting quarterback, is currently battling back from what Beamer previously characterized as a sprained left foot.
Doty is now out of his cast and in a walking boot, Beamer said Tuesday. Coaches want to be able to evaluate Doty’s health and progress before ruling him out of the first game.
“We’re not going to name a quarterback until we see what his situation is,” Beamer said. “He’s in a boot right now. He’s able to take the boot off and move around a little bit, but when he’s out on the field he’s got the boot on. He feels good. We’ll keep progressing him along and see where he is.”
Should Doty not be able to go, graduate assistant-turned-player Zeb Noland, FCS transfer Jason Brown and freshman Colten Gauthier continue to fight for the starting spot.
Noland came to South Carolina as a graduate assistant over the summer after spending time at North Dakota State and Iowa State. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he maintained a year of eligibility that he can now use in Columbia.
Noland has been practicing with with the Gamecocks for a week, and Beamer described the QB’s practices this week as “critical” in determining his chances to play.
Brown had been the perceived front-runner for the job prior to Noland’s addition to the roster. In 18 games at St. Francis (Pennsylvania), he completed 253 of 411 attempts for 3,124 yards with 28 touchdowns and six interceptions.
“Jason Brown had the best week of practice he’s had as a Gamecock last week,” Beamer said Tuesday.
A goal would be to have a starting quarterback named, at least internally, by the first of next week.
“I think we’ll have a better idea how that thing is going to shake out here toward the end of the week, once we get through these next few practices with our current quarterbacks and once we see what Luke’s situation is,” Beamer said.
South Carolina is heading into its first season under Beamer after former head coach Will Muschamp was fired midway through last season.
This story was originally published August 24, 2021 at 1:41 PM with the headline "Why South Carolina is waiting to name a QB starter for season opener."
