Dowell Loggains weighs pros, cons of naming a starting quarterback early

Someone is eventually going to replace Spencer Rattler as the starting quarterback at South Carolina. It’s just a matter of time in when the program will decide to make that kind of decision according to OC Dowell Loggains.

Loggains spoke about the pros and cons of naming a starter now versus naming one in the fall during a press conference amidst spring practice. He thinks it’s a layered topic considering how all of their quarterbacks were progressing over the course of the period.

“Yeah, it’s a really good question. We could probably spend 30 minutes on it,” Loggains said. “There’s advantages to both. We’ve had 13 practices so guys have had good days, bad days, continual growth. You’re going to have that.”

To him, though, the advantage of doing it now is having it out of the way. The only issue is that it could then lead to a problem come the preseason if another player has surpassed the ‘starter’ in that time with their own play.

It’s all about getting a feel for who the staff and team accept that it’s going to be without calling the fight too early.

“The advantage of doing it is, if you did it early? Well, then everyone knows who it is,” said Loggains. “It’s also – you’ve still got a whole training camp and summer. So what happens if, you know, one of these young kids are all of a sudden the new guy, is a little bit better because he has been through it all and, in the second time executing it, he’s better at it?”

“The disadvantage is this. Most of the time, the locker room knows who the best guy is based on practice anyway or they have their own feelings of that. To be honest, most times the locker room knows before the coaches know because it is their team. The good teams are led by their locker room,” Loggains explained. “The disadvantage to not naming a guy is there’s still five quarterbacks out there and it’s, like, ‘Hey, who do we follow? Who do we lead?’. It’s the mentality of do your job. Like, do your job. Keep the main thing the main thing, worry about the things you can control – and same with those guys.”

At the moment, the battle looks to be between names like LaNorris Sellers and Robby Ashford.

Sellers, who’s going into his sophomore year in Columbia, appeared in three games last fall where he completed all four of his passes for 86 yards and a score while also rushing five times for 51 yards and another touchdown. In the spring game, he posted 108 total yards and ran in a touchdown. As for Ashford, the transfer from Auburn and Oregon, he is a more experienced option having played at other programs, including his latest in the SEC.

That’s not to mention other options in the room like Davis Beville or Dante Reno.

The Gamecocks finished the spring and don’t feel as though it was time to make an announcement on that decision yet. Still, it’s one that they eventually will be making after considering everything about all of their options at the position.

“You evaluate everything. We’ve had 13 practices. Obviously, we’re not ready to do that right now,” said Loggains at the time. “We’re semi-pleased with where everyone is at. There’s a long way to go with all of that.”

“We’re not there yet. We’ve had 13 practices, we have two left,” Loggains said. “At some point, Coach Beamer, myself, and the rest of the offensive staff will sit down and talk about this.”