South Carolina possesses depth, talent at quarterback position
What a difference a year makes for South Carolina’s quarterback room.
This time last year, the Gamecocks were naming graduate assistant turned quarterback Zeb Noland the starter. Now, Spencer Rattler headlines a top two with Luke Doty not far behind.
The talk now centers around the pecking order behind those top two with young passers behind them.
“Those guys are our clear cut number two, (Dakereon Joyner) can play quarterback, but is it Colten (Gauthier)? Is it Tanner Bailey, is it Braden Davis, is it Jalen Daniels?” head coach Shane Beamer said. “We’re trying to figure out who’s going to be that third guy going into the season as well.”
Heading into his second season, Gauthier owns the most experience compared to his competitors. He only played once last season, completing a 19-yard pass in a 46-0 win over Eastern Illinois.
In this year’s spring game, he completed 8-of-15 passes for 36 yards and a pair of interceptions.
Bailey didn’t arrive until after spring practice, but he’s the highest-rated of the three freshmen.
As a senior at Gordo (Ala.) High School, the former four-star prospect threw for 2,401 yards and 33 touchdowns.
“He’s kind of the spark plug of everybody,” Doty said. “He gets us going, gives us a good laugh every single morning.”
Davis came in January and flashed in the spring game with a 25-yard touchdown pass to Trae Kenion.
He’s the Gatorade Player of the Year in Delaware after throwing for almost 1,900 yards and 20 touchdowns en route to a state title. He also rushed for 638 yards and three scores.
Daniels came in right as preseason camp started, coming in from Arizona. The walk-on has the same private quarterbacks coach as Spencer Rattler, Mike Giovando.
With so many young players and not a lot of reps to go around for third-string quarterbacks, South Carolina is managing that as best as it can.
“There’s guys that go out there that know you may not get a rep this week. (It) may be another week before you get a rep…There are not a lot of reps for a third-team quarterback period. Especially when you have four guys fighting for those positions,” Marcus Satterfield said.
“So you just try to be honest even though honesty you don’t have to be mean, I learned that a long time ago…You have to be honest and let them know where they are and where they stand so when they go out there they’re not shocked and surprised.”
Rattler is almost assuredly the starter, coming in as a former five-star player and projected first-round pick before the 2021 season.
The Manning Award left him off the preseason watch list.
“I’d say if somebody thinks he’s not one of the 30 best quarterbacks in the country, they’ve lost their minds, in my opinion,” Beamer said. “I don’t think the guy’s gotten worse as a quarterback since last year.”
Doty is coming off a season-ending foot injury but is back to 100 percent and making loads of improvements in his second season under Beamer and Satterfield.
“Luke, I said it before, has been fantastic for that quarterback room as well, but also the whole team. His mindset, the way he’s handled some of the adversity he faced last year,” Beamer said. “The way he’s handled Spencer coming in this year, the way he’s helped these young quarterbacks and Spencer, who’s been fantastic…He is one of the true leaders on this football team as well.”
Regardless of what happens on the field, the group’s relationship has grown with the ability to learn and work together.
“Since the moment Spencer got here, we all really clicked…I mean all the guys in there, we all really click,” Doty said. “So I think everyone’s got a really good relationship with each other. Like I said, Spencer came in and took everything by storm, took everything under the wing, and he definitely took it like a pro. That was just really cool to see how he was able to come in and just do everything the right way.”
