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USC lineman ready to prove his hype
A four-star recruit, Quintin Richardson is taking his shot at the starting lineup
USC lineman Quintin Richardson
Gerry Melendez/gmelendez@thestate.com
CommentsQuintin Richardson was in this position a year ago, battling for a starting job about halfway through preseason camp.
This time the South Carolina offensive lineman hopes to make it stick.
After losing a starting tackle spot to junior college transfer Jarriel King last summer, Richardson has a chance to join King in the starting lineup for the N.C. State opener next month. The former Spring Valley star has been working with the first team at right tackle most of camp.
Playing in his hometown, Richardson said he feels as though local fans have been waiting for him to get on the field. He has, too.
“Everybody’s been waiting, so it’s kind of my time,” Richardson said recently. “This opportunity is perfect. I’m a (redshirt) sophomore. I’m out there. And we’re going to have to see how the season goes.”
The 6-foot-3, 283-pound Richardson was rated a four-star recruit by Rivals and Scout, both of which ranked him among the state’s top six players.
After redshirting in 2007, Richardson played sparingly last season. Most of his action came on special teams, where he lined up as a tight end for field goals and extra points.
Meanwhile, two of his Spring Valley offensive linemates — Mason Cloy and Kyle Fischer — earned significant playing time at Clemson and Vanderbilt, respectively.
“Coming in as a freshman, I had big hopes of playing,” Richardson said. “Then last year, I really thought I was ready to play, but Jarriel came in and gave us a bigger body. I just took that in a positive way, and (coaches) saw that.
“They moved me to tight end for blocking purposes to get me on that field. I respect that. Now it’s my chance.”
Richardson is competing with Hutch Eckerson at right tackle. During Sunday’s scrimmage, Richardson had an animated conversation with new offensive line coach Eric Wolford about a blocking assignment.
Richardson lost the argument but might have won some respect.
“Quintin’s an emotional person and he gets frustrated, and actually I love guys like that,” Wolford said. “I like guys that have fire in their belly. I wish I had more guys that had a lot of fire in their belly.”
The summer before arriving at USC, Richardson was arrested for marijuana possession at a Northeast Columbia apartment complex where he was stabbed in a separate incident a month earlier. Richardson met the terms of his conditional discharge and had the pot charge expunged from his record, according to his attorney, Neal Lourie.
At the time of the incidents, Richardson’s coaches said they thought Richardson would be better off at USC, removed from some of the negative influences in his old neighborhood. His mother has since moved downtown, so Richardson said he has no reason to go back.
“When I got in trouble, I was fresh out of high school so I was still hanging around those guys. But now everybody’s mature,” he said. “I’m in downtown Columbia. Northeast is 20 minutes away, so there’s really a separation there. I stay downtown all the time.”
Wolford believes Richardson “finally made the decision that football’s important to him on and off the field.”
Mike Armstrong, Richardson’s line coach at Spring Valley, said Richardson maintained a good attitude despite his lack of playing time his first two years at USC.
“Quintin always seems to be upbeat. Last year he was in the running for that starting position for a while, and as far as I can tell, he feels he has a good shot this year,” Armstrong said. “I think his day is coming.”
So does Richardson.
“I feel ready,” he said. “I feel this is my time.”
Reach Person at (803) 771-8496.
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