Who is South Carolina’s fastest quarterback? The answer may surprise

As South Carolina football takes the field Saturday for the spring game, many eyes will be on the legs of Dakereon Joyner.

After all, the dynamic former four-star prospect was 20 yards away from posting three 1,000-yard seasons to close out his high school career. He brings the promise of a dynamic runner behind center.

But he’s not the fastest passer on the Gamecocks roster, according to quarterbacks coach Dan Werner. That’s Jay Urich.

“He’s actually the fastest one of all of them,” Werner said. “We put these GPS systems on them during practices, and sometimes, there’s been a couple practices he’s had the fastest one on our team.”

Urich is sometimes a bit overlooked in South Carolina’s quarterback room. He was lower rated than Joyner and Hilinski, the first quarterback recruited in a full cycle by Will Muschamp’s staff (and now-departed offensive coordinator Kurt Roper).

But no matter where the 6-foot-5 Wren High School product ends up in the QB pecking order, he’s a player who can move.

He played wide receiver as a high school freshman, then ran for 1,000 yards in each of his final two high school seasons after transferring. The Gamecocks have him work on special teams fundamentals during practice, as he volunteered for emergency duty at those spots last year.

Asked if he might be a candidate for another position, Werner said no.

But that kind of speed could be an asset if the staff could find some way to get it on the field. Right now he’s battling Joyner and polished freshman Ryan Hilinski for the backup spot. And while there’s some temptation for some to write off the three-star QB competing with a pair of blue chippers, the team isn’t doing so publicly just yet.

“He’s really athletic,” Werner said. “He knows the offense. I think he’s come a long way too.”

South Carolina spring game details

When: Noon, Saturday, April 6

Where: Williams-Brice Stadium (gates open at 10:30)

Admission: Free

TV: SEC Network (Matt Schick, Matt Stinchcomb, Alyssa Lang)

Radio: 107.5 FM in the Columbia area

Extra: Former Gamecock lettermen will take part in a flag football game inside Williams Brice at 11 am.

This story was originally published April 4, 2019 at 5:27 PM.