Conversations about Joyner’s future position are slow going. Here’s why
This season has asked a lot of South Carolina reserve quarterback Dakereon Joyner.
He had to deal with losing the battle for a backup job in August, stepping into the role suddenly after Jake Bentley got hurt, bouncing between wide receiver and quarterback and getting partially sidelined because of a nagging hamstring injury.
And all of that has made the plans for his future a little cloudy.
When Ryan Hilinski first took the backup job, Joyner said he planned to compete at quarterback for South Carolina in 2020. Hilinski now seems somewhat entrenched in the role, and Joyner had some moments at receiver.
On his weekly call-in show Wednesday night, head coach Will Muschamp was asked by USC broadcaster Todd Ellis if they’ve had conversations about Joyner’s long-term future. Muschamp answered that circumstances make such a talk tricky.
“We haven’t as much, just because we’re so in flux offensively right now,” Muschamp said. “Obviously he had the hamstring, which really limited his practice time, and that’s what’s been killing us as far as those things are concerned, him not being able to be on the field as much. And it’s very difficult to play two positions, much less quarterback being one of them.”
Joyner had primarily been used as a change-of-pace option behind center, along with some snaps at wide receiver. He’s played extended stretches at the end of three blowouts, and also guided the offense through most of the second half of the upset of No. 3 Georgia.
He threw for 39 yards and ran for 28 more in that game. For the season, he’s got 168 yards passing, 107 rushing and 46 receiving, splitting time across what amounts to three roles.
“He’s extremely bright,” Muschamp said. “He learns extremely well and he does a great job of positively affecting everybody around him.”
Next season, he projects to compete with Hilinski and four-star freshman Luke Doty. Should he end up at receiver, he’d be at a spot where USC doesn’t have many proven bodies beyond Shi Smith.
And despite a sense at the start of the year that he might look elsewhere to chase a chance to play behind center, Muschamp spoke is if he expects Joyner in the fold next season.
“At the end of the day, he’s going to be a very valuable member of our organization moving forward,” Muschamp said.
