Muschamp expects Joyner to be ‘huge part’ of Gamecocks offense going forward
The question has lingered over South Carolina‘s football program for the majority of the past two seasons. How best should the Gamecocks use sometimes-quarterback, sometimes-receiver Dakereon Joyner?
To hear USC coach Will Muschamp tell it, the answer is often.
“Right now our offensive staff is going through those things and evaluating our talent and evaluating our personnel as we continue to fit the pieces moving forward offensively and what we’re going to look like,” Muschamp said. “And he certainly is going to be a huge part of it, I can assure you that.”
Joyner’s season started with a choice and was pocked by injury and inconsistency. He never was able to fully settle at a position or play at 100 percent.
His year started with him losing a backup quarterback battle with freshman Ryan Hilinski. Unlike many blue-chip passers, he chose to stick around rather than seek a transfer. He addresses his role on the team head on with a message he’s still telling Muschamp and new offensive coordinator Mike Bobo.
“Exactly what Dakereon said to Mike and the conversations that I have, ‘What do I need to do to help the team?’” Muschamp said. “‘I want to get on the field and help the football team win.’”
That task last year involved playing receiver, something Joyner had never done before. The plan to be a full-time pass catcher lasted all of one game, as Jake Bentley was lost to an injury, and Joyner was pressed into backup quarterback work yet again.
He went through the year straddling both positions. A nagging hamstring cost him practice time and limited him to emergency QB duty, which at one point involved stepping in and leading the team through most of the second half and overtime in the upset of No. 3 Georgia.
Then he took a hard hit against Texas A&M and missed the season finale with a concussion.
His finished with 168 passing yards, 107 rushing and 46 receiving.
The one-time top recruit in the state had insisted he wanted to play quarterback early in his career. He was a prolific high school player at Fort Dorchester and a winner of the state’s Mr. Football award.
But his message going forward has been something far different.
“He’s a guy that wants to do whatever he can to help this football team,” Bobo said. “That was the first words out of his mouth. It wasn’t, ‘I need to play quarterback, I need to do this.’ It was, ‘Coach, I want to help this football team. I want to do whatever it takes to help this team be successful.’ And just love the look in that kid’s eye. Excited about seeing him this offseason in offseason conditioning and getting into spring ball.”
