Gamecocks add quarterback grad transfer Collin Hill from Colorado State
New South Carolina offensive coordinator Mike Bobo will have a familiar face in the quarterback room in his first season in Columbia.
Quarterback Collin Hill announced Saturday he was joining the Gamecocks and will enroll in January. Bobo coached Hill at Colorado State.
“After a lot of prayer and discussion with my family, I have decided to come home and play at the University of South Carolina,” Hill said via Twitter. “I’m excited for what the future holds, and can’t wait to get started in January. SPURS UP!”
Hill (6-5, 215 pounds) had 3,362 yards passing, 23 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in three seasons with the Rams. He had five 300-yard passing games in that time but only played in 18 games because of three ACL injuries. His third knee injury came Sept. 14 in a loss to Arkansas.
He is a graduate transfer, meaning he’s eligible to play right away at USC. It wasn’t immediately known when he’ll be cleared to practice as he recovers from the knee injury.
The addition adds intrigue to the highest-profile position on the team and one that already had plenty of story lines for the 2020 season. Hill will compete with incumbent Ryan Hilinski, Dakereon Joyner and incoming freshman Luke Doty.
Hilinski, who will be a sophomore, had knee surgery in early December to repair a “small tear of the lateral meniscus in his left knee,” according to USC. He’s scheduled to take part in spring practice, but his health and development with Bobo as QBs coach will be something to watch.
Hilinski started 11 games, threw for 2,252 yards, 11 touchdowns and four interceptions — but the offense finished in the bottom 10 nationally in points per game and yards per play against FBS competition.
Doty is set to enroll in January out of Myrtle Beach High School. The Mr. Football winner for 2019 said USC coaches told him the starting quarterback job is open for competition.
“They both said it’s definitely going to be a competition, everybody is going to come in on the same page,” Doty said at his signing day ceremony this month. “It’s going to be a competition, so I love a good competition. I’m excited for it. We’re going to push each other and have a lot of fun doing it.”
Doty is recovering from a broken bone in the thumb of his throwing hand that kept him out of much of the playoffs and the state championship.
Joyner, meanwhile, split time at quarterback and wide receiver. The position he will play going forward with the Gamecocks is uncertain.
“He’s a guy that wants to do whatever he can to help this football team,” Bobo said of Joyner. “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.”
Hill played in-state at Dorman High School and was a three-star prospect when he signed with Colorado State.
As a freshman at CSU in 2016, he played in five games and started four, completing 75-of-129 passes (58.1%) for 1,096 yards and eight touchdowns with two interceptions before suffering a season-ending knee injury. He redshirted in 2017. He suffered another knee injury playing a game of pickup basketball.
This story was originally published December 28, 2019 at 4:43 PM with the headline "Gamecocks add quarterback grad transfer Collin Hill from Colorado State."
