How South Carolina is splitting its first-team QB reps early in camp
South Carolina running back Deshaun Fenwick jumped on the wording almost as soon as it was offered up. He was asked Thursday if either of the Gamecocks’ top quarterback contenders, Ryan Hilinski and Collin Hill, had been getting more practice work with the starters, or if the reps had been equal.
“Equal reps,” Fenwick said with a tone of finality.
His team is early in camp, trying to figure out if a former Elite 11 passer and emergency true freshman starter (Hilinski) can beat out a highly competitive grad transfer who knows the offense (Hill).
All of that rests in offensive coordinator Mike Bobo’s hands, and he’s settled on an arrangement for first-team snaps early in practice.
“We’ve been rotating Collin, Ryan with the ones,” Bobo said. “Luke got some ones as well, a little bit, but those two got the majority of the one reps. Ryan started out the first day. Collins and had the second. Day three will be tomorrow, so Ryan will be back in getting the one reps.”
The quarterback competition brings an unusual dynamic. Hilinski is used to Columbia and much of the team. Hill is a newcomer but knows the offense better that almost anyone on the roster, having played for Bobo at Colorado State.
Bobo said the extra walkthroughs and meetings allowed this summer gave a boost to the offense’s progress.
“I’ve always said this coaching quarterbacks: You’re never waiting your turn,” Bobo said. “There’s competition every day. You better be working to get better, and if you have guys in the room that don’t think or don’t want to be the started, you’ve got the wrong room.”
Bobo noted Hill showed no ill effects from the torn ACL, his third, that ended his 2019 season early and kept him out most of USC’s spring. Bobo had been there for all three knee injuries and noted Hill wasn’t favoring one knee or the other as he had at points in previous rehabs.
Oftentimes, he said, players don’t speak up about injuries, hoping to keep playing or please coaches. Hilinski had to deal with knee issues himself last season, taking a hard hit against Georgia and playing the rest of the season with some degree of pain.
Through camp, Hill left an impression on at least one teammate in tight end Nick Muse. The former William & Mary transfer is recovering from his own ACL tear, and he spoke well of both passers.
“Collin Hill is an NFL arm already,” Muse said. “He is good. He knows the playbook better than anybody, maybe even better than coach Bobo to be honest with you. He has a special ability, and he has what it takes to play here. But Ryan has also been creeping up. He’s gotten healthy, he’s a different man than he was last year. He’s more confident. He has more belief in himself. His mentality is different. So both of them are looking very good right now.
“Today I couldn’t choose one for you. So that’s how it is right now.”
