Practice report: Looking at the vibe of the South Carolina QB room
It’s a competition, but South Carolina’s quarterbacks all have to be in a good spot around one another.
That’s a simple reality with a battle like the one that appears to be brewing between Collin Hill and Ryan Hilinski, with Luke Doty and Jay Urich one the periphery. Players are trying to outdo each other, but also work and learn together, often lifting each other up.
Urich spoke to the school’s sports communications staff and gave a look at the dynamics of the QB room.
“What I see from us is just a tight knit group that’s really working hard, really competing and has a a really good relationship off the field together” Urich said. “Whether it’s going out to eat or just joking around. It’s really cool to see how it’s coming together, especially with Collin coming in as a new guy, and then Luke has been here since the winter.”
Urich is now the elder statesman in the room of sorts. He’s on his third offensive coordinator and quarterback coach in Columbia. He spent time at receiver last year, helped on special teams and is now coming up on a fourth year in Columbia.
Hilinski is only in Year 2, having been thrown into the fire last year with Jake Bentley’s injury. Hill transferred in from Colorado State after four years with new Gamecocks OC Mike Bobo, while Doty was an early enrollee following a high school campaign that saw him win Mr. Football honors.
Senior adding to his game
In three seasons in Columbia, Sherrod Greene has posted half a sack and three QB hurries.
He’s aiming to change that.
The well-build senior linebacker said in a video he’s working primarily at the two inside linebacker spots, but he’s also been trying to improve one key skill.
“Pass rush, most definitely,” Greene said. “Coming off the edge. I feel like that’s going to be a big part of my game this season.”
The strongside spot he played last year is traditionally more of a pass-rushing position, but the current Gamecocks staff has often put inside backers such as T.J. Brunson outside in pass rush situations.
Greene has seen a lot as a Gamecock. He was thrown into the starting lineup as a true sophomore, an experiment that didn’t go all that well. A concussion in camp last year saw him lose the starting spot, but he rallied back and started at a different position.
He admitted that stretch between the concussion and getting back in the lineup wasn’t easy.
“I came back out of shape, so I had to really lock in,” Greene said. “Coach told me, he said, ‘Just work hard. We’ll get you back on the field.”
Practice tidbits:
▪ Gamecocks coach Will Muschamp said in a school release the team worked on some end-of-game situations, as well as offense vs. defense on the perimeter.
▪ The coach also said he wanted to see his team battle a little more in tight situations.
This story was originally published August 27, 2020 at 2:06 PM.
