What the timeline for South Carolina picking its starting QB could look like
If this was a normal preseason football camp, the South Carolina Gamecocks would be closing in on the time that made sense to name a starting quarterback.
But the shifts in practice dates with the coronavirus pandemic have shaken things up to a degree.
USC offensive coordinator Mike Bobo shed a little light Friday as to when the Gamecocks might make their pick between Ryan Hilinski and Collin Hill as the team heads into its second scrimmage Saturday.
“I always think it’s good that you have your number one quarterback before ... practicing before your first opponent, Tennessee,” Bobo said. “I think right now, talking with Coach, I think that’s 11 or 12 days, somewhere around there, before the first game.”
It that’s the timing, it would put Will Muschamp and the staff making the choice somewhere in the days after Sept. 12, which projects to be the third scrimmage of the camp season.
But Bobo said it could come to a close before that.
“We’re gonna get through the scrimmage (Saturday) night at 7:30 p.m.,” Bobo said. “And then we’ll meet on Sunday to discuss things and if we’re ready, we’ll announce something. If we’re not, you know, we might go another week.”
He pointed out the third scrimmage will probably be pretty light in terms of hitting, but his quarterbacks don’t get hit anyway.
Having a third scrimmage at all makes this season unusual, as the changes with the COVID-19 pandemic led to some extended preseason work. Usually the second scrimmage is two Saturdays before the opener and signals the end of “camp” and the start of an extended Week 1 game week. (South Carolina the past two years has had an easier opener with an SEC game the next weekend, meaning those weeks can have a little look ahead at practice.)
Because the scrimmage is late in the day, Muschamp will speak to reporters Sunday afternoon about how things went. Bobo also warned the situations this year mean everyone on the depth chart has to be in position to go if needed.
“This is different year where every man man needs to be ready at every position with what we’re dealing with, with COVID,” Bobo said. “So were going to sit down as a staff and sit down with Coach after the scrimmage Sunday and and probably put together a more definite plan on when we’re going to say something.”
South Carolina will scrimmage at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and again at noon next Saturday to mimic the start times of its first two opponents Tennessee and Florida, respectively.
This story was originally published September 4, 2020 at 2:18 PM.
