The fallacy of penciling in QBs, and what it might mean for Hilinski, Gamecock roster
Folks, it’s time to break out the Gunner Kiel story, a parable of the pitfalls of the quarterback marketplace.
Even before Collin Hill was named South Carolina’s quarterback, the questions seemed to circulate online among the fan base.
If things fell that way, would former starter Ryan Hilinski look to take his talents elsewhere?
The question came up because the question always comes up. There’s only one quarterback on the field. Quarterbacks want to play. If one can’t secure a job, he often looks around to see if there’s a better spot.
South Carolina’s staff had already been looking to get Hill a sixth year of eligibility before the COVID-19 pandemic and the NCAA’s decision to allow everyone an extra year. With that, he could in theory play three more years, though the lure of moving past college might well pull him onward before then. But it’s not as if another QB battle is guaranteed next season.
And part of the reason these questions come up is a certain fatalism that sets in with the way quarterbacks are talked about.
Go to social media or most any message board, and you’ll find fans talking about how this QB has so many years left, and after that, the job will likely fall to this or that player. With the way recruiting works, fans might look ahead to a player down the line and pencil a player in as a longtime guy.
Gamecocks fans penciled in Hilinski as a multi-year starter after Jake Bentley, and some before Bentley’s junior season projected him to the NFL after three years. They’ve already starting to pencil in five-star Gunner Stockton possibly coming in ahead of some players still on USC’s roster. Stockton committed to the Gamecocks and just started his junior season of high school.
This speaks to a desire for a certain kind of order. Fans want a sense of how things will look. Players want a sense of what kind of opportunities are ahead.
And yet, it disregards the simple randomness of the sport. Quarterbacks can get injured, or they struggle. Opportunities one can’t see will come up, and someone will get them.
This brings us all the way back to Kiel.
He was a five-star passer who waffled with his commitment, pledging to two schools before finally picking Notre Dame. His first season, a redshirt year, Myrtle Beach product Everett Golson, himself a redshirt freshman, posted a statistically OK season while leading the Irish to a 12-1 record.
Kiel’s path to quick playing time was cut off, so he transferred. That May, Golson cheated on a test and was suspended, missing the whole year. The starting spot Kiel wanted went to Tommy Rees, a competent but rarely spectacular passer.
This isn’t to say that all next steps mean missed chances. Many don’t. Tate Martell wouldn’t have been able to overcome Justin Fields at Ohio State, but he also couldn’t stick at all with the QB position in Miami. But the opportunities ahead right after losing a position battle are often obscured.
Gamecocks coach Will Muschamp said he thought at some point this year they’ll likely need Hilinski and even Luke Doty with how COVID-19 can affect a roster. He added that USC can win with Hilinski or Hill.
Hilinski will have options if he wants them. He’ll get this year back regardless, so a quick transfer would only mean sitting out next year unless an NCAA waiver was forthcoming.
If he were to not start the next two years and play in fewer than four games in 2020, he’d be in a spot to be a grad transfer with three years of eligibility, an unheard of rarity.
In the end, it will be his choice and his family’s choice, as they moved to Columbia from California to be close to him. Behind-the-scene personality factors can always come into play.
But in terms of full football opportunities, his path in Columbia is far from closed.
This story was originally published September 18, 2020 at 10:15 AM.
