State of the QBs: How South Carolina’s options stack up heading into spring practice
South Carolina football on March 20 will kick off what’s likely to be one of the most hotly anticipated spring practice seasons in recent memory. The Gamecocks have a new head coach in Shane Beamer and are coming off back-to-back eight-loss seasons, and fans are eager to see how Beamer’s return to USC starts.
And as has been the case for the past few years, the state of the quarterback position will be one of the most frequent topics of discussion.
The Gamecock QB room lost two major players this offseason — veteran Collin Hill is off to take a shot at the NFL after starting eight games last year then getting benched, while former top prospect Ryan Hilinski transferred to Northwestern after starting in 2019 but rarely seeing the field in 2020. What’s more, offensive coordinator and QBs coach Mike Bobo left for Auburn.
With all that change, let’s take a look at the new names and storylines to track this spring.
THE GAMECOCK QUARTERBACKS
▪ Jason Brown, redshirt senior transfer, 6-foot-3, 235 pounds: 3,084 yards, 251 of 403 passing, 28 touchdowns, 6 interceptions, 46 rushing attempts, 84 yards, 1 touchdown in 2019 at FCS Saint Francis
▪ Luke Doty, sophomore, 6-foot-1, 204 pounds: 405 yards, 43 of 71 passing, 2 touchdowns, 3 interceptions, 41 rushing attempts, 91 yards in 2020
▪ Colten Gauthier, freshman, 6-foot-3, 210 pounds: 2,052 yards, 156 of 300 passing, 22 touchdowns, 12 interceptions, 65 rushing attempts, -6 yards, 3 touchdowns in 2020 as high school senior
▪ Connor Jordan, redshirt sophomore walk-on, 6-foot-3, 210 pounds: No career stats
BOBO OUT, SATTERFIELD IN
Marcus Satterfield is in his first season as offensive coordinator and QBs coach at South Carolina. His career has included stops with the NFL’s Carolina Panthers, as well as Baylor, Temple, Tennessee Tech, Chattanooga, UT-Martin, Western Carolina and Richmond, and he has coached every position group on the offensive side of the ball. His last time coaching QBs was in 2013-14 at Temple.
LUKE DOTY, THE INCUMBENT
Doty is back after taking over the starting job late last season and giving a moribund offense a little life and giving fans something to buzz about. He was a well-regarded high school prospect, ranked as the No. 4 dual-threat quarterback in his class nationally, and has earned praise from teammates and coaches for his work ethic, enthusiasm and positivity.
Statistically, though, the freshman didn’t exactly lock the job up and leave no doubt that he’s the guy moving forward. He threw for 405 yards, 2 touchdowns, 3 interceptions and just 5.7 yards per attempt, while rushing 41 times for 91 yards.
Obviously, he was in a difficult spot, thrust into the lineup late in a slog of a season because the guy in front of him wasn’t getting the job done. The state of South Carolina’s wide receiver position last year was also extremely rough, limiting his weapons.
As a dual-threat QB, Doty brings a different skillset than that of Brown and Gauthier, who are more pocket passers. It remains to be seen how much Satterfield will value a mobile signal caller, given that the Gamecocks already have a potent 1-2 combo of tailbacks in Kevin Harris and MarShawn Lloyd.
JASON BROWN, THE TRANSFER
Brown represents perhaps the most unknown and intriguing talent in the QB room entering this spring. On one hand, he was lightly-regarded out of high school as a two-star prospect, featuring a bit of a funky throwing motion, and had to go the FCS route.
On the other, his physical attributes are exciting — 6-foot-3, 235 pounds — and he excelled in his last full season in 2019, earning FCS All-American honors. Shane Beamer has gone on the record saying he believed schools missed out by not recruiting him out of high school.
This spring, we’ll have to see if Brown can make the jump from facing FCS defenses to SEC-caliber talent, though the Gamecock defensive back position is in a state of flux itself. We’ll also see if Satterfield tries to tweak his delivery, a near-sidearm throw.
COLTEN GAUTHIER, THE FRESHMAN
Gauthier was nothing if not consistent as a high-schooler, throwing for at least 2,000 yards and 19 touchdowns in each of his three years as a starter. Can he translate that consistency to the college level, though? He might need a bit of time to adjust and is a bit of a long shot to wind up as the starter, but he could make a run at the backup spot.
His arm talent compares favorably to just about anyone else in the room, and while he’s just a freshman, Doty and Brown are in the same boat with him in terms of learning a new system under Satterfield. Who can pick it up the fastest this spring will be well-positioned for the fall, when a final decision on the starter and backup will likely be made.
