QB rotation, running back notes, observations from South Carolina football practice

South Carolina football took to the practice field at the Long Family Football Operations Center on Tuesday morning, and media members were invited in to watch the first few periods of work for the final time before Saturday’s annual Garnet & Black spring game. Here are some observations from the session:

• The South Carolina quarterback rotation held steady to previous days. Sophomore Luke Doty took first-team reps during short passing drills followed by freshman Colten Gauthier and redshirt sophomore Connor Jordan. FCS transfer Jason Brown (St. Francis) was the fourth quarterback in the rotation.
• Redshirt junior receiver Dakereon Joyner and senior safety R.J. Roderick wore blue injured/non-contact jerseys Tuesday. Both Joyner and Roderick ran through non-contact drills with their position groups.
  
  
• E.J. Jenkins, who transferred to South Carolina from St. Francis alongside Brown, worked with the tight ends again Tuesday. Jenkins has been billed as a receiver and a tight end but continues to work with the latter group.
• Running back Kevin Harris headed into the Gamecocks’ indoor practice facility with the rest of South Carolina’s injured players during positional work. His issue wasn’t immediately known. Harris accrued over 1,100 yards and notched 15 touchdowns a season ago.

• Former four-star tailback MarShawn Lloyd went through stretching and warmups with the team but did not work out in the media’s view for the remainder of Tuesday’s open portion of practice. Lloyd continues to rehab from a torn ACL that ended his 2020 season before it started.

• While Harris and Lloyd didn’t participate in drills open to reporters, those running backs present worked through five-yard out routes and checkdowns with the quarterbacks. First-year head coach Shane Beamer arrives at South Carolina having worked in Lincoln Riley’s air raid offense at Oklahoma, which leans on short routes for running backs out of the backfield.
  
  

• Special teams has been area of emphasis for this team under new coordinator Pete Lembo, and in the first few periods Tuesday, Lembo continued to work with both offensive and defensive players on that area of the game, particularly focused on coverage.

• Linebackers Sherrod Greene and Mo Kaba, along with defensive lineman Jabari Ellis and offensive lineman Jakai Moore, watched the stretching portion of practice from the indoor facility, where the team’s injured players typically go for rehab while the rest of the team goes through drills.

• A number of offensive players weren’t in full pads during warmups, including wide receivers Ahmarean Brown, Sam Reynolds and Randrecous Davis.

• Former Gamecock offensive lineman Blake Camper, who has spent time with the NFL’s Los Angeles Chargers and the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts, was spotted at practice.

• Assistant coach Mike Peterson is tasked with coaching the outside linebackers and defensive ends, and that group was pretty small on the field Tuesday. Peterson was working with just four players at one point: Jordan Burch, Tyreek Johnson, Rodricus Fitten and Sean McGonigal.

This story was originally published April 20, 2021 at 11:15 AM.