Why Gamecock QB Luke Doty landed on college football ‘Freaks’ list
Luke Doty has only started two games for South Carolina in his brief time in Columbia. That was enough to land him as one Bruce Feldman’s 100 most mystifying athletes in college football for 2021.
Doty was ranked No. 90 on Feldman’s annual “Freaks List” published by The Athletic on Monday morning. The former Myrtle Beach High School standout bounced between quarterback and receiver during his first season on campus, before taking the helm under center over the season’s final few weeks.
“The 6-1, 210-pound dual-threat quarterback has clocked 22 MPH on the GPS and also vertical jumped 36 inches,” Feldman wrote. “He also benched 225 18 times this offseason.”
By contrast, Louisville receiver Tyler Harrell (No. 11 on Feldman’s list) has hit a top speed of 24 mph, while Idaho State receiver Tanner Connor (No. 12 on the list) recorded 16 reps of 225 on the bench press.
The annual list, which has been around almost 20 years, is intended to “showcase guys who generate buzz inside their programs by displaying the rare physical abilities that wow even those who observe gifted athletes every day,” Feldman wrote.
Doty finished the COVID-shortened 2020 season 43-of-71 passing (60.6%) for 405 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions after spelling quarterbacks Collin Hill and Ryan Hilinski. He also notched 59 yards on 11 rushes in a 17-10 loss to Missouri on Nov. 21.
Signing with the Gamecocks in the class of 2020, Doty was rated a consensus top-100 recruit, while 247Sports listed him as the No. 4 dual-threat quarterback in the class.
“(Last year) was a pretty tough situation, but it was something that I knew I was ready for,” he said of flipping positions during the season. “I knew that I could handle it, because, like I said, I was able to do that in fall camp — bouncing back and forth between positions. I just I knew that whenever my name was called, whenever my number was called, that I’d be ready.”
Doty beat out freshman Colten Gauthier, St. Francis (Pennsylvania) transfer Jason Brown and walk-on Connor Jordan during a spring quarterback competition.
He’s still expected to be the starter at quarterback when South Carolina opens the season Sept. 4 against Eastern Illinois.
“Luke’s got to continue to progress over the summer. Luke’s got to have a great preseason training camp,” head coach Shane Beamer said following the Garnet and Black spring game in April. “But yes, as we come out of spring practice Luke’s our starting quarterback. Now it’s his job to continue to earn that and continue to compete between now and the Eastern Illinois game.”
Former South Carolina offensive lineman Sadarius Hutcherson landed on Feldman’s list the past two seasons. Hutcherson is entering his first year with the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
This story was originally published August 9, 2021 at 9:54 AM.
