Gamecocks QB Luke Doty done for season after foot injury
Luke Doty’s 2021 season is over.
The Gamecocks’ sophomore quarterback and starter for roughly half the season will undergo surgery this week on his left foot, which was re-injured in Saturday’s game against Vanderbilt, head coach Shane Beamer told reporters in his Tuesday press conference.
“I hate it for him and I hate it for our football team,” Beamer said. “He’s going to have surgery this week. It’s the best thing for him short term and long term, is to get this thing healed up and get him back.”
Graduate senior Zeb Noland, who started South Carolina’s first three games before being injured against Georgia, will step in as the first-string quarterback for the remainder of the season, Beamer said. Noland came in for the final series of the Vanderbilt game and led the late-game touchdown drive that sealed a 21-20 victory for USC.
“We’re back to Zeb,” Beamer said.
Beamer said FCS transfer quarterback Jason Brown will take on the backup role at quarterback followed by freshman Colten Gauthier, who “is getting better quickly,” per Beamer, and redshirt sophomore Connor Jordan.
Wide receiver Dakereon Joyner, who played quarterback in high school and has taken snaps at the position this year, will not assume a larger role at quarterback but will still be available for special packages.
“DK is a receiver,” Beamer said. “But we can always line him up at quarterback and do the stuff that we’ve done with him.”
South Carolina head athletic trainer Clint Haggard told Beamer after the game that Doty had reinjured his foot. Doty later admitted that it started bothering him as early as the second quarter of the Vanderbilt game, Beamer said.
USC’s coach joined Doty and his parents in the training room after Saturday’s game.
“We weren’t quite sure how serious it was at that point,” Beamer said. “I felt bad for him because I knew he had re-injured it but didn’t know how severe or long term it would be.”
Beamer said he hadn’t yet considered petitioning Doty for a medical redshirt for this season, given they just found out Monday that Doty would have surgery on his foot.
“It’s something that we haven’t even talked about,” Beamer said. “It all just happened so fast.”
Beamer described Doty as being in good spirits. The Myrtle Beach High School product and former Mr. Football has been at practices this week and in team meetings, and remains involved and engaged.
Saturday in the training room, Beamer said Doty told him “it’s all part of God’s plan, a bump in the road and I’ll be great for it.”
Rehabilitation will begin after this week’s surgery. Beamer, who lauded Doty for his toughness while battling the injury, said he’s optimistic the QB will be back for spring practice.
“I don’t think it’s anything that’s going to affect him long term,” Beamer said.
Next South Carolina game
Who: South Carolina Gamecocks (4-3, 1-3 SEC) vs. Texas A&M Aggies (5-2, 2-2 SEC)
Where: Kyle Field in College Station, Texas
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday
TV: SEC Network
Line: Aggies by 21
This story was originally published October 19, 2021 at 1:25 PM.
