Braden Davis upbeat about Rattler and Bailey additions, Gamecocks’ QB competition
The South Carolina quarterback room has changed a lot over the past month — and Braden Davis is “all for it,” he says.
The Middletown High (Delaware) signed Dec. 15 as part of the Gamecocks’ 2022 recruiting class. Two days earlier, USC signed Oklahoma transfer Spencer Rattler. South Carolina then added four-star prospect Tanner Bailey on Dec. 18. Bailey was previously committed to Oregon.
Rattler was a five-star prospect and No. 1 pro-style quarterback by 247Sports Composite, coming out of high school in 2019. Both Davis and Bailey are four-star prospects by 247Sports Composite.
“Any way that we can make this team better, I am all for it,” Davis told The State ahead of moving in at USC this week. “Expanding the quarterback room is a way we can do it with building competition and sharpening iron versus iron. I’m really excited to really get a chance to work with those two guys.”
The additions give the Gamecocks five scholarship quarterbacks, with Luke Doty and Colten Gauthier already on the roster. Doty, the team’s starting quarterback at the beginning of the season, missed the final six games because of a foot injury.
Davis said he was sitting in his living when he got a phone call from South Carolina offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield telling him that South Carolina was going to sign Rattler, a preseason Heisman Trophy favorite who had lost his starting job at Oklahoma to Caleb Williams.
Davis has yet to speak to Rattler yet but said he is looking forward to doing so when the transfer QB arrives on campus. Davis moved in Wednesday with some of the other early enrollees, while Rattler is expected to arrive later in the semester but before spring practice begins.
“It is good for me, good for everyone at South Carolina,” Davis said of Rattler. “It is awesome that we are getting a Heisman type of guy coming in, and that he will be able to share knowledge with me on what he has been able to learn. It is a good situation for me to come in and learn from a guy like that and compete with a guy like that.”
Davis said he already started building a relationship with Doty from his visits over the summer and other times he attended Gamecock games in the fall. His relationship with Satterfield also is strong, he said. The USC offensive coordinator attended Middletown’s semifinal playoff game on Dec. 4.
“Just talking Xs and Os with coach Satterfield, we speak the same language. He knows his stuff, been around and has coached some good quarterbacks,” Davis said.
Davis is coming off a stellar senior season in which he helped Middletown to its first state championship since 2012. The 6-foot-5 quarterback threw for 216 yards in the championship game and two touchdowns, including the game-winner, a 3-yarder to Zachary Caldwell with 4:01 left in the 28-22 victory over Smyrna.
Davis threw for more than 2,000 yards this season, was named Delaware’s Gatorade High School Football Player of the Year and was selected to play in the Under Armour All-American Game. He had to withdraw from the national all-star game because he had to have wisdom teeth removed.
“All the work we did and to have it pay off as a senior — going out that way is something I always will remember,” Davis said of the state championship. “It was just excitement and running all over the field. This is the goal we all had wanted since our freshman year, and to do it as seniors and go out that way, everyone is super excited. Hard to put into words.”
Now, Davis is ready to begin the next chapter of his career with the Gamecocks, who have been building momentum over the past month. In addition to quarterback and recruiting additions, USC is coming off a 38-21 win over North Carolina in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl on Dec. 30.
“South Carolina is definitely on a roll,” Davis said. “I feel like everyone who committed in this class has seen this coming, something when we first talked to Shane Beamer. He kind of spoke it into existence and we trust his plan and what he has for the university. He definitely is bringing everything to fruition.”
This story was originally published January 6, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
