Hometown star switching positions to play at USC. Why his arrival plans look different
DeQuandre Smith couldn’t hide his emotions Wednesday as he sat on the stage of the Spring Valley High School auditorium.
Smith — often referred to by his nickname DQ — shed a few tears as he sat with the nine other Spring Valley signees on the first day of February signing period. The Vikings standout quarterback is staying close to play for Shane Beamer and the South Carolina football program.
“I worked so hard for this day, seeing everyone else come before me, and it is something I have dreamed about when I was a little kid,” Smith said. “... Not many kids get the opportunity, and for me to get that opportunity, I am grateful. I am very blessed and thankful to be here.”
Smith picked USC over Georgia Southern, which wanted him as a quarterback. He will play safety for the Gamecocks and is excited to be part of what Beamer is building in the program.
Smith committed to USC before the early signing period in December but didn’t sign then. He also wasn’t on the list of Gamecocks’ confirmed signees released by the school Wednesday. There’s a reason for that.
He is expected to “blueshirt,” a route that allows South Carolina to put him on scholarship in August. His scholarship could then count toward USC’s maximum of 25 for the Class of 2023. He can take part in summer workouts but doesn’t have to enroll. If he does enroll in June or July, he will have to pay for summer classes, according to NCAA rules.
The Gamecocks still have two spots remaining for the Class of 2022 that could go toward a transfer or another high school signee.
It’s not uncommon for players to blueshirt — or even grayshirt, a process where they enroll in January, a full semester after graduation. In-state defensive prospects Tyreek Johnson and Darin Smalls did that in the past for USC while coming off injuries.
South Carolina is coming off a 7-6 season, including a win over North Carolina in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl. The Gamecocks have carried that momentum into the offseason with the addition of several high-profile transfers, including Oklahoma quarterback Spencer Rattler and tight end Austin Stogner.
“Shane Beamer is a great coach and is going to change the program around,” Smith said. “It is something I want to be around. I’m all about the rebuilding.
“It definitely is huge to stay at home. My parents don’t have to drive far, so I will have the support here and it’s a huge reason why I chose to stay home.”
The fact Smith lives in Columbia will make it easy to travel back and forth to the practice facility each day before he moves in on campus.
He’s eager to get his college career started, and the switch from offense to defense at safety with the Gamecocks. He played defensive back as a freshman and in middle school before concentrating at quarterback later in his high school career. This season, he threw for just over 1,600 yards and 14 touchdowns, and rushed for more than 500 and 14 TDs.
Smith said he’s been busy training and working on playing defense. He’s also running track this spring for Spring Valley.
“I’m an athlete. I know I can do it,” Smith said of the position switch. “It’s not a huge change, especially coming from the quarterback position. It is a huge change mentally, and I am going to be studying everything and getting ready for it. And I will be ready for it, come June.”
This story was originally published February 2, 2022 at 2:49 PM.
