It looks like Dakereon Joyner has a new position to add to his arsenal with Gamecocks
Dakereon Joyner has done a little bit of everything in his time at South Carolina.
He came to Columbia as one of the state’s most decorated high school quarterback recruits. He flipped to receiver, where he flashed as a dynamic option out of the slot.
Next up for the super senior: How about running back?
“I know that Dakereon’s a guy that good things happen when the ball is in his hands,” Beamer said Tuesday. “Whether it’s running it, catching it, throwing it, there’s a lot of different things that we can do with him.”
There’s little, if anything, to be learned from 20 minutes of mostly individual work in the first practice of the spring. Beamer joked as much, chiding reporters during his press conference later in the day for frantically writing down depth charts when the perceived first-team offense ran a few plays against air.
Still, Joyner was spotted working with the running backs group. And that’s the kind of small development that can spring up on days largely reserved for players running around in shorts and T-shirts.
“Dakereon being able to do some stuff at running back is kind of the next step of some of the things we did with him last year playing some quarterback and the year before also playing receiver,” Beamer continued.
South Carolina’s running back room is paper thin. Last year’s lead back, Marshawn Lloyd, has since departed one USC for another, landing at Southern Cal under Beamer’s old boss Lincoln Riley. Backup tailback Rashad Amos also left over the offseason, transferring to Miami (Ohio), while former four-star recruit Lovasea Carroll was forced to medically retire from football two weeks ago.
That leaves Juju McDowell and Newberry College transfer Mario Anderson Jr. as the only scholarship tailbacks guaranteed to be on the roster come this fall. High school signee Dontavius Braswell is expected to join the team in time for summer workouts. And the Gamecocks are currently sorting through a way to get ex-Columbia transfer Dante Miller another year of eligibility.
Shifting Joyner to running back, at least in some capacity, makes sense. He’s been at his best when running with the ball in space. South Carolina, despite its deficiencies in the run game at times the past two years, has done a nice job scheming ways to get McDowell and others open on the edge and shifting defenses side to side. Joyner profiles like the kind of dynamic athlete who could benefit from a few more touches, given how electric he can be with the ball in his hands.
“Scheme-wise, nothing really would change,” Beamer said when asked if the offense would change at all if the Gamecocks added another running back via the second transfer portal window that opens May 1. “Are there things that maybe are a little bit better suited for bigger backs, if you will? Sure. But we feel like with all the running backs that we have right now, that they can do everything that we want to do from a schematic standpoint.”
What Joyner’s role actually looks like remains to be seen. Beamer noted the Gamecocks are in the process of installing a new offense under offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains, who replaced Marcus Satterfield in December following Satterfield’s move to Nebraska.
The Gamecocks made plenty of use out of Joyner as a wildcat quarterback down the stretch last fall when he slid down the receiver rotation some. He had at least one carry in each of South Carolina’s final five games. Joyner also lined up at quarterback at least three times in each of those contests, per Pro Football Focus.
“We kind of told him we’ll move at his pace,” Beamer said. “I met with him about a month ago just trying to figure out all the different ways we can get (him) on the field. And he knows receiver. He’s been doing that since I’ve been the head football coach here. Let’s experiment a little bit with getting natural at being able to play some running back as well. And I think it’ll present problems for defenses.”
It’s unlikely South Carolina turns into a run-heavy team given the returns of Spencer Rattler and Antwane “Juice” Wells, and given how thin the Gamecocks are in the running back room. Beamer, too, reiterated that Joyner is still technically a receiver.
But, at this rate, painting Joyner into one box position-wise feels increasingly foolish.
This story was originally published March 14, 2023 at 3:54 PM.
