South Carolina QB enters transfer portal
South Carolina’s quarterback room is shrinking.
Redshirt freshman signal-caller Braden Davis announced on Wednesday afternoon that he’s in the transfer portal after parts of two years at USC.
“I have officially entered the transfer portal with 4 years of eligibility left. I am thankful to God, and look forward to what he has in store for me,” he said in a social media post.
Davis, a three-star recruit in the class of 2021 and the son of former first round NFL draft pick Antone Davis, was the first true quarterback signee for head coach Shane Beamer after his hiring in December 2020. He completed 1 of 3 passes for 13 yards and an interception during the Garnet & Black Spring Game last week.
South Carolina’s quarterback room held six scholarship players this spring in Spencer Rattler, Luke Doty, Tanner Bailey, LaNorris Sellers, Colten Gauthier and Davis. The Gamecocks also hold a commitment from 2024 four-star recruit Dante Reno.
Rattler and Doty had been firmly penciled in as the No. 1 and 2 players on the depth chart, while Bailey served as the third-string quarterback down the stretch in 2023. Sellers has earned rave reviews over his first spring at South Carolina and could challenge Bailey and Doty as soon as this fall for a backup role.
Bailey, who signed with the Gamecocks in the 2021 class alongside Davis, pledged to South Carolina after backing off a commitment to Oregon in the wake of former offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead’s hiring as the head coach at Akron.
“It’s great competition,” Davis said of the quarterback room earlier this spring. “Everybody in the room is competing always. Everything we do — throwing at buckets, whatever it is — we’re always competing. It’s great to have that competition. Somebody is always right there, right behind trying to become the guy.”
The second transfer portal window opened on April 15 and will close on Sunday. A player has to officially enter the transfer portal by this weekend in order to be eligible to play next year for their new school should they depart (A player does not technically have to leave their current school if they enter the portal). Graduate students, however, are eligible to enter the portal at any time.
Davis is the second South Carolina player to enter the portal on Wednesday, joining classmate Demetrius Watson in making that decision. Watson, a three-star defensive lineman in the 2022 class, did not appear in a game for the Gamecocks during his year-plus on campus.
Gamecocks in the transfer portal
Each player’s landing spot is listed in parentheses
QB Braden Davis — April 26
DL Demetrius Watson — April 26
OL Collin Heinrich — April 21
DB Anthony Rose — April 15
DE Jordan Burch — Jan. 5 (Oregon)
RB Rashad Amos — Jan. 1 (Miami of Ohio)
DE Hot Rod Fitten — Dec. 31
LS Matthew Bailey — Dec. 31 (Toledo)
DE Gilber Edmond — Dec. 15 (Florida State)
WR Corey Rucker — Dec. 14 (Arkansas State)
RB MarShawn Lloyd — Dec. 12 (Southern Cal)
DB Tyrese Ross — Dec. 6
TE Jaheim Bell — Dec. 5 (Florida State)
TE Austin Stogner — Dec. 5 (Oklahoma)
LB Darryle Ware — Dec. 5 (Texas A&M-Commerce)
DB Joey Hunter — Dec. 5 (Akron)
OL Jordan Davis — Nov. 30 (South Alabama)
DB R.J. Roderick — Oct. 17 (Liberty)
This story was originally published April 26, 2023 at 1:58 PM.
