Shane Beamer breaks down South Carolina’s backup QB candidates
Perhaps it’s not the most-important position battle heading into the summer, but it certainly is the most intriguing.
The competition to be LaNorris Sellers’ backup began in January as a forgone conclusion: Of course the Ohio State transfer, Air Noland, would win the gig. Then came the spring game, which shaped public opinion for no other reason than it was the only action fans were able to see.
Noland was OK, but stealing the show were a veteran and a rookie.
Luke Doty has been at South Carolina so long that coach Shane Beamer struggled to pinpoint how many years he’s been in college. Next season will be his sixth as a Gamecock, which isn’t as surprising as the fact Doty is competing for the backup quarterback job.
After coming to USC as a quarterback in 2020, Doty really shifted roles the last two seasons and played almost exclusively at wide receiver while becoming a key contributor on special teams.
And yet, there he was at the spring game in late April, leading the garnet team to victory after completing 10 of 12 passes for 85 yards.
“He’s improved as a quarterback. He’s confident,” Beamer said of Doty while speaking this week at the SEC spring meetings. “There’s not a lot he hasn’t seen as a college football player — and that’s a great asset. ... Heard one of the players in the workouts today call him ‘Coach Doty’ because he knows so much and has great insight.”
Beamer continued, providing such high praise for Doty that it’s hard not to think he’s the favorite to win the backup job heading into the summer.
“God forbid something happened to LaNorris, but if Luke had to go into a game, I’m totally confident in his ability to win football games at quarterback.”
If it wasn’t Doty, the spring game star was Cutter Woods — the Westside High alum who enrolled at South Carolina in January and quickly got folks excited about his future.
In that spring game, Woods completed 6 of 13 passes for 120 yards and a touchdown. More notable: He delivered the highlight of the night, firing a 51-yard bomb downfield to Vandrevius Jacobs.
“Really impressed as a true freshman coming in to the program,” Beamer said of Woods. “Very savvy and mature beyond his years. Thought he was very competitive, natural, comfortable, confident and he’ll only continue to grow in that throughout the summer.”
As for Noland, he is not out of the competition by any measure. Coming out of high school in Georgia as a four-star prospect, he enrolled at Ohio State last January and then transferred to South Carolina this winter. When you think about it, he’s had two completely new playbooks in just a year.
There’s still reason to think that, after a summer in the system, Noland could make waves this fall.
“I feel like he made progress from practice one to the end,” Beamer said. “He’s still young and it’s his first year of college football. ... But I feel like things slowed down for him and I think he’s more comfortable and confident than he was.”
