South Carolina debuts its version of ‘tush push.’ Brady Hunt is the beneficiary
It took Brady Hunt over 20 games to score his first touchdown as a Gamecock.
But in game No. 21 on Saturday night against Coastal Carolina, he finally found the end zone, albeit in a relatively unconventional way.
Hunt totaled two touchdowns in South Carolina’s 51-7 win over Coastal … make that two rushing touchdowns.
Both of Hunt’s scores came on what’s generally called a “tush push” play. Yes, that tush push play, made popular by the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles in recent years. It requires a quarterback to line up under center, snap the ball and then get pushed forward into the end zone (or across the first-down line) by three players in the backfield.
It isn’t called a tush push in South Carolina’s playbook (there’s a punt block play by that name) and Beamer joked he’s not allowed to divulge the official name of the play.
“Not sure if I’m allowed to tell you that. It’s not the tush push,” Beamer said. “... It’s one of those I can tell you, but I’d have to kill you type things.”
Hunt lined up at quarterback twice when South Carolina was near the goal line and scored on both plays.
The first came in the first quarter and helped South Carolina extend its lead over Coastal to 20-0. The second score came in the third quarter and extended the Gamecocks’ lead to 44-0.
“We ran it a lot tonight,” Beamer said. “...We may try it again next week, too.”
Hunt — listed at 6-foot-5, 248 pounds — is just as much an ideal candidate to run the tush push as starting quarterback LaNorris Sellers, who is listed at 6-foot-3 and 240 pounds. Sellers said the play isn’t unique to Hunt, adding it has been in the playbook for a while and South Carolina could run it with him in the game if needed.
Prior to Saturday, Hunt had never recorded a rushing attempt in his collegiate career, per Sports-Reference. Hunt did line up at quarterback in a fourth-and-1 situation last year against Kentucky and drew the defense offsides .
Hunt isn’t a stranger to running the ball. He was a quarterback in high school and recorded 958 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns at Delta High School in Muncie, Indiana. He started his college career at Ball State as a quarterback but was switched to tight end.
“He was a high school quarterback,” Beamer said. “He’s smart. He’s a really good football player. He makes all the calls on our punt team, and can handle things on the punt team.”
Hunt is the first position player not playing quarterback, running back, fullback or wide receiver to log a rushing touchdown for South Carolina since defensive tackle Tonka Hemingway scored a two-yard rushing touchdown against Jacksonville State in 2023.
The last tight end to log a rushing touchdown for South Carolina was Jaheim Bell in 2022. Bell ran for three touchdowns that season, the last one coming against Clemson. Granted, Bell had basically transitioned to running back by the end of that season as he logged more carries and rushing yards than receptions and receiving yards in 2022.
“It wasn’t the first time we’ve had him in an under center position,” Beamer said of Hunt. “So I think it’s more just: high school quarterback, smart, tough, good football player, great athlete.”
