After position switch, sophomore athlete will be busy this fall

Lorenzo Nunez will be fighting for two jobs when South Carolina opens fall camp Tuesday. How either competition works out, he’s not ready to speculate.

“I don’t know honestly,” the Gamecocks’ 6-foot-3, 205-pound sophomore quarterback/wide receiver said. “I’m just trying to find out what they need me to do on the offensive side of the ball.”

Nunez was signed as a four-star quarterback prospect last year and started two games last fall, throwing for 376 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions while rushing for 375 yards. In the offseason, he was approached by offensive coordinator Kurt Roper and wide receivers coach Bryan McClendon about moving, at least part-time, to wide receiver and agreed.

That transition is now in effect.

When practice begins Tuesday morning, he expects to start his day at wide receiver before getting quarterback reps later in the workout. He spends his meeting room time with the wide receivers, he said.

“I knew all the wide receiver routes. Now I need to know how to run them, where to break at, those sorts of things,” he said. “I don’t think it’s going to be as hard as everyone tells me it is. Day by day I am getting better.”

Nunez began spring practice firmly in the competition at quarterback, but suffered a hyper-extended knee during the fourth practice and didn’t return to the field before the spring game. He’s been cleared for full contact this fall and pronounced his knee 90 percent healthy.

“I’m pretty sure I’m better now,” he said.