Perry Orth on Gamecocks’ QB choice: We’d both like to know

The most pressing thing a football team can do as it marches through preseason practice in August is pick its quarterback.

Through four weeks, South Carolina’s coaching staff is still deciding.

Senior passer Perry Orth, the veteran of the Gamecocks group, said the coaches could push the choice between him and freshman Brandon McIlwain as starter to the night before the season opener against Vanderbilt or even to game day on Thursday.

“We’d both like to know,” Orth said. “We have both played well in camp. Whatever the decision coach makes we’ll be supportive of that.”

Orth, with eight starts under his belt and four full years in college, might offer a steadier hand. McIlwain is a better runner and could offer a higher ceiling, especially after spending much of spring practice at No. 1 on the depth chart with Orth hurt.

Orth also said freshman Jake Bentley looked good in practice and was coming along. He came in behind the other two after enrolling in June.

Rico’s return

USC senior cornerback Rico McWilliams was a notable absence from practice early last week, and Will Muschamp said the leave was for personal reasons.

McWilliams had returned home to Louisiana to help family impacted by devastating flooding. Back in Columbia and at practice, he wasn’t dwelling on that adversity.

“They lost a lot,” McWilliams said. “My family did, my sister, my uncle. But everything will be good.”

He seemed much more focused on what it took to get back into the swing of things with the team and the challenge ahead in Vanderbilt.

Remorseful Kelly

Punter Sean Kelly had his short stretch out of practice stemming from an incident at a Five Points bar.

The senior spoke publicly for the first time since it happened and deferred questions to a statement his lawyer had released, one referencing being sorry for his behavior. His goal is to move on, he said.

“Just trying to put it in the past at this point,” Kelly said. “Trying to move on with the season. It was a little bit of a detour, but other than that, it’s just about the season now.”

D.J. Smith’s jump

In 2015, USC safety D.J. Smith had trouble staying on the field. He’d get in for stretches, but based on playing time, it appeared the coaches had more trust in Jordan Diggs and Isaiah Johnson.

Smith knew the reason they had a quick hook and why he’s seeing more time now.

“Knowing what to do,” Smith said. “That’s the biggest thing. I got a lot smarter, learned my playbook more. That was the thing. I had the ability, I just wasn’t as smart, wasn’t learning. I think I could have done more.”

With the new approach, the junior projects as a starting safety.

Uni watch

Several Gamecocks played coy about what they’ll wear when they take the field on game day.

They’ve got options and have broken out black matte helmets for practice at times. Muschamp said the seniors will get to choose the uniform combination.

They’ll be facing a Vanderbilt team that has already called for a whiteout from fans and plans to break out its white uniforms for the team. Wide receiver Deebo Samuel wasn’t spilling how USC will counter that.

“It’s a surprise for y’all,” Samuel said.

David Cloninger contributed to this report.

This story was originally published August 26, 2016 at 1:02 PM with the headline "Perry Orth on Gamecocks’ QB choice: We’d both like to know."