Dan Werner: 'It's definitely realistic' that Dakereon Joyner could play in 2018

It’s too early to think about whether Dakereon Joyner might play for South Carolina this fall, but it’s not impossible, new Gamecocks quarterbacks coach Dan Werner said Friday.

“It’s definitely realistic. Nowadays, guys have to come in and play,” Werner said. “He’s a good athlete. He’s one of those guys you’ve got to kick him out because he’s over here too much (studying).”

Joyner was a four-star prospect out of Fort Dorchester High School and the state’s Mr. Football. He enrolled early at South Carolina in order to compete in spring practice this year.

“He’s going to work hard and try to learn everything,” said Werner, who was hired in the offseason to coach the Gamecocks quarterbacks. “If it gets to where we only use a limited role for him or whatever it is we have to do, we’ll make it work. He’s been really good. He’s smart and he really studies. If he had to be the guy, then we would tweak some things and make it to where it fit where he does best.”

This story was originally published March 23, 2018 at 11:09 AM with the headline "Dan Werner: 'It's definitely realistic' that Dakereon Joyner could play in 2018."