COLUMBIA – Players come, players go. It’s college athletics.
In South Carolina, defenders change the program and defenders change the program.
Gunner Stockton, the No. 1 double threat quarterback in the country and the highest-ranking QB who has already committed to the Gamecocks, withdrew from USC on Tuesday. He did not announce a new appointment, nor did he say that USC was out of the running for eventually getting its services, but he also did not say that USC was still on his list.
“In August, I made the decision to commit to the university, the program and the team. A lot has changed since that time and I feel that I must reevaluate my situation,” Stockton wrote in a statement. “I want to thank Connor Shaw for all of his love, support and understanding.”
Stockton has another year at Rabun County (Georgia) High. All schools in the country still have until the December signing period to court him.
However, Stockton’s close relationship with Mike Bobo and his family were the main reasons why he chose USC, and Bobo is no longer at USC, having taken a job at Auburn. Stockton, as he said in his statement, is also close to Shaw, playing for his brother Jaybo Shaw in Rabun County and idolizing Shaw as a young man (Stockton wears No. 14, as Shaw did).
It was a tumultuous two months at USC, with coach Will Muschamp fired on November 15 and Shane Beamer hired on December 5. Beamer kept Bobo as his CO, but two days after Bobo’s contract renewal was announced, Auburn called.
Bobo is expected to receive a significant increase from the $ 1.2 million he was earning at USC and Beamer told him that if that was what he wanted to do, he should do it. Stockton is declining interviews, so it is not known whether Bobo’s departure impacted his decision.
Whatever the case, as happened on Tuesday, the USC was without the commitment of one of the best high school candidates ever discovered, and also without another. When Stockton committed, he overtook Stephen Garcia as the best QB candidate to choose Gamecocks. Garcia was ahead of Ryan Hilinski.
Hilinski also left, having entered the transfer portal on 30 December. Beamer was asked if Hilinski could change his mind, and Beamer confirmed that he exchanged messages with Hilinski, but sources close to the situation told the Post and the Courier that a return is unlikely.
But the fourth largest QB prospect that USC has got is still around and is expected to start. Luke Doty, Mr. Football 2019 from South Carolina, started the last two Gamecocks games last year in place of Collin Hill, the transfer graduate who followed Colorado State Bobo.
A year ago, the USC was refueling the depth in its quarterback room with Hill. Jake Bentley was transferred while Dakereon Joyner was going to resume the transition to the wide receiver that had been ambushed in the 2019 season.
But Hilinski, who had started 11 games, was returning with Jay Urich and the Corbett Glick and Connor Jordan walk-ons. With the union of Hill and Doty, the Gamecocks decided to stay in position for a while.
Currently, they came back a year ago, with fewer numbers.
With Hill refusing his sixth qualifying year to start training for a chance at professional football and Hilinski transferring, Gamecocks are reduced to three QBs. Urich wore a red medical shirt due to a bad shoulder while Glick resigned in March.
That leaves Doty, Jordan – who hasn’t had a chance in any of his two years with the team – and the real freshman Colten Gauthier, who signed up last week.
This naturally led to questions for Beamer about the position. He had no definitive answer immediately.
“(Offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield) and the offensive team, we met this morning as a complete team. The recruits out there, potential transfers, going through each position trying to find out where we are, ”said Beamer. “The quarterback is no different than any other position. It must be the right dynamic if we add to that room. “
This leaves any recruits Beamer could add by February 5, or the transfer portal. It is only logical, due to the actual playing time, that Doty will enter the spring practice as the initiator, unless Beamer finds an unmined gem in the transfer portal.
Doty took Hill’s place at halftime against Missouri and started the final two games of the season. He had little chance of receiving and QB before starting (mainly on the field to run) and finished 43 of 71 passes for 405 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. He also ran 41 times for 149 yards, which was reduced to 91 yards when the bags were included.
It was a learning experience as you go along, and there were some brilliant moments tempered by more difficult ones. Doty spoke of the curve before the end of last season.
“I think the most important thing is to make sure I have my feet on the ground when I play,” said Doty. “Make sure my eyes are in the right place and I’m progressing the way I should. Really, just keeping calm in your pocket. “
He attended a football camp organized by the Bentley family last week in Lexington and had rid himself of the long locks that grew throughout the year, returning to the style he displayed as a Mr. Football winner in Myrtle Beach High. He has been training and conditioning himself while welcoming any competition that may arise, as he just wants to win.
Gauthier is 1.83 m tall and 215 pounds and shot for more than 6,500 yards in 34 games at the Hebron Christian (Georgia) Academy. He ran for 17 touchdowns alongside the 61 he won through the air.
Beamer has already credited him as a leader that a coach can build a program around and that Gauthier did his best to recruit other players to come to USC with him. Doty has experience, but each will learn a new manual.
Beamer’s task is to find others who can learn the same and give Gamecocks options. They don’t want to have to refuel the QB room each season.
Or replace what has been classified as recruits who change the program.