COLOMBIA – It was as disappointing as expected.
South Carolina quarterback Ryan Hilinski entered the NCAA transfer portal on Wednesday afternoon, USC officials confirmed. The second year, which has four years of eligibility left after all players in the country received a free season due to the pandemic, will move on after a 2020 season that barely saw him enter the field.
“This was the most difficult decision I had to make in my entire life,” Hilinski tweeted. “It hurts me to write this letter knowing what I’m leaving behind.”
Hilinski’s story about how he handled the suicide of his older brother, Tyler Hilinski, is an inspiration to thousands and made the foundation of his family, Hilinski’s Hope, a national name. Several schools joined the USC in a moment of silence while holding three fingers – Tyler was number 3 in Washington state – at the beginning of each third quarter. Ryan was a strong voice during his two years in Columbia, speaking to community groups and always ready with a hug and a smile whenever he interacted with anyone who needed help.
During the 2019 season, Ryan Hilinski completed 236 of 406 passes for 2,357 yards and 11 touchdowns. He set a school record with 180 direct submissions without interception. Archive / Travis Bell / Sideline Carolina
His family, parents Mark and Kym and older brother Kelly, moved from California to Columbia two years ago to be with him.
He started 11 games a year ago after USB QB holder Jake Bentley suffered an injury at the end of the season in the first game. But Hilinski hardly played this season, completing just 4 of 6 passes for 34 yards while new offensive coordinator Mike Bobo chose the Colorado State transfer Collin Hill, then the real freshman Luke Doty, as his quarterback.
Doty is about to return and would probably be considered the starter at this point. Hill, who has been in college for five years, has not said what he will do in 2021 and new coach Shane Beamer received a letter of intent from freshman Colten Gauthier.
Hilinski, realizing that her future at USC could be spent at the bank, decided to move on. It will leave a much bigger impact than the statistics.
Hilinski’s Hope bracelets are used in the Midlands. Pictures of Hilinski alongside fans with disabilities or supporting some of USC’s non-university sports are abundant.
He seemed to be the next big thing when he took Bentley’s place in the second game of the 2019 season and promptly led the Gamecocks to a school record of 775 yards in a rout over Charleston Southern. He then completed 36 of 57 passes for 324 yards and two touchdowns in the loss to Alabama’s No. 2 the following week, winning the SEC’s Freshman of the Week title.
But an elbow injury hampered his effectiveness in Missouri the following week, and he injured his knee and lost most of the last two quarters in Georgia three weeks later (the Gamecocks won, making Hilinski the best QB for the win). He ended the year 236 of 406 by passing 2,357 yards, 11 touchdowns and five interceptions, setting a school record with 180 consecutive submissions without interception.
Hill was elected as a starter before the opening of the season this year and, even with him and the attack fighting, Hilinski never had a chance in a game. Coach Will Muschamp reopened the quarterback competition ahead of a November 14 game at Ole Miss, declaring that QB problems in defeats to LSU and Texas A&M were worrying, but Hill still started in Oxford.
Muschamp was fired the next day, Hill started against Missouri and Doty took over in the second half, then started against Georgia and Kentucky. He is the beginner in the practice of spring.
Even if Hill does not return, Hilinski stayed to be third again in the depth table, although with many opportunities to improve the classification. The prospect will instead look for an entirely new opportunity and try to get back on track for the stardom he seemed to be making at USC.
Follow David Cloninger on Twitter @DCPandC.