Shane Beamer updates QB competition, timeline for naming a starter
By Keith Farner
Published:
South Carolina coach Shane Beamer met with reporters on Tuesday and updated the latest information he had on the quarterback competition ahead of naming a starter.
Beamer said Luke Doty had his cast removed on Sunday and he’s now in a boot, and because of that and wanting to see how Doty responded, the Gamecocks are not yet in a position to name a starting quarterback. However, Beamer said he thinks they’ll have a good feel on who will be the starter by the end of this week.
“All those guys are ready to play, whoever it is,” Beamer said.
Beamer said since Zeb Noland has only been working as a quarterback for a week after he moved from being a graduate assistant, this week will be critical practices for him.
Beamer said ideally, next week would be a great time to name a starter so that everyone can rally around him, and he gets more reps in practice.
“All those guys have gotten plenty of work with that first group, with that second group, and whoever it is, we’ve got confidence in taking that first snap out there next Saturday night to go perform and lead us,” Beamer said.
Beamer added that Noland playing in the spring at North Dakota State helped him, and that offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield was impressed with Noland the first phone conversation he had with him.
“That guy might be the smartest quarterback I’ve ever talked to in my entire life,” Beamer recalled Satterfield saying. “He would help us right now as an offensive staff, just his knowledge of pass protections and route concepts. It’s no surprise from a mental standpoint that he can pick stuff up.”
However, Beamer later said, “Jason Brown had the best week of practice he’s had as a Gamecock last week.”
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
