Mike Bobo shares how Ryan Hilinski responded after Collin Hill won South Carolina's QB competition
If you missed the news from South Carolina’s training camp, the Gamecocks have named Collin Hill the team’s starting quarterback heading into the season opener against Tennessee next Saturday.
Hill, a graduate transfer from Colorado State, beat out sophomore Ryan Hilinski for the job.
“I thought both guys had outstanding training camps. We can win with both guys, bottom line,” Will Muschamp said after announcing Hill as South Carolina’s starter on Thursday. “Ryan’s had a really good camp. Obviously, there was an advantage for Collin playing for Coach (Mike) Bobo before.”
The decision to start Hill has many wondering what that means for Hilinski moving forward. The California native signed with the Gamecocks after rating as one of the top high school quarterback prospects in the nation in the 2019 recruiting cycle.
Following Jake Bentley’s season-ending injury in the 2019 opener, Hilinski started the remaining 11 games for South Carolina during his true freshman season. While flashing promise at times, inconsistent would be the best way to describe Hilinski’s performance after being forced into action early during his college career.
According to South Carolina offensive coordinator Mike Bobo, Hilinski responded to learning Hill had won the starting role in Columbia like a pro.
“He didn’t take a day off of practice and I wouldn’t expect him to take a day off of practice,” Bobo said of Hilinski on Friday. “Obviously, everybody in that room wants to be the starter and there’s good competition but I think we’ve fostered good relationships in that room and everybody knows the ultimate goal is for South Carolina to win.
“We talked about some things he has done to improve and how he’s improved as a football player and what he’s got to keep doing to be a consistent football player. I like where he’s at. He had two really good practices and I’ve been pleased with his attitude.”
That’s good news for the Gamecocks as there’s a good chance South Carolina will need Hilinski on the field at some point this season. Heading into a season with so much uncertainty, every reserve in the SEC needs to be ready and willing to go because their number could be called in an instant thanks to COVID.
Exactly how I expected such an upstanding man to respond.
He isn’t going to transfer. He’s the favorite to be the starter next season if he beats out Luke Doty.
Putting the school over himself just like Joyner. College football needs much more of that.
It’s to bad he went to USC. This is not to knock USC but Muschamp. Muschamp has a terrible track record with qbs and Hillinski is just the next on the list.
I’m betting Bobo made the decision!!!!
KN
Probably
If we weren’t weeks away from the season. HE WOULD TRANSFER!!!!! Sorry but I don’t agree with Bobo!!! One thing about him. HE WILL PLAY FAVORITES!!!!
You can’t tell me that guy is better than Ryan!!!! NO WAY!!! It was his losing QB at Colorado state!!!! Bobo goes back to the days of ” WINNING IS NOT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING AT GEORGIA!!! ” I like Bobo as a former Dawg. But I don’t care for him as a coach honestly!!!!
PS. That attitude cost a great coach his job at UGA. And Mike Bobo plays favorites. And I think SC will pay for it!!!!
KN
Actually 90% of his winning was done with Collin Hill on the field he lost after Collin got injured.
No truth to this comment at all. He was 1-2 as the starter last season. They lost every game in 2018 that he started, or even threw more than three passes in. That was 0-8 in 2018. Facts.
That wasnt with hill
Look at Hill’s game logs. He only played three games last year. 1-2 record. He played in 8 the year before and they lost them all. Not that hard to look up.
Ryan is a much better about than Hill. I looked at the tape from both. Ryan screams winner. Hill is mediocre at best. Terrible decision by Bobo. Ryan will start again soon. Bank on it.
I tend to agree with the bulk of your assertion. You had me all the way up to “Ryan will start again soon”.
See, I think Muschamp gets schitcanned before the LSU game and BoBo is left (in wayyyyy over his head) to try and extinguish the dumpster fire we now know as Cooter U.
Really Ray Tanner, the main fox in the coop, needs shown the door along with Muschamp to really start to mend.
just some random thoughts from
your friend,
Butch