Gamecock Digest

Dowell Loggains Talks Different Options When Deciding On A Starting Quarterback

Andrew Lyon

Sep 9, 2023; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks quarterback LaNorris Sellers throws a pass on the run against the Furman Paladins
Sep 9, 2023; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks quarterback LaNorris Sellers throws a pass on the run against the Furman Paladins / Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports

We're just two days away from the Garnet and Black Spring game taking place for Shane Beamer and South Carolina's football program. One of the hottest topics going into the intra-squad scrimmage will likely revolve around the quarterback position, which for the first time in three offseasons, is left unsettled with Spencer Rattler having moved onto the NFL. Redshirt freshman LaNorris Sellers and Auburn transfer Robbie Ashford are viewed as the two main contenders for the starting job, with offensive coordinator and quarterback coach Dowell Loggains being the ultimate judge on who can help the team win the most games this Fall. How a competition like this is decided varies between programs, with some announcing a starter after Spring ball while others wait until preseason camp in August to make a final call. Loggains explained the pros and cons of both approaches during his presser on Thursday afternoon.

"The advantage of doing it early [is] everyone knows who it is. It's also you still got a whole training camp in Summer. So what happens if, you know, one of these young kids or all of the sudden the new guy, you know, is a little bit better because he's been through it all and the second time executing it, he's better at it? So you know, you, you evaluate everything. We've had 13 practices. Obviously we're not ready to do that right now. We're semi-pleased with where everyone's at but there's a long way to go with all of that. The disadvantage is this: most of the time the locker room knows who the best guy is based on practice anyway, or they have their own feelings of that, and to be honest, most of the time the locker room knows before the coaches know because it is their team. The good teams are led by the locker room and the disadvantage to not naming the guy is there's still 5 quarterbacks out there and it's like 'Hey who do we follow? Who do we lead?', and it's the mentality of do your job like, do your job. Keep the main thing, the main thing, and worry about the things you can control, and same with those guys. So we're not there yet. We've had 13 practices. We have two left. So at some point, coach [Shane] Beamer and myself and the rest of the offensive staff will sit down and talk about this."

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Andrew Lyon
ANDREW LYON