Luke Doty addresses his position, where he'll play for South Carolina this season

LaNorris Sellers is slated to be the starting quarterback of the South Carolina Gamecocks in 2024. With the quarterback battle already decided, where does that leave fifth-year athlete Luke Doty?

At one time, Doty was a near 1,000-yard passer for the Gamecocks in 2021 before the arrival of eventual fifth-round NFL Draft pick Spencer Rattler. In the two seasons since, Doty decided to remain loyal to his home state school and has moved all around the South Carolina lineup ever since.

“I think just for me, this year and even last year, the biggest thing was just doing whatever I can to get out on the field and help the team,” Doty said during SEC Media Days. “And whether that was playing wide receiver or whether that was covering kicks on special teams. I was more than willing to do it, and I still am. And it’s something that I had a lot of a lot of fun doing last year, so I look forward to doing that again this year. Just like I said, doing whatever I can to help the team win.”

In 2023, he completed two passes for 17 yards during his limited time under center. Instead, the 6-foot-1, 218-pound Doty has not only lined up out wide — where he caught 13 passes for 123 yards and a touchdown — but he also did the most unselfish thing a quarterback could do and play special teams.

In that sense, Doty and Sellers still work together in the quarterback room alongside former Auburn quarterback Robby Ashford. There’s a ready-made chemistry there if Doty were to line up as a wide receiver this fall, which could lead Doty to develop into an underratted weapon for the Gamecocks in 2024.

Sellers played sparingly during his true freshman season, playing in just three games to preserve his redshirt. He completed all four of his passes for 86 yards and two touchdowns during a Septmeber blowout against Furman before being held out until Novemeber where he was used as a rushing threat in wins against Kentucky and Vanderbilt, respectively. He tallied five carries for 51 yards and a touchdown on the round, most of which came against the Commodores.

Given the fact that he’s played within offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains system for a year, not to mention the fact that South Carolina returned eight starters on offense from 2023, there may be less of an adjustment period for the young quarterback heading into next season than some believe. Regardless, Doty will be ready to pull his weight any way he can to help Sellers this fall.