Shane Beamer assesses backup quarterback battle entering final week of spring ball

Shane Beamer knows Spencer Rattler will be his starting quarterback next season, but he is still figuring out who will serve as the backup. The coach has a few options in returning junior Luke Doty, as well as freshmen Colten Gauthier and Braden Davis.

Beamer said Doty, who led the Gamecocks with 925 yards passing in 2021, has been handling most of the reps with the second team. However, he also isn’t counting out Gauthier or Davis, and said he has yet to make a decision on who will compete against Rattler’s team in the spring game.

“Braden Davis has had two long runs in the last two scrimmages just coming out of the pocket when he got some pressure and running for a long ways,” Beamer said in a Tuesday press conference. “(The backup quarterback will) be decided this afternoon when we sit down and talk about the plan for Saturday. We’ll see as far as the quarterbacks go. Right now, Luke’s been taking the reps with the second group. They’re all working in there. Colten got a ton of work the other day. Braden got a ton of work the other day. Luke got a ton of work the other day.

“They’ve all been mixing in with that second group during the scrimmage. Spencer got all the work with the first group in the scrimmage the other day. If you listed it technically on the depth chart right now, Luke would be listed as the second guy. But in our minds, all those guys are in there competing and working.”

The addition of Rattler from Oklahoma this offseason was huge for Beamer and South Carolina. The Gamecocks started four different players at quarterback in 2021, including Doty, so having a solidified starter will be a major change in 2022. Armed with its guy and an extra year of time to learn the playbook, South Carolina will look to improve after finishing an alarming 13th in the SEC in total offense last year.

But Shane Beamer still has a difficult decision to make when it comes to his backup quarterback. Doty seems to have the edge, as he not only brings experience but was also the highest-rated of the three passers coming out of high school. When he signed with the Gamecocks in 2020, he was the No. 91 overall player in the class according to On3 Consensus.

South Carolina is scheduled to host its annual spring game on Saturday, so Beamer has just a few days to pick.