Luke Doty welcomes Spencer Rattler to Gamecocks' QB room

It’s a safe assumption that last season didn’t go the way Luke Doty planned.

Doty entered preseason camp last year as South Carolina’s starting quarterback, ready to take the reins of the Gamecocks’ offense amid the exciting start of the Shane Beamer era in Columbia.

Then with just over three weeks until the opener, Doty took off from the pocket at practice, looking to make a play like he had so many times before, and in a freak accident felt the weight of an offensive lineman come down directly on his foot.

The injury, deemed a sprain at the time, kept Doty out of the first two games. He returned during the Georgia game in Week 3 but never quite was 100 percent before ultimately having surgery in the second half of October. Season over.

Then came the news in December that the South Carolina quarterback room was suddenly much more crowded with the commitment of former Oklahoma quarterback Spencer Rattler, the No. 1 quarterback in the 2019 class. On top of that, the Gamecocks added a second freshman QB to their 2022 class, gaining a late signature from four-star Tanner Bailey.

It would have been hard to blame Doty if he decided to take his football and go home. And while some fans speculated online that Doty would do just that and hit the transfer portal, the Myrtle Beach native has instead embraced the addition of Rattler to the Gamecocks’ roster, choosing to stick it out and compete.

“One of Coach Beamer’s core values and one of our core values is competition and we talk about it all the time,” Doty said in a recent Garnet Trust exclusive interview. “It’s the SEC; it’s the best conference in the country. We talked about it last (week) in our team meeting, if you’re not about competition, if you’re scared of competition, then this isn’t the right place for you. Playing in the SEC isn’t the right place for you.”

A couple of weeks after the Rattler news created waves throughout the college football landscape, the Gamecocks faced off with North Carolina in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl.

Still in a walking boot, with a headset on and playsheet around his neck, Doty acted as a player-coach for the matchup, encouraging his teammates as they ran on and off the field and staying engaged in the sideline huddles.

It was no surprise, seeing as how Doty has been consistently lauded as a team-first guy and as a leader. But it was the first public example that Doty was still firmly committed to a future at South Carolina.

“One, it’s what I want this place to be about, that we stress all the time, but two, it says everything about Luke,” South Carolina coach Shane Beamer said in a recent sitdown with Gamecock Central. “And I called those quarterbacks when I knew we were bringing in Spencer and then when we signed the second quarterback, there was a lot going on. I talked to Luke and Luke followed back up with me to convey to me again, ‘I’m excited. This will make all of us better. Our team and the competition in that quarterback room.’ He’s like, ‘Yeah, I reached out to Spence and I already connected with him. I’m excited to help him and for him to help me, we’ll make each other better.’ He’s fantastic.”

“He was very engaged,” Beamer continued. “He was awesome. He’s got a great mindset and a great way about himself.”

Rattler and freshman quarterback Braden Davis both arrived in Columbia last month with Bailey set to join the program for summer workouts.

The quarterbacks have quickly embraced one another and the competition ahead, posting photos together on social media, while all working towards the same goal.

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“I love Spencer; he’s awesome,” Doty said. “Everybody in the room, we all clicked as soon as we got back here in January. Spencer got here a (few) weeks back and he meshed right in. So, we all have a great relationship. I really enjoy hanging out with Spencer. I’m sure we’ll go out, we’ll go get dinner, do things like that, continue to build that relationship.”

While Doty is still in the process of working back from the injury, he’s been able to participate in most of the workouts that his teammates have, though sometimes at a slower pace.

Beamer has not only praised Doty for his handling of the situation but praised Rattler in a press conference this week for how he’s carried himself and meshed with his new teammates since arriving on campus.

“On the field, I’m just excited to have somebody there that’s going to push me, because that’s something I need,” Doty said. “It’s different, coming from a coach, but when you’ve got a guy that’s working just as hard as you and is going for the same thing that you want, that’s only going to benefit both of you. I’m really excited to get out there with him and throw the ball around.”

Doty and Rattler have already had the opportunity to throw together and Doty is looking forward to being on the field with him when spring practice starts next month.

“We try to do it once or twice every week and man he can throw a ball,” Doty continued. “It was was pretty cool being out there with him and watching the way that he plays the game. He’s a baller, just look at what he did at Oklahoma. I’m fired up. I’m excited to get out there with him. I’ve done my best to kind of give him pointers, teach him a little bit of the offense as we’re doing the walkthroughs and he’s definitely come a long way. He’s just going to keep getting better and I’m excited to continue to help him out in that sense and just come to work each and every day, ready to push each other, and make each other better.”

Doty, Rattler and the Gamecocks are set to kick off spring practice on March 15.

Luke Doty joins Garnet Trust for exclusive interview

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