South Carolina’s QB haul adds another intriguing piece. Making sense of it all

Anyone who projected South Carolina football to be sitting on a quarterback room with 13 recruiting stars incoming, please go and collect your winnings.

Owing to Oregon’s staff change, the Gamecocks got another shot with former target Tanner Bailey, the No. 218 recruit in the country. The staff and offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield sealed the deal, and the Gordo, Alabama product joins the 2022 class with fellow four-star freshman Braden Davis and incoming transfer and former first-team All-Big 12 passer Spencer Rattler.

The move was a surprise and puts South Carolina’s QB haul in rarefied air — so what does it mean?

Be bold, Beamer

Shane Beamer’s staff is showing fearlessness in the transfer portal era.

With players having the ability to leave more freely, some staffs are being deliberate about letting players know they’re the guy and limiting potential competition. The Gamecocks are going the other way, grabbing talent and figuring out what to do with it.

The fact is, that might be the way everyone starts going. If a team can get several guys it likes in the room and finds who stands out, it will usually be in a good spot. And it’s not as if creating the narrative that someone has a quick, safe path to the job — always a bit of a fantasy — was holding kids on rosters.

The new rule change that allows teams to replace outgoing transfers with up to seven incoming transfers. When combined with the 25 new scholarships a team can already offer each year, it means schools can turn over more than a third of the roster if needed.

Being conservative doesn’t keep players from leaving, so why not be bold?

QB room in a good spot

The Gamecocks don’t want to get stuck again.

A season ago, South Carolina planned to have three passers — a freshman, a sophomore and a transfer. With one injury, they had to play a graduated, then an injured player and finally turned to the transfer, who just departed back into the portal.

In 2022, South Carolina will roll in with a senior with five-star talent in Rattler, and up to three four-star reserves. That’s simply a better place to be.

A rare two-QB class

South Carolina probably has its most talented QB room.

There have been a couple points in recent years where the Gamecocks could claim three blue-chippers. But that usually included one who was destined for a position change.

A two-QB class is a bit of a rarity, though this is the program’s third since 2010. One saw Jake Bentley move past Brandon McIlwain, who transferred not long after. The other was Connor Shaw, who ended up a three-year starter, and Dylan Thompson, who waited his turn after a redshirt season, played the role of super sub when Shaw was hurt and then started full time as a senior.

The Davis-Bailey pairing in the 2022 class could go any number of different ways, especially with a couple of seasoned vets ahead of them.

What’s next with the roster?

More transition is likely on the horizon.

Even with Brown gone and Zeb Noland exhausting his eligibility, the Gamecocks have five scholarship QBs in the mix. That almost never carries through.

It might happen soon, or it might wait until after the spring when players see where they stand — but it’s likely at least one face moves on from the program.

It also wouldn’t be impossible to see a position change if everyone was on board. Luke Doty got a lot of practice work as a receiver his freshman season, and he’s always presented himself as a player ready to help wherever needed.

The new guys like Satterfield

The offensive coordinator questions remain muddled. Fans spent most of the year calling for a change at the helm of the offense after some very bad numbers. Bailey is a guy Satterfield liked a lot, and Rattler committed to a staff with him.

One of the reported reasons that Rattler picked the Gamecocks was because of Satterfield’s pro-style offense. And Bailey says he likes Satterfield and the direction of South Carolina’s offense.

So if there was a change, it would mean a lot more pieces in motion.

Let it all play out

In the end, collecting talent is king.

It’s true that having a stable of blue-chip QBs means you’re guaranteed to have some highly rated backups and departures. But it also usually means you’re picking the most ready from a group of players with more potential.

The Gamecocks are getting guys in, adding players with some interesting ability and play-making profile, and letting it play out on the field.

South Carolina quarterbacks for 2022

247Sports Composite High School rating

• Spencer Rattler, five stars, 0.9942 rating, class of 2019
• Luke Doty, four stars, 0.9632 rating, class of 2020
• Tanner Bailey, four stars, 0.9151 rating, class of 2022
• Braden Davis, four stars, 0.8960 rating, class of 2022
• Colten Gauthier, three stars, 0.8695 rating, class of 2021

This story was originally published December 19, 2021 at 5:00 AM with the headline "South Carolina’s QB haul adds another intriguing piece. Making sense of it all."