South Carolina Gamecocks football coach Shane Beamer has an impending deadline to select LaNorris Sellers' backup quarterback for the 2025 season.
The Gamecocks' QB room is quite scarce, with just Ohio State transfer Air Noland, three-star freshman Cutter Woods, former walk-on Jimmy Francis, and senior quarterback Luke Doty.
Beamer showed confidence about Doty competing for the backup QB role this summer, and being the candidate with the experience advantage.
"Luke’s had a really good spring," Beamer said. "He and I talked about it today. He’s just having fun. He knows this is kind of his last go-around. He brings confidence to the team. He’s a high-energy guy, but he can make plays. He’s athletic, he’s improving as a passer. He knows he’s got to improve there, but he can get himself out of trouble, and he’s an athlete and he can create. Most importantly, he has experience, and the rest of that quarterback room is young."
Beamer underlined how he is impressed with Doty's commitment to their program from the very beginning.
"He’s just a really good football player. He’s a great teammate, he’s a great leader. He makes our team better, whether he’s playing receiver, whether he’s playing special teams, or whether he’s playing quarterback, he makes us better. I’m glad he came back. Here’s a guy that he wants to be a Gamecock and never hesitated if he wanted to come back and he’s just having a lot of fun," Beamer said.
"He brings a loud confidence to the team. Excited to see what the next step is for him."
The decision could decide how the Gamecocks' season pans out if Sellers gets injured in 2025.
Given his familiarity with the squad over the years, Doty could prove a worthy backup for Sellers' leadership.