South-Carolina

Who will be South Carolina football starting quarterback and what will spring game tell us?

Published

2 years ago

April 18, 2024

Who will be South Carolina football starting quarterback and what will spring game tell us?

COLUMBIA — No more Spencer Rattler. Now what?

The South Carolina football quarterback is headed to the NFL and his departure has created an open competition for the starter in 2024. With the Garnet & Black spring game Saturday (7 p.m., SEC Network+) at Williams-Brice Stadium, coach Shane Beamer made it clear Tuesday all of the candidates will get reps.

Rattler spent two years at South Carolina after three seasons with Oklahoma. For the Gamecocks, Rattler logged 6,212 yards, 37 touchdowns, rushed for 150 yards and seven touchdowns. He finished fifth all-time in passing yards and ranked first in Gamecocks history in career completion percentage (.675).

“Obviously we’ve been evaluating everything every single day since we started practice in March,” said Beamer. “As far as naming one and where we are, whatever we do our players know competition is a core value so we will continue to compete at every single position through the summer.”

There are differing philosophies and approaches to a quarterback battle and Beamer noted he’s been a part of coaching staffs who all handled it differently. One approach, battle through August and name a quarterback nearing the first game, giving maximum time for competition. Another, have a starter named so you can have the rest of the team rally around him early in the preparation for the season opener.

“(Quarterback coach Dowell Loggains) and I haven’t talked about it as far as our time frame and wanting to do anything but even if there was an announcement after spring practice, like all positions, that position would have to continue to prove it, earn it and compete,” said Beamer.

With all that said, here is a breakdown of potential starting quarterbacks for the 2024 season going in the spring game.

LaNorris Sellers played against Furman, Vanderbilt

LaNorris Sellers is a redshirt freshman who made three appearances last season. The 6-foot-3, 240-pound Sellers, is from Florence, South Carolina. In his debut against Furman, Sellers went a perfect 4-for-4, throwing for 86 yards and two touchdowns, one of which went for 50 yards. Against Vanderbilt, he ran for a 36-yard touchdown and against Kentucky, he logged nine rushing yards.

Sellers committed to Syracuse out of high school but flipped his commitment to South Carolina. In high school, according to 247Sports Composite, Sellers completed 150 of 258 passes for 2,949 yards, 45 TDs, and only two interceptions.

Robby Ashford is transfer from Auburn

In January, the Gamecocks picked up Robby Ashford, a transfer from Auburn with two years of eligibility remaining. The 6-foot-3, 218-pound Ashford began his college career at Oregon, playing both football and basketball. He didn’t get minutes for the football team but played 20 games for the baseball team in 2021 before transferring. He spent the last two seasons at Auburn.

In his first year for the Tigers, he threw for 1,613 yards, seven touchdowns and rushed for 710 yards, including seven touchdowns and started nine of 12 games in 2022. Last season, as the backup, he completed 14 of 27 passes for 145 yards, threw two touchdowns and two interceptions. He rushed for 217 yards and five touchdowns.

BEAMER’S PORTAL What positions South Carolina football coach Shane Beamer is targeting in transfer portal

Freshman Dante Reno is a 2024 signee

Another potential option could be Dante Reno, the lone quarterback in the 2024 signing class. The 6-2 Reno is from Sturbridge, Massachusetts, and played at Cheshire Academy in Connecticut. As a senior at Cheshire, completed 64.1 % of his passes for 2,358 yards, threw 20 touchdowns, seven interceptions and recorded 232 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns.

Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email her at lkesin@gannett.com and follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @Lulukesin.

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South-Carolina

NFL Draft Injury Analysis: Jalon Kilgore, S – South Carolina

Published

7 hours ago

March 27, 2026

Press Room

NFL Draft Injury Analysis: Jalon Kilgore, S – South Carolina

The Lions may be looking for a safety within the first two rounds due to injuries to Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch. That’s where Jalon Kilgore may come in. He has some minor injuries, but appears to be a relatively low-risk prospect for a team that needs to add health to that room.

Here is the excerpt of my medical report on Jalon Kilgore:

Jalon Kilgore, S (21) – South Carolina

Projected round 2-3.

Concern level 2/10

While his availability has been excellent, Kilgore has a history of hamstring strains in 2025 and 2023. If his 2024 injury is found to be also a hamstring, then happenstance becomes a disturbing trend.

With fast-twitch athletes, hamstrings are going to be very common, and generally don’t present any long-term issues. The difficult trick will be to determine if a certain player is more prone to hamstrings.

What helps Kilgore a lot is his young age.

For more Lions coverage, follow us on X, @TheLionsWire, and give our Facebook page a like. Follow Jimmy on X, @JimmyLiaoMD

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South-Carolina

Motorcyclist critically injured in Longs area crash

Published

19 hours ago

March 26, 2026

Press Room

Motorcyclist critically injured in Longs area crash

HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WPDE) — One person was critically injured in a motorcycle crash in the Longs area on Thursday afternoon, according to Horry County Fire Rescue (HCFR).

Just before 2:00 p.m., crews responded to the area of Old Highway 31 near Hidden River Road.

MORE: 1 critically injured in vehicle rollover near International Dr.

One person was transported to the hospital as a result of the motorcycle crash, HCFR said.

Officials ask that drivers avoid the area as lanes of traffic are currently blocked.

The incident is under investigation by the South Carolina Highway Patrol with assistance from the Horry County Police Department.

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South-Carolina

South Carolina’s Raven Johnson carries her grandfather’s legacy into Sweet 16

Published

1 day ago

March 26, 2026

Press Room

South Carolina’s Raven Johnson carries her grandfather’s legacy into Sweet 16

Alyssia Hamilton
| Special to USA TODAY

COLUMBIA, SC ― With the clock winding down and pressures of the Women’s NCAA Tournament rising, South Carolina senior guard Raven Johnson isn’t playing just to win. She plays in honor of a voice she can no longer hear – but that she still carries with her every time she steps onto the court.

That motivation was on full display Monday night, as the No. 1-seeded Gamecocks took down No. 9 USC to advance to the Sweet 16. Johnson earned her 1,000th career point ― what would prove to be her last point at Colonial Life Arena ― on a steal and fast-break layup that brought a roar from the crowd. The Gamecocks will face No. 4 Oklahoma Saturday in Sacramento, with another Elite Eight appearance on the line.

For Johnson, the moment symbolized something deeper – a career shaped by the memory of her late grandfather. Johnson’s family watched as she achieved the milestone, her mother, grandmother and twin brother. It was a full circle moment for a player whose journey took root in her grandparents’ home.

Her grandparents helped raise her and her twin brother, Richard Johnson. The family lived together and she often calls her grandmother “mother” and her grandfather “papa,” reflecting the impact they had on her upbringing.

“My grandparents did a really good job,” Johnson said. “We wouldn’t be playing sports if it wasn’t for them.”

The Boones introduced the twins to basketball through their church and spent countless hours training them, often pushing them past their limits. A sergeant first class in the Army Reserves, he supervised soldiers in his unit and brought that same discipline to his grandchildren on the court, being demanding, structured and determined.

“I remember being outside and he was training us and I thought it was so hard. I wanted to give up,” Johnson said. “I used to cry, and he would be like ‘You’re not going to cry in my face, and you’re not going to give up.’ It was little things like that that made me tough.”

The standard of grit, accountability and composure, is something Johnson carries today.

“She’s just a winner and she’s a great point guard,” said South Carolina senior guard Ta’Niya Latson, who also played with Johnson at Westlake High School in Atlanta. “When she’s confident, we’re confident. When she’s poised, we’re poised. It’s hard to have that type of personality and leadership on the court, but she carries it well.”

Rodrick Boone was diagnosed with stomach cancer in December 2012 and died in April 2013 while Johnson was at a tournament in New Orleans. She was 10 years old.

“I remember I shut down,” Johnson said. “My mind went blank. I was like ‘What?’ I thought he was untouchable.”

Months after her grandfather’s death, something shifted in her mindset.

“I think that’s my why,” Johnson said. “I keep going today because he is my why.”

As a child, Johnson didn’t even like basketball. She preferred T-ball and cheerleading and thought basketball wasn’t for girls, until she saw Notre Dame’s Skylar Diggins and began to see herself differently.

“She was so pretty to me and I remember asking ‘Can I be girly and hoop?’” Johnson said.

She was the only girl on her recreational team, earning the nickname “Killer” for her defensive intensity alongside her brother, nicknamed “Thriller” for his offensive ability. The boys tested Johnson by playing physical and trying to push her out of the sport.

“I used to be cooking them out there a little bit, and I think they didn’t like that,” Johnson said.

She said the boys trying to make it hard on her actually made her tougher both physically and mentally.

Her grandmother, Connie Boone, said her grandfather would be proud of what Johnson has become.

“He might be crying but he would be happy about it,” her grandmother said. “You start them young, but you never know what the outcome is going to be.”

Johnson imagines the conversations she’d be having with her papa if he was still here.

“He would still be on my butt riding me, he’ll tell me maybe I need to fix something,” Johnson said. “He’ll be happy and I think he’ll be like ‘All right let’s get back to the drawing board. Let’s get ready for the next opponent.’”

She knows her papa is always watching, and she talks to him a lot at night.

“I just want to tell him that I’m going to keep pushing through even when it gets tough,” Johnson said. “He’s always telling me to push through because nobody cares. Nobody cares if you’re at your lowest, nobody cares.”

On Monday, fans chanted “Raven, Raven, Raven” as she walked off the court for the final time at Colonial Life Arena, Johnson’s moment was bigger than the scoreboard.

It was about diligence, progress and a promise kept.

With another game ahead and the possibility of a deeper tournament run, she isn’t finished. She continues to push and play for the voice that gave her a reason to begin.

Alyssia Hamilton is a student in the University of Georgia’s Carmical Sports Media Institute.

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