Muschamp explains why it’s just a different beast when it comes to QBs and transfers
April 29, 2019, | THE STATE
South Carolina football coach Will Muschamp wanted to make the point clear.
“The quarterback position is just different,” Muschamp said.
The question he was asked was a tad meandering. His team had come through the end of spring practice and dodged what can sometimes be a tricky time. Plenty of players transfer as the semester draws to a close, and that can often strike quarterback rooms.
The Gamecocks escaped with no attrition on that front.
To a degree, the fourth-year Gamecocks coach understands, but he also disagrees with one element of how the situations are discussed.
“I get a little frustrated at times with the transfer situations because everyone transfers for a different reason,” Muschamp said. “It’s not all the same reason. It’s not all about playing time. It’s maybe comfort, away from home, or maybe some personal things someone is going through. There’s a lot of different reasons, so you can’t blanket one transfer into all one thing.”
That one thing most attribute it to would be playing time.
Players see there’s not much of a chance they’ll play, or look ahead and think someone younger is starting to establish themselves, and they start looking around. While Muschamp says plenty of reasons can factor in, he understands the playing time question for passers.
“It’s not like you can get in a three-receiver set, a four-receiver set, a five-receiver set,” Muschamp said. “You’ve got one guy who is going to play and take the snap.”
The Gamecocks have seen a little attrition since Muschamp arrived. Connor Mitch made it through his first spring with the current staff, but left soon after. Brandon McIlwain came in with Jake Bentley. After Bentley took the starting job as a freshman, McIlwain left in the middle of the next spring practice.
But they’ve also seen good retention. Michael Scarnecchia accepted his place backing up a younger player. Jay Urich was recruited in 2017 and started playing wide receiver late in spring (he’s been a special-teamer for a few months).
Keeping guys like that isn’t always a given in the modern landscape.
After next season, Jake Bentley will be gone. Former four-star recruits Ryan Hilinski and Dakereon Joyner will be separated by only one year. One will win the job, the other will be a backup.
Muschamp understands that being a quarterback is part of a player’s identity. It has defined their career, the place they held on teams. Joyner even came out and said if he had wanted to play another spot other than QB, he would be at Clemson or Alabama.
As the coach said, it’s different.
“In most situations, they’re not going to be able to be like a Jay Urich, who can go play another position and contribute to your football team,” Muschamp said. “That’s what they do and that’s what they’ve grown up wanting to do. So when that situation doesn’t present itself, they look for greener pastures.”
April 29, 2019, | THE STATE
South Carolina football coach Will Muschamp wanted to make the point clear.
“The quarterback position is just different,” Muschamp said.
The question he was asked was a tad meandering. His team had come through the end of spring practice and dodged what can sometimes be a tricky time. Plenty of players transfer as the semester draws to a close, and that can often strike quarterback rooms.
The Gamecocks escaped with no attrition on that front.
To a degree, the fourth-year Gamecocks coach understands, but he also disagrees with one element of how the situations are discussed.
“I get a little frustrated at times with the transfer situations because everyone transfers for a different reason,” Muschamp said. “It’s not all the same reason. It’s not all about playing time. It’s maybe comfort, away from home, or maybe some personal things someone is going through. There’s a lot of different reasons, so you can’t blanket one transfer into all one thing.”
That one thing most attribute it to would be playing time.
Players see there’s not much of a chance they’ll play, or look ahead and think someone younger is starting to establish themselves, and they start looking around. While Muschamp says plenty of reasons can factor in, he understands the playing time question for passers.
“It’s not like you can get in a three-receiver set, a four-receiver set, a five-receiver set,” Muschamp said. “You’ve got one guy who is going to play and take the snap.”
The Gamecocks have seen a little attrition since Muschamp arrived. Connor Mitch made it through his first spring with the current staff, but left soon after. Brandon McIlwain came in with Jake Bentley. After Bentley took the starting job as a freshman, McIlwain left in the middle of the next spring practice.
But they’ve also seen good retention. Michael Scarnecchia accepted his place backing up a younger player. Jay Urich was recruited in 2017 and started playing wide receiver late in spring (he’s been a special-teamer for a few months).
Keeping guys like that isn’t always a given in the modern landscape.
After next season, Jake Bentley will be gone. Former four-star recruits Ryan Hilinski and Dakereon Joyner will be separated by only one year. One will win the job, the other will be a backup.
Muschamp understands that being a quarterback is part of a player’s identity. It has defined their career, the place they held on teams. Joyner even came out and said if he had wanted to play another spot other than QB, he would be at Clemson or Alabama.
As the coach said, it’s different.
“In most situations, they’re not going to be able to be like a Jay Urich, who can go play another position and contribute to your football team,” Muschamp said. “That’s what they do and that’s what they’ve grown up wanting to do. So when that situation doesn’t present itself, they look for greener pastures.”