Who will be the South Carolina Gamecocks' starting quarterback in 2023? Exploring the QB battle between Spencer Rattler, Luke Doty, and more

The South Carolina Gamecocks will enter the 2023 season with the toughest schedule in college football. Their opponents combined to finish with a 103-53 record last season, by far the best in the nation.

The Gamecocks finished the 2022 season with an 8-5 record and ranked 23rd in the Final AP poll. Ahead of the new season, take a look at an update on the quarterback position in South Carolina.

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Who will be the South Carolina Gamecocks starting quarterback?

Spencer Rattler has, by far, the most experience of any quarterback on the South Carolina Gamecocks roster.

Rattler initially joined the Oklahoma Sooners as a five-star prospect in the 2019 recruiting class. He hardly played as a true freshman, completing seven of his 11 pass attempts for 81 passing yards and one touchdown. Rattler added 23 rushing yards on three carries.

He stepped into the starting role the following season, starting all 11 games and leading the Sooners to a 9-2 record. Rattler threw for 3031 yards, 28 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. He completed 67.5% of his passes while adding 160 yards and six touchdowns on 81 carries.

Rattler was named to the first-team All-Big 12, and was also named Big 12 Championship Game MVP.

He entered the 2021 season as the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy. Despite getting off to an undefeated start, Rattler was benched for Caleb Williams during Oklahoma's sixth game.

He threw for 1483 yards, 11 touchdowns and five interceptions while completing 74.9% of his passes. Rattler added 77 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 43 carries.

Following the season, he joined South Carolina via the transfer portal, immediately stepping into the starting role. Rattler finished the 2022 season with 3026 passing yards, 18 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He completed 66.2% of his passes while rushing for 46 yards and three touchdowns on 73 carries.

Luke Doty is the only other quarterback on the roster with college experience. He joined the Gamecocks as a four-star prospect in the 2020 recruiting class.

In three years as a backup, Doty has thrown for 1526 yards, nine touchdowns and eight interceptions. He has completed 61.0% of his passes while adding 173 rushing yards and one touchdown on 80 carries.

Colten Gauthier, who joined South Carolina as a three-star prospect in the 2021 recruiting class, has attempted just one pass, completing it for 19 yards. Tanner Bailey, who was a three-star prospect in the 2022 recruiting class, did not see the field during his true freshman season.

LaNorris Sellers, a three-star prospect in the 2023 recruiting class, rounds out the South Carolina Gamecocks quarterback room.

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How did the South Carolina Gamecocks perform in 2022?

The South Carolina Gamecocks entered the 2022 season unranked. After winning their season opener, the Gamecocks dropped two straight to ranked SEC opponents before rattling off four straight wins to enter the rankings.

They lost two of their next three games, before defeating the Tennessee Volunteers and Clemson Tigers. South Carolina lost the Gator Bowl to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to finish 8-5 and ranked 23rd in the nation.

South Carolina's offense averaged 32.2 points per game, ranking 40th out of 131 teams in the nation. Their defense allowed 28.8 points per game, which ranked 88th in the nation.

The Gamecocks' passing offense ranked 41st in the nation, but their rushing offense ranked just 106th. Their passing offense ranked 34th, while their rushing defense ranked 117th.