South Carolina Football: Does Collin Hill have a Legitimate Chance to be the Gamecocks’ Starting QB?
By Jacob Elsey
The former Dorman High signal caller returns to his home state with hopes of earning the starting job under center. The two biggest things that Hill has working in his favor are experience and familiarity with Mike Bobo’s system.
The graduate transfer has played in a total of 18 games, seven more than the next most experienced quarterback on the Gamecocks’ roster. This will be his fifth season on a college campus, which also makes him the eldest in the Carolina quarterback room. That in-game experience will be beneficial as he competes against Sophomore Ryan Hilinski and Freshman Luke Doty.
Even more beneficial is the relationship he has with new Gamecock offensive coordinator Mike Bobo. Hill has been under Bobo’s wing for the last four years, and has been a starter for parts of three of those seasons. In a typical year, this would give Hill an early advantage as he has a head start on the playbook, but this year it could be even more crucial.
COVID-19 has effectively shut down Spring and Summer activities, meaning Hilinski and Doty will have much less offseason contact with coaches and teammates than usual. It could slow the learning curve a bit, and depending on how long the situation drags out, Bobo might be more comfortable with a familiar face as he works to install new offensive concepts.
Hill has proven that he can be successful in the system, too. He’s reached the 280-yard mark in five of his last six games, dating back to 2018. Prior to his latest injury, he was off to what could’ve been a career season. He threw for a career-high 374 yards and three touchdowns in the season opener against rival Colorado, then followed it up with a 367-yard performance against Western Illinois. He was injured during the third game of the year versus Arkansas.
He tallied eight touchdown passes in that shortened junior season. To put it in perspective, Carolina quarterbacks combined for just 12 touchdown passes over the entire year. With his experience and the production to back it up, Bobo certainly won’t hesitate to have Hill at the helm.