South Carolina football: Luke Doty practicing with wide receivers

A freshman quarterback on the South Carolina football team is getting a look at a new position this offseason.

Luke Doty came to Columbia as a highly touted, dual-threat quarterback. That hasn’t changed, but his role on the offense may be expanding a little bit this offseason.

Doty has recently been seen taking a few reps at wide receiver as the Gamecocks begin their fall practices leading up to the regular season. It may come as a bit of a shock to fans, as the Myrtle Beach product was rated by all three major recruiting sites as a top 100 player and a top five signal caller, but if you look a little harder, it’s not as surprising as you’d think.

At 6-1, and just under 200 pounds, Doty’s got size to compete against defensive backs. He was also one of the most athletic players in the latest recruiting class, regardless of position. In fact, before becoming an all-state high school quarterback, Doty was a receiver on the Seahawks’ offensive unit.

And when looking at the wide receivers on the current roster, there aren’t a lot of proven commodities behind senior Shi Smith. A few players, like OrTre Smith, Xavier Legette, and Josh Vann, have shown flashes, but none has been able to sustain consistent production. Doty could provide the group with another option.

Before anyone gets worked up about the move, it’s worth noting that Doty’s future with the Gamecocks is still at quarterback. This is a temporary experiment, but one that could open up the playbook a bit. South Carolina could presumably have three quarterbacks on the field at any moment (don’t forget about Dak Joyner), which might provide for some gadget plays to offset aggressive defenses.

At the moment, it appears that Doty is third on the depth chart, behind both incumbent starter Ryan Hilinski and newcomer Collin Hill. The move to receiver may be his quickest route to making an early impact. And if he’s getting significant time this season at quarterback, it may mean that the Gamecocks have bigger issues on offense.

Doty threw for more than 5,600 yards in his high school career, and added another 1,100 on the ground. He was named Mr. Football in the state of South Carolina as a senior, while leading his team to a state championship appearance. It will be fun to follow how he adapts to this new role, and should be fun to see him make an impact this fall.