South Carolina football: the Luke Doty era has officially begun
By Jacob Elsey
Big Play Potential
Piggybacking on the last point, Doty provides the Gamecocks with an ability to keep drives alive, confuse defenses, and make big plays with his legs or his arm.
The Gamecocks struggled to get explosive plays in the passing game last year with Collin Hill under center. South Carolina completed just two passes of more than 40 yards all season, and threw for only eight scores.
Luke Doty hits Dakereon Joyner for a 30 yard TD to cut South Carolina’s (+11.5) deficit to 34-18 and cash the over (47.5)
— Bet The Pigskin (@betthepigskin) December 6, 2020
https://t.co/EueC8OO1D4
Doty’s ability to get outside of the pocket can allow receivers more time to get open, as well as turn scramble opportunities into long runs. Expect these big plays to come early and often next season as he continues to get more comfortable in the South Carolina offensive scheme.
Leadership
Doty has been a leader since his days in high school. Gamecock fans got a glimpse of this leadership during the recruiting process. It began in his team’s state title run, one which he was unable to complete due to injury.
Luke Doty won’t be in action tonight for Myrtle Beach in the 4A state title game versus Wren, but he’s still doing his part with the team pic.twitter.com/EC3JrN4gwF
— TheBigSpur.com (@TheBigSpur247) December 7, 2019
It continued throughout the offseason, as Doty was one of the spearheads for a 2020 class that landed a ton of instate talent. He was key in communicating with top performers like Jordan Burch, Tonka Hemingway, and Alex Huntley, helping the Gamecocks secure a top-20 recruiting class.
And, finally, fans got a first hand look during the season, as he gave the Gamecocks an offensive spark, handled criticism gracefully, and continued to be positive in a tough situation.
Success
The combination of these attributes will lead to success on the field. We may not see the immediate impact, as the Gamecocks still need to get some weapons around him, but the future appears bright.
Couple years from now when Luke Doty has the Gamecocks in the Top 25 and competing for the SEC East title, he'll look back on that one.
— Brad Crawford (@BCrawford247) November 22, 2020
Growing pains for the freshman. Dude is legit.
He does have a solid foundation to build upon, though, as leading ball carrier Kevin Harris is slated to return after pacing the conference in rushing in 2020. Fellow tailback MarShawn Lloyd will also return following a season ending injury, and Doty’s favorite target Nick Muse has announced that he’ll be back for a final go. There are pieces in place to see a marked improvement in the South Carolina offense compared to a year ago. The key will be Doty’s ability to adjust to the speed of the game.
As Doty continues to grow, so, too, will the success in the South Carolina football program. The team is now his to lead.