South Carolina Football: Despite reports, SEC starting quarterback is NOT joining the Gamecocks

A lot can change in 24 hours. As of Sunday evening, former Vanderbilt quarterback AJ Swann was expected to commit to the South Carolina football program and battle with redshirt freshman LaNorris Sellers for QB1 snaps with the Gamecocks.

National outlets and local outlets were reporting that Swann was "expected" to pledge himself to the Gamecocks, and most assumed that would be what happened.

Fast forward to Monday evening, and Swann went ahead an made his commitment...to LSU.

Reports started surfacing late in the afternoon that LSU might have done enough to sway Swann toward the Bayou, and those reports ended up being correct as he made the call around dinnertime.

Swann will compete with Garrett Nussmeier for the starting job for head coach Brian Kelly, and the Gamecocks are left with just one full-time quarterback on the roster in Columbia.

4-star class of 2024 commitment Dante Reno is expected to sign this week and enroll in January, moving the scholarship count to two at the position. With the most quarterback experience on the roster residing in the 2020-2021 version of now-wide receiver Luke Doty, South Carolina football coach Shane Beamer is expected to bring in a veteran to compete with Sellers and offer some depth to the quarterback room.

Up to this point, the only other quarterback from the transfer portal to have visited the Gamecocks was former Texas Longhorn Maalik Murphy who is hoping to transfer somewhere with a clearer path to a starting job. Arkansas multi-year starter KJ Jefferson just entered the portal officially, and his name was leaked almost three weeks ago as one who was interested in the Carolina quarterback job, but like Murphy, Jefferson has intentions of starting.

Whether it is Murphy, Jefferson, or someone else, the Gamecocks will bring in someone to help out in the QB room. And, no, Gamecock fans, Zeb Noland does not have another year of eligibility.