Report: South Carolina QB Lorenzo Nunez could miss rest of spring
One of the contenders to win South Carolina’s quarterback job could miss the rest of spring practice.
According to The State, Lorenzo Nunez suffered a “sprained LCL and hyper-extended knee” during the team’s practice on Saturday. Nunez, a sophomore, is a dual-threat quarterback who proved to be a formidable running threat last season. Overall in eight games, Nunez was the team’s second-leading rusher with 375 yards on 59 carries. He also threw for 376 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions while completing 32-of-52 passes.
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Nunez is one of five competing to land the starting quarterback gig for new head coach Will Muschamp. Repetitions have been divided among Nunez, senior Perry Orth, junior Connor Mitch, sophomore Michael Scarnecchia and true freshman Brandon McIlwain, a four-star early enrollee, throughout spring ball.
Quarterback play was a big issue for the Gamecocks in 2015. Mitch started the year off as the team’s starter, but was sidelined after separating his shoulder during a Week 2 loss to Kentucky. Orth, a former walk-on, then stepped in as starter and finished the season with 1,929 yards, 12 touchdowns and nine interceptions while splitting time with Nunez.
When spring practice began, Muschamp indicated there was no timetable to name a starter, but did say he hoped to “whittle down” the field to two or three in a timely manner.
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“I would love to name a starter after spring, but if we’re not ready to do that, we will take it through fall camp,” Muschamp said last week. “Those guys understand how critical the reps are for them every time they are out there.”
South Carolina will play its spring game on April 9, where the coaching staff will get a glimpse of these quarterbacks in game action.
For more South Carolina news, visit GamecockCentral.com.
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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
