Ranking quarterbacks on 2023 South Carolina football schedule from Drake Maye to Joe Milton
COLUMBIA — South Carolina football has no doubts about Spencer Rattler in 2023 as the senior quarterback enters his second season starting for the Gamecocks.
Rattler threw for 3,026 yards, 18 touchdowns and 12 interceptions last season after transferring from Oklahoma and will look to improve in Year 2 with new offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains. However, he will need to prove himself this season against some of the best QBs in the country, including several in the SEC.
From top NFL Draft prospect Drake Maye to the starter battle at Florida, we rank every quarterback that South Carolina will face in 2023:
Drake Maye, North Carolina
Maye is widely considered the No. 2 quarterback in the country behind USC star Caleb Williams, and the Gamecocks will face him in their season opener. Maye was the ACC Player of the Year as a redshirt freshman in 2022, passing for 4,321 yards and 38 touchdowns while rushing for 698 and seven. Maye played a handful of snaps against South Carolina in the 2021 Duke's Mayo Bowl, rushing for 24 yards on two attempts.
Devin Leary, Kentucky
Kaiya Sheron struggled last season when he had to step in for Will Levis, so the Wildcats needed a top-tier transfer, and Leary fit the bill. He logged 3,433 passing yards and 35 touchdowns with a 66% completion percentage in 2021 and put up over 1,200 yards through six games in 2022 before suffering a season-ending pectoral injury.
Joe Milton, Tennessee
Milton's played his first two seasons at Michigan before transferring to Tennessee, then lost the starting job with the Vols after two games to Hendon Hooker. He played most of the second half against South Carolina last season after Hooker's ACL injury, logging 147 yards on 11-of-21 passing. Milton's biggest upside is his arm talent, and Josh Heupel's system should elevate both his floor and his ceiling.
Will Rogers, Mississippi State
There's an argument that Rogers, a two-time Manning Award finalist, should be ranked above both Milton and Leary after he threw for 3,713 yards and 34 touchdowns in 2022. The senior was even better in 2021 with 4,739 yards on a 74% completion rate. His position here has less to do with talent and more with the uncertainty around what a post-Mike Leach offense will look like.
Cade Klubnik, Clemson
Klubnik spent most of 2022 as the Tigers' backup quarterback but took over after starter DJ Uiagalelei was benched during the ACC title game against North Carolina. Klubnik went 20-of-24 passing for 279 yards in that game, and he logged 320 yards and two touchdowns as the Orange Bowl starter.
Carson Beck, Georgia
Beck is in the unenviable position of following up back-to-back national championships with Stetson Bennett at the helm. The 6-foot-4, 215-pound quarterback was a four-star prospect in the class of 2020 and has thrown just 12 passes in his three seasons at Georgia.
AJ Swann, Vanderbilt
Swann split the reps last season with Mike Wright, who since transferred to Mississippi State. In six starts, Swann passed for 1,274 passing yards and 10 touchdowns with just two interceptions. Against South Carolina he threw for 127 yards and two touchdowns in Vanderbilt's loss.
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Brady Cook, Missouri
Cook is entering his second year as the Tigers' starter after putting up solid numbers in 2022. He is a dual threat, passing for 2,724 yards and 14 touchdowns while rushing for 585 yards and six touchdowns last season, though he also threw seven interceptions. He had one of his best games against South Carolina, passing for 224 yards and rushing for 53 yards and a touchdown.
Connor Weigman, Texas A&M
Weigman was the No. 2 quarterback prospect in the class of 2022 and took over as the Aggies' starter after Haynes King suffered a season-ending injury against South Carolina. In his limited appearance against the Gamecocks, Weigman went 8-of-15 passing for 91 yards. He finished the last four games of the season with 896 yards, eight touchdowns and zero interceptions.
Tyler Huff, Furman
Huff was unrated as a prospect but earned the starting job at Furman as a graduate transfer from Presbyterian last season. He put up 2,199 passing yards, 694 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns in his first year, completing 68% of his passes with eight interceptions.
Zion Webb, Jacksonville State
Webb enters his third season as Jacksonville State's starter and his seventh year of college football after receiving an eligibility waiver from the NCAA. He threw for 1,737 yards and 10 touchdowns while rushing for 647 yards and 13 touchdowns, though he struggled with accuracy completing 55% with nine interceptions.
TBD: Florida
The Gators will replace first-round NFL Draft pick Anthony Richardson with either Graham Mertz or Jack Miller, but neither instills much confidence. Mertz transferred to the Gators after two years starting at Wisconsin, and Miller transferred in from Ohio State last season. Mertz threw for 2,136 yards and 19 touchdowns with 10 interceptions last season with the Badgers, and Miller passed for 180 yards when he started in the Las Vegas Bowl.
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: South Carolina football schedule QBs ranked: Drake Maye to Joe Milton
