South Carolina names former grad assistant its starting QB

FILE - South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer speaks to reporters during the NCAA college football Southeastern Conference Media Days in Hoover, Ala., in this Monday, July 19, 2021, file photo. First-year South Carolina coach Shane Beamer believes is new team is closer to the dominance it showed a decade ago than the way it performed the past couple of seasons. (AP Photo/Butch Dill, File) (Butch Dill, Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

COLUMBIA, S.C. – One-time South Carolina graduate assistant Zeb Noland will be the Gamecocks' starting quarterback when they open the season against Eastern Illinois this week.

Noland was listed first on South Carolina's depth chart released Tuesday. St. Francis (PA) transfer Jason Brown will serve as Noland's backup with expected starter Luke Doty out with a mid-foot sprain.

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Noland, who formerly played at Iowa State and North Dakota State, accepted a spot on coach Shane Beamer's staff in the offseason and was helping prepare Gamecock quarterbacks for the season. But he gave up his coaching spot two weeks ago to put on the pads.

Noland began his career at Iowa State where he threw for 1,233 yards in two seasons. He transferred to North Dakota State and trained alongside San Francisco 49ers top draft choice Trey Lance.

Doty's injury was not expected to be long term, according to Beamer.

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