While Luke Doty won’t start Saturday against Eastern Illinois, his time on the sideline might be coming to an end relatively soon.

The Gamecocks’ starting quarterback entering training camp has been hampered for three weeks with a foot sprain but Shane Beamer offered an encouraging update as to when the second-year quarterback could return to practice.

“I would hope if not this week certainly next week. We’ll see how it goes,” Beamer said. “I think it’s very realistic as we go into next week he’d be getting really, really close to 100 percent.”

Doty was stepped on Aug. 13 near the end of practice, a day before the Gamecocks’ first scrimmage of camp, and hasn’t practice since then.

In the last 18 days he’s gone from being in a cast riding around on a scooter to a walking boot and now is in tennis shoes during practice.

He was out with the team Tuesday morning as they begin preparations for Eastern Illinois but wasn’t an active participant in practice.

South Carolina has two more practices—Wednesday and Thursday—with a walk through Friday this week and the same schedule next week with the hope he’s available to at least practice at some point before traveling to East Carolina Sept. 11.

“He’s in tennis shoes and not in the boot anymore. He’s not on the scooter or in an air cast. He was out at practice and following the quarterbacks around in tennis shoes today,” Beamer said. “I think he’ll continue to progress. It’s only Tuesday so we’ll see what happens Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. Hopefully he comes along."

Former Iowa State and North Dakota State quarterback and, until recently, Gamecock graduate assistant Zeb Noland will start in Doty’s spot with Jason Brown the backup.

If Doty does return next week and the possibility of him playing in Greenville is there it means the Gamecocks could open up the competition again and have a new starter week two.

But, Beamer isn’t thinking that too far ahead knowing Noland is the starter this week and the primary objective is to take care of business at home Saturday night (7 p.m., ESPN Plus).

“We’re worried about beating eastern Illinois. That’s all I’m focused on. We just had a great Tuesday practice. Let’s go out there and have a great Wednesday practice,” he said.

“Right now let’s rally around Zeb and the quarterbacks who are playing Saturday night. Hopefully we can play our best Saturday night, win this one and we’ll worry about east Carolina and what’s next after that.”

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