New South Carolina offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Mike Bobo is apparently pretty happy with the QBs he inherited.

Bobo got five practices with his offense this spring before the coronavirus shut down all sports and head coach Will Muschamp said Tuesday that the Gamecocks new playcaller liked what he saw, particularly from returning starter Ryan Hilinski.

"Coach Bobo is really excited about our quarterback room and it starts with Ryan," Muschamp said Tuesday in an interview with Charlotte's WFNZ Sports Radio. "Obviously, his experience last year helps in learning from that experience and Ryan did some really good things for us. Ryan was put in a very difficult situation. There's no other position harder to play than the quarterback position as a true freshman and that's what he was thrust into. We needed to play better around him and he needed to play better at times, but he did some really good things, so Mike's really excited."

Thrust into the starting spot as a true freshman last season, Hilinski started the final 11 games of the season for South Carolina after Jake Bentley was lost for the year in the season opener.

Hilinski completed 236-of-406 passes (58.1 pct.) for 2,357 yards and 11 touchdowns with just five interceptions. Hilinski tied the school’s freshman quarterback records for starts and set records for pass completions and attempts, but as the year progressed, and injuries mounted around him, the Gamecocks' offense sputtered and the team went 4-7 in the games he started, an outcome that Hilinski took full responsibility for this spring.

Bobo praised Hilinski's progress when he met with the media following the fifth practice, noting his improvement with his footwork, balance in the pocket, understanding of the protections and his overall accuracy.

Hilinski is the presumed starter in a quarterback room that features depth and talent. Freshman early enrollee Luke Doty has grabbed the attention of his coaches and teammates while redshirt junior Jay Urich has moved back into the quarterback room full time after also playing receiver last year.

The wildcard of the group is graduate transfer Collin Hill who joined the team from Colorado State in January. Hill missed the spring as he continues to rehab a knee injury.

"(Bobo) told me after the fifth day, we've got a really good quarterback room and Ryan had five really good days of spring," Muschamp said. "He's extremely intelligent, he's working hard off the field, in the meeting room, doing all the things it takes to be the quarterback at the South Carolina."