Ryan Hilinski knows his starting job isn’t guaranteed.

The sophomore incumbent who started 11 games as a freshman last year is working with the starters in spring practice but knows once training camp starts another player will join the quarterback competition in Collin Hill.

“Right now we’re all competing. We’re all trying to make each other better. That’s the mindset going into every single day,” Hilinski said. “Every single player is competing with another person,” “We’re all competing right now, no one’s got a starting spot.”

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Hill transferred to South Carolina this summer, following offensive coordinator Mike Bobo from Colorado State and is spending the spring rehabbing a knee injury.

He’s not able to practice with the team but should be cleared this summer and be full go for training camp, which is scheduled to start in August.

Right now, though, he is working with Bobo and the rest of the quarterbacks in the film room and making a good first impression.

“Coach Bobo and Collin Hill have been a great addition to this football team and the facility all around. They’re great people on the field and great people in the facility, in the film room. It’s about, ‘Hey what can I do for you? How can I help you?’” Hilinski said. “Collin’s the first guy to step up and say, ‘I’ll help you with that.’ he’s been really helpful in that regard.”

Hilinski is welcoming to competition and eager to get Hill back on the field and working with the team as the season approaches.

Without Hill out there, Hilinski is working with the team’s two other scholarship quarterbacks in redshirt junior Jay Urich and true freshman Luke Doty.

“I think competition is a healthy thing to have. I think our best position group we have right now is our offensive line because we have the most competition there because those guys are competing every day to stay with the first team,” Bobo said. “I think you’re going to have guys going out there knowing they have to execute at a high level at the quarterback position.”

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Bobo said he’s liked what he’s seen from his passers so far with accuracy a big piece of what he’s looking for in the spring.

“You have to hit your targets. If you want to be a good football team, you’re going to have to have good quarterback play. That’s what I’m looking for,” Bobo said. “Right now, Ryan Hilinski’s had good quarterback play the first five days. I’ve been pleased with him. We’ll see when Collin gets healthy and out there what’s going to happen with him. Right now, I want good quarterback play. Guys are going to get an opportunity to compete.”

Hilinski is coming off an up and down freshman season where he completed 58.1 percent of his passes, averaged 5.8 yards per attempt for 11 touchdowns and five interceptions.

Hill only played three games last year with that knee injury but in three seasons at Colorado State he’s completed 60.7 of his passes, averaged 7.7 yards per attempt and has a 2.1 touchdown to interception ratio.

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“Who can lead our football team, be productive, be accurate with the football, take care of the football score, and who's productive. I mean, those things are what we're looking for,” Will Muschamp said. “Who's going to move our offense and be a productive, help us be a productive offense and win games?”