SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS FOOTBALL

Ask quarterbacks coach Dan Werner about special packages or designed plays for Dakereon Joyner and his answer remains the same.

In his eyes, Dakereon Joyner is a quarterback, and that’s how Werner’s treating him as Joyner battles Ryan Hilinski for the Gamecocks’ backup quarterback position.

And why shouldn’t he view Joyner like that? Joyner is an Elite 11 quarterback coming out of high school and said Friday he feels “very confident” in his ability to win the No. 2 quarterback spot.

“I think everybody like’s competition. It makes you better,” he said. “I think we’re all doing a good job of holding each other accountable.”

Also see: Notes from Friday's player media availability

Joyner is in the thick of that competition with Hilinski, with the Gamecocks finishing up practice seven Friday and have two more before the team’s first scrimmage on Monday.

Sometimes in these position battles, the two guys competing against each other can form a level of resentment against each other after getting pitted against once another every day in practice, but that isn’t the case for Joyner and Hilinski.

“I wouldn’t say it’s hard. It’s not hard at all. We’re all great guys. We don’t look at it that way; we try to help each other as much as possible and whatever happens, happens.”

Also see: Insider notes from Friday's practice

And their relationship has permeated to their other teammates, too.

“It reminds me a lot of when I got here,” said Jake Bentley, who battled Brandon McIlwain and Perry Orth for the starting job his freshman year. “Every single day they’re locked in. it’s fun for me to just see how much they want it makes me want it even more too.”

Since Hilnski is a true freshman, that means Joyner is the only quarterback in the backup race to have played in a meaningful game behind Bentley.

He struggled at times last year, but Bentley sees a totally different Joyner so far through preseason camp this year.

“I think it comes with getting stronger in the weight room upper body wise and core-wise to maintain his core a little better when he throws,” Bentley said. “Mechanically, he’s gotten a lot sounder. That was really important to him. Coming off last season, he knew he had to improve on that to have a chance to take that backup role. I think he’s done a great job improve there and looks a lot better.”

Also see: Full recap from Dan Werner's meeting with the media

Hilinski has also been impressive in camp and Werner said he’s been impressed with all three of his quarterbacks through the first seven practices.

Hilinski, who threw for almost 3,000 yards and 30 touchdowns as a senior, is going through his second round of practice at South Carolina after coming in for spring drills in January.

“First of all, he’s changed his body. Coming out of high school he probably didn’t lift a lot compared to what he’s doing here. He’s lost weight and gained a lot of muscle mass,” Werner said of Hilinski. “Football-wise, he’s got a much better grasp. He knows it inside and out. Always for a young guy it’s about translating it from the meeting room to the field. I’ve been really pleased with how that’s happened.”