Latest on Gamecocks' backup quarterbacks after Saturday's scrimmage

SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS FOOTBALL

Five days after saying that all of his quarterbacks needed to get rid of the ball quicker, South Carolina football coach Will Muschamp seemed somewhat happier with that position group following the Gamecocks' scrimmage Saturday.

Muschamp, however, didn't offer any new clarity on the Gamecocks backup quarterback competition, a two-person race between Dakereon Joyner and Ryan Hilinski.

"All three guys [did some good things]," Muschamp said. "I thought Jake, we had some explosive plays offensively. And I'm looking forward to watching the film and evaluating Dakereon and Ryan."

With Bentley locked in as the team's sure starter, the redshirt freshman Joyner and true freshman Hilinski have locked into a battle since the spring with no clear leader to this point.

The Gamecocks scrimmaged on Monday at Williams-Brice Stadium before scrimmaging again Saturday, the final scrimmage before their opener against North Carolina in Charlotte in 14 days.

While sometimes the lack of separation in a position battle may come from the need for one player to step up and take the job, Muschamp has seemed genuinely pleased with the progress of both players this offseason.

"We'll watch the tape; today was a huge evaluation," Muschamp said. "Obviously, the two scrimmages are big in that evaluation process, but not just at that position, but at a lot of positions."