SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS FOOTBALL

Mike Bobo’s job is a multi-layered one.

Bobo, who was hired earlier this month as the Gamecocks’ new offensive coordinator, is tasked with resurrecting a Gamecock offense that struggled last year but also continue a hot streak of Gamecock quarterback recruiting.

“I want guys that are winners. I want guys that are winners that play on championship football teams that their coaches say this is the guy that, we won this championship because of him. He's a leader,” Bobo said. “He's the guy. He don’t mind getting in somebody's ass. He doesn't mind putting his arm around and pulling a guy to the side and talking to him.”

Bobo had a lot of success in his time at Georgia recruiting the state and bringing in some really good quarterbacks, most notably Aaron Murray who finished his career at Georgia as an All-SEC quarterback who is the SEC career passing yards and touchdown leader.

He knows how to recruit quarterbacks and in his introductory press conference talked about what he wants to see when he’s on the trail evaluating passers.

“When you turn on a tape, there's a lot guys that can throw that football” Bobo said. “Number one is I want to go see that guy in person and see him throw the ball in person, see how the ball comes off his hand, his release, I want to look at his feet, what kind of balance does he have? What kind of athletic ability he has?”

Film can sometimes lie to a coach, so Bobo said he likes to evaluate quarterbacks in person before deciding whether or not to continue to recruit him.

When he goes to see a quarterback in-person, he’s able to see all the physical attributes but also if he has that “it” factor.

“You got to find out if he's got it. You've heard it a thousand times, but to me what it is, when he walks in a huddle, not just the team of guys believe in him but those 85, 95 guys on the sideline believe this is the guy too,” Bobo said. “There's a lot guys that can go out and throw seven on seven and go to these quarterback gurus and do all these drops and look good, shuffle through bags, but does he have it when he walks out there that the guys believe that this guy can get it done. It's harder and harder to find out nowadays 'cause you're having to offer out guys earlier and earlier and the key is you like to get them into camp.”

The Gamecocks have been great on the recruiting trail with quarterbacks lately, landing three straight Elite 11 quarterbacks in Dakereon Joyner, Ryan Hilinski and now Luke Doty.

Bobo didn’t really have a hand in recruiting any of those three, meeting with Doty briefly after taking the job, and will get to work recruiting the next passer for the 2021 class.

He’ll start on that as the evaluation period starts soon and in the camp gauntlet this summer.

“It’s trying to find out how he thinks, his mental approach,” Bobo said. “And then you got to have a guy that's going to stand in there. You got to have a guy that's got toughness. You know a lot of people think toughness is that offensive line, or that back, but your quarterback better have some toughness about him.”