Shane Beamer sends harrowing message to ex-Auburn football QB1 Robby Ashford
Robby Ashford transferred from Hugh Freeze's Auburn football program due to a lack of opportunities under center, but at least with the Tigers behind Payton Thorne in 2023, Ashford got snaps at all.
In South Carolina's narrow 23-19 victory over Old Dominion, despite LaNorris Sellers not impressing as the Gamecocks' QB1, head coach Shane Beamer was never going to play Ashford in Week 1; per his admission on the September 1 edition of the "Gamecock Football with Coach Beamer" show.
“We didn’t,” Beamer said to show host Todd Ellis when asked if the coaches considered inserting Ashford into the lineup (h/t Saturday Down South). “LaNorris will be the first to tell you he has some things to clean up. I thought he did a great job, did what he needed to do to help us win. He certainly missed some throws, and we’ll get that cleaned up, but that’s not always on the quarterback. I thought he did a great job running the football.”
Robby Ashford left Auburn football to compete for starting job at South Carolina
Beamer got Ashford's commitment because he sold him on the dream of being South Carolina's starting quarterback. And funnily enough, at the time The War Rapport's Mike Gittens told me that, it was Myrtle Beach native Luke Doty who was seen as Ashford's main competition. Not Seelers.
"Talent evaluation can be subjective in nature," Gittens prefaced before saying, "Hugh Freeze did not feel like Robby Ashford was an SEC caliber QB but Shane Beamer does. Not only does he believe that but the thinking inside the building is that he will be the best QB in the room once he steps on campus. I think it’s his job to lose. Sure he can lose it but his chances of starting over Doty are good.”
Unfortunately for South Carolina, Ashford may have to wait until the Gamecocks are down big to Kentucky or LSU before he sees action. Otherwise, Week 4 against Akron should give him a chance to spell Sellers and prove what he's got in a game the Gamecocks should be up big in.