After sending Spencer Rattler to the NFL in the offseason, South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer says the Gamecocks will look different at the quarterback spot in 2024. And former Auburn quarterback Robby Ashford finds himself in the middle of South Carolina’s new-look quarterback room after joining the Gamecocks in January.

“Robby has really grown and done a great job since he came to our program in January from Auburn,” Beamer said of Ashford during his time in the electronic media room on Monday. “You talk about a guy that’s a great young man, extremely athletic, hence his baseball career and what he’s done as a football player.”

Before spending two seasons at Auburn, Ashford started his career at Oregon and appeared on both Oregon’s football and baseball rosters.

After transferring to Auburn ahead of the 2022 season, Ashford logged just more than 1,700 passing yards, nine touchdowns and nine interceptions across his two seasons on The Plains.

Of Ashford’s 1,758 passing yards, 1,613 came during the 2022 season, when Ashford took over as Auburn’s starting quarterback in Week 4 and logged nine starts.

Last fall, Ashford found himself in the middle of a two-quarterback rotation that featured himself and Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne, who was ultimately named the Tigers’ starter and took on a bulk of Auburn’s quarterback duties. Meanwhile, Ashford saw his playtime slowly dwindle as the season progressed and ultimately decided to enter the transfer portal at the conclusion of the regular season.

In committing to South Carolina in January, Ashford joined redshirt freshman LaNorris Sellers in South Carolina’s quarterback room.

“He’s started games in the SEC, he’s come in and helped make LaNorris Sellers better and LaNorris has helped make Robby better,” Beamer said of Ashford and Sellers on Monday. “Just a really great addition to our program, great personality, great energy and has done a really good job of helping us get better already, both on and off the field.”

And while the two competed throughout the spring, Sellers is expected to enter fall camp as South Carolina’s starting quarterback with Ashford nipping at his heels.

“Obviously gotta replace an elite player in Spencer (Rattler),” Beamer said at the podium on Monday. “We certainly are going to look different at the quarterback position and LaNorris Sellers and Robby Ashford, both guys that are 240 pound guys that can run and are able to throw equally as well.”