Zeb Noland figured that his quarterback career had come to an end when he decided to become an assistant coach for the South Carolina Gamecocks, but you never know what’s going to happen in the world of college football.
After an injury to presumed Gamecocks’ starter Luke Doty, Noland was able to take advantage of a year remaining on his eligibility. The job wasn’t just handed to him, he actually beat out Jason Brown for the job.
Noland played for Iowa State, as well as backing up 3rd overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft Trey Lance at North Dakota State, so he’s not necessarily coming into the job cold. It’s pretty comical that he has the title of assistant coach and will now be under centre, but it’s a move that makes sense for the team.
There’s no clarity on whether he’ll remain with the QB job all season, but he’s been named the starter for South Carolina’s opener against Eastern Illinois.
If Noland is able to win some games, it could make for a really cool story. The odds are stacked against him, but sometimes the best Cinderella stories need that adversity anyway.
We’re cheering for him!
(H/T Chris Low, ESPN)
