South Carolina Football: 10 observations from fall practice so far

South Carolina Football Fall Camp Observations:
Injuries have been a factor, but nothing too serious seems to have arisen.

As is always the case in football, injuries have been a part of fall camp for the Gamecocks. Thankfully, as of now, none of them appear to be that serious.

Before fall camp began, head coach Shane Beamer announced that “other than Jaylen Nichols,” every player injured last season or during the offseason was expected to be back during fall camp and at 100% by the time the Gamecocks take on the North Carolina Tar Heels for College GameDay on September 2nd.

This means that players like defensive end Jordan Strachan, linebacker Mo Kaba, and defensive back David Spaulding should all be good to go over the next few weeks. When asked about his recovery process, Strachan repeatedly said, “I’m back” to refer to how he was feeling physically and mentally heading into the season. Kaba still has not been a full-contact participant, however.

Some new ailments have popped up for Carolina, though. Wide receiver Juice Wells, tight end Trey Knox, linebacker Stone Blanton, defensive back Peyton Williams, and wide receiver Kelton Henderson have all missed at least one practice during fall camp, and several other players have missed parts of practices. None of the injuries appear to be too serious. Wells is expected to miss another week.

These types of injuries are worth keeping an eye on, especially for players who are expected to play big roles this fall, but unless told otherwise, fans shouldn’t worry too much yet.