South Carolina's 24-11 win over Virginia Tech in the Aflac Kickoff Game came at a cost for the Gamecocks, as injuries tested the team's depth across multiple key positions.
Starting cornerback Judge Collier, expected to make a big leap this season, exited the game early with a knee injury. He was spotted on crutches with a cast on the sideline and did not return to the game. e. “Judge got hurt, to answer your question (the severity is) to be determined, it’s a little bit of a knee injury right now,” Beamer said. “We’ll see when we get back to Columbia, but he was not able to return, obviously.”
The secondary was already stretched thin. Preseason All-SEC defensive back Jalon Kilgore, who dealt with a hamstring issue during the week, appeared to be on a pitch count at nickelback. “He had a little bit of hamstring that had been nagging this week,” Beamer said. Transfer cornerback Myles Norwood also exited early, though Beamer did not provide an update.
The injuries were not limited to the back end either. On the edge, Dylan Stewart left briefly with a shoulder strain but returned to the game to make a key impact. Reserve J.T. Geer also entered the medical tent, with no immediate update.
On the offense, freshman guard Shed Sarratt Jr. was unavailable. Sarratt, who is a Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Watch List selection, had been pushing for a starting role. Beamer said he was not ready for Week 1, though sources indicate that he could return for South Carolina's first official home game.
For a Gamecock squad with SEC aspirations, Sunday's opener proved it will take contributions deep down the roster to survive the grind of 2025.