Jaylen Nichols talks progression as lineman, updates recovery post-knee surgery
If you asked Jaylen Nichols if he thought he’d play as a freshman, his answer would be no. He thought he wouldn’t get his chance until he was a sophomore.
“We had an experienced o-line. I was like, ‘All right, cool, I’m going to learn from all of them, then next year I’ll be ready,” Nichols said during an appearance on the Garnet Trust Hour on 107.5 The Game.
But as Nichols went on to point out, it just didn’t happen that way. After an injury to starting right tackle Dylan Wonnum, it was Nichols’ time to step up.
“I was not ready, not even close,” Nichols said. “I was just out there playing.”
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He ended up starting four games on South Carolina’s offensive line in 2019. And the rest is history.
As a sophomore, the year Nichols thought he’d play more, didn’t make a single start and played more on special teams. But over the last two years, he made 14 starts in 22 games for the Gamecocks.
Moving into 2023, this was supposed to be Nichols’ year to be the leader up front. He was all but a lock to be starting at left tackle. Then came an unexpected turn.
In the first quarter of South Carolina’s Garnet and Black Game in April, Nichols went down to the ground and wasn’t getting up. He would ultimately need help getting off the field and headed straight to the medical tent.
It would later be revealed he had suffered a knee injury.
Even before the game, Nichols said his knee had already been hurting, but he didn’t think it was bad enough to not play. It ended up being a costly move.
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As of right now, it’s unclear when Nichols will return to the field. After undergoing surgery, he said his knee is doing better.
“I need to get my strength back. Everything else is good. Healing up real good,” he added.
In his case, it’s a recovery process that cannot be rushed. If he didn’t take his time, he could possibly tear his knee again, putting him out even longer.
But make no mistake, Nichols has been doing as much as he can to get back to 100 percent.
“I’m in rehab like all day. Well, not all day, I would say I’m in there all morning. I start at 7 and leave around like 11. So I do rehab a whole lot. Got to get this knee right and come back,” Nichols said.
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While there’s a chance he could miss the entire season, Nichols and South Carolina have a belief that he could be back at some point this year.
“It really depends on how quickly I get my strength back and how it’s healing,” Nichols said.
In the event Nichols doesn’t play a down in 2023, he will still have options for his future. He could either choose to turn pro or, thanks to COVID-19, come back for one final season in 2024.
“It’s really 50-50,” he said. “I could come back next year. I could finish this season and go to the next level. It’s really like neck and neck at this point. Whatever happens, take it day by day. That’s the best way I can.”
