Pre-spring injury report: Gamecocks in 'pretty good' place
With a few weeks until South Carolina begins spring football practice 2023, the Gamecocks are in a “pretty good” place on the injury front, head coach Shane Beamer told Gamecock Central this week.
“We’ve got a couple of guys that may be limited or out for spring practice,” Beamer said. “A lot of that will be finalized here over the next week. I think I meet with you guys next Thursday before spring break, so kind of like a pre-spring practice press conference and should have more then.”
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Like every team, the Gamecocks finished the 2022 season with a combination of some nagging injuries that kept players out of the bowl game as well as more serious injuries that will need extended offseason time to heal.
While Beamer didn’t get into many specifics, he did say there are some players they’re currently monitoring.
“There’s a couple of guys that we’re waiting to get some tests back on to determine whether they may have to have a minor surgery, which if they did could put some guys out for all of spring practice or part of spring practice,” Beamer said. “We’ll have some guys that will be limited, like Tonka Hemingway, to start — nothing major. And then we’ll have some guys that may be a little bit more significant as we go throughout the spring. But nothing that’s final yet with anybody.”
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One of the players returning from a major injury is former starting linebacker Mohamed Kaba, who suffered a season-ending knee injury during Week 2 at Arkansas.
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“He’s coming along well,” Beamer said. “He’s not like full-speed, 100 percent, everything. But he’s coming along well. He’ll be touch-and-go (during the spring) but won’t have any issues, I don’t think, as we go forward.”
Kaba will look to return to pre-injury form as he appeared on the verge of a breakout season, emerging as arguably the team’s best linebacker and earning a starting spot before the injury.
The 6-foot-2, 235-pounder was named the most improved defensive player by the staff last spring and had collected eight tackles on the season before the injury.
Kaba will look to lead a linebacker corps that replaces Brad Johnson and Sherrod Greene from last year’s squad.
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