Injury report: Latest on Corey Rucker, Kai Kroeger, Christian Beal-Smith
Speaking in his first official game week press conference of the new season Tuesday afternoon, South Carolina football coach Shane Beamer said the Gamecocks felt good about their injury situation heading into their opener against Georgia State.
Punter Kai Kroeger and running back Christian Beal-Smith are closing in on full returns to action, while wide receiver Corey Rucker is probably the injured player who is furthest away from getting back on the field.
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“We’re off to a great start injury-wise,” Beamer said. “Really, everybody should be good, to be honest with you. Kai Kroeger practiced today. Christian Beal-Smith did a little bit in practice today. I fully expect those guys to be available this Saturday night. The only guy that would be a little bit more of a question mark right now would be Corey Rucker. He’s probably got a ways to go to be ready to go on Saturday. We’ll see what happens over the next few days as well, but other than that we’re, knock on wood, in a really good position.”
Kroeger, who has been dealing with a foot injury that he suffered right before preseason camp, enters the season as the Gamecocks’ projected starter at punter and holder if he can play. If Kroeger can’t go on Saturday, then Alex Herrera would start in his place at punter and William Joyce at holder, according to the depth chart.
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Beal-Smith has also been dealing with a foot/ankle injury as well and had been in a boot and on a scooter when spotted a couple of weeks ago in camp.
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While MarShawn Lloyd is listed as the starter at running back, Beal-Smith is listed as a co-backup along with Juju McDowell.
Lloyd had been dealing with a foot injury of his own earlier in camp, but appears good to go for the opener.
“Credit Luke Day and Chip Morton in the weight room and Clint Haggard in the training room for the way that they’ve handled preseason, for the way that our players have handled preseason,” Beamer said. “It’s been really, really physical. It’s been a grind. I think those two departments, along with myself, we meet regularly to kind of map out practice and where we are as a football team, and they’ve done a good job of just trying to limit some of the soft tissue injuries and things like that that you normally deal with this time of year.”
