Injury report: Latest on Juice Wells, Overall South Carolina team health
A banged-up South Carolina football team entered its bye last week hoping to get the majority of the team healthy before its run of seven straight games, and Gamecocks head coach Shane Beamer indicated during his Tuesday press conference that the week off was successful in doing so.
While most of the team will be available for this week’s home SEC matchup with Florida, it appears wide receiver Juice Wells won’t be as he continues to rehab an injured foot.
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“Juice is, I would say, doubtful for this week,” Beamer said. “He met with the specialist this morning up in Charlotte, just saw him in the training room a little bit ago when I got off the practice field. The injury is really healing well, on the fast track from a healing process. Certainly don’t wanna put Juice out there before he’s ready and don’t want Juice going out there without the right mindset as well. So I think it surely will be a week-to-week thing. It is healing at a really, really good pace. And nobody wants to be out there more than Juice, but I would say he’s doubtful this week, but wouldn’t 100% close the door on anything.”
South Carolina redshirt freshman offensive tackle Cason Henry was injured on the fourth play of the season against North Carolina and has missed every play since but appears to be getting closer to a potential return.
“Cason Henry won’t play this week, but he is getting closer to being able to play,” Beamer said. “Hopefully by the end of the month, we’ll see him back out there. It’s every day I walk through the weight room on the way to the practice field and you see Markee Anderson in there, you see Jaylen Nichols, you see Ryan Brubaker. You see Ni (Mansell), who got hurt last week. So you see all these linemen and the case in as well. And I’m like, man, there’s half our line in here hehabbing on the way to the practice field. So it’d be nice to get some of those guys back.”
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Offensive lineman Jakai Moore missed the Tennessee game with a shoulder injury but is back this week, according to Beamer.
Nick Emmanwori got the wind knocked out of him towards the end of the Tennessee game but was fine. O’Donnell Fortune got banged up and had been previously dealing with a knee injury.
Defensive lineman TJ Sanders didn’t play in the second half against Tennessee due to cramping and a shoulder injury, while Nick Barrett was also dealing with a foot issue.
Beamer added during the bye week that defensive tackles Tonka Hemingway and Boogie Huntley had been playing through some bumps and bruises.
But it appears the Gamecocks are close to full health — other than the players who were previously deemed as out for the season — exiting the bye week.
“Defensively, really everybody is good,” Beamer said. “(David) Spaulding was limited last week with a wrist, but he practiced today and was fine. And really no limitations at this point for anybody.”
South Carolina and Florida are set for a 3:30 kickoff this Saturday afternoon at Williams-Brice Stadium with SEC Network carrying the action.
