Mo Kaba, Jordan Strachan 'right where they need to be' in return from injuries

South Carolina defenders Mo Kaba and Jordan Strachan continue to be on pace for a full return as both have spent the last eight months rehabbing season-ending ACL injuries suffered in Week 2 last year at Arkansas.

“I think they’re right where they need to be,” South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer said at the Augusta/Aiken Welcome Home Tour event Tuesday. “Obviously they really didn’t do anything in spring practice, but they’ve got the month of May, they’re working hard in rehab. We expect them to be full-go once we get rolling in the summer. One hundred percent full go by the time practice comes around in August.”

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Kaba and Strachan — as well as defensive back David Spaulding, defensive lineman Tonka Hemingway, and offensive tackle Cason Henry — were held out for the entirety of the spring.

On the verge of a breakout season for the Gamecocks last year, Kaba went shooting into the backfield to tackle Arkansas QB K.J. Jefferson. But as Jefferson dodged his pursuit and another Carolina defender also engaged with the QB, Kaba came down awkwardly and felt the familiar twinge in his knee.

Strachan entered the 2022 season as a “Super Senior,” hoping to put together a strong final year of production. But suffered the same fate as Kaba.

Not only did both players suffer their injuries in the same game but it was the second ACL injury for both players.

“It’s tough, but I also think nowadays with the way that medicine is and rehabs and surgeries that you can sometimes get stronger and stronger after each one,” Beamer said. “You never want to wish a second ACL or a first ACL on anybody, but it’s not what it was 10, 15 years ago. Guys come back from it quicker and in a lot of ways they come back stronger. To me it’s a mental hurdle that you have to overcome from an injury standpoint. But those guys are tough-minded kids.”

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Strachan, who was granted an additional year of eligibility in order to play in 2023, is a key returnee to a South Carolina defense that lost both Jordan Burch and Gilber Edmond to the portal.

During his career, the former three-star prospect who entered college as a safety, has 111 total tackles, 63 solo tackles, 24.5 tackles for loss, 13.5 sacks, one interception, four pass deflections, three fumble recoveries and three forced fumbles.

Last season, Strachan totaled 10 tackles including 3.0 tackles for loss and a sack and tied his career high with six tackles at Arkansas before leaving the game.

In his first season at Carolina in 2021, he played in all 13 games collecting 22 tackles, including 6.0 tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks as well as two pass breakups and five quarterback hurries.

In the year before he arrived in Columbia, Strachan tied for the FBS lead with a Georgia State school record 10.5 sacks.

Kaba, now a redshirt junior, had collected eight tackles last season before the injury. He should slot right back into a starting linebacker spot if he can return to form this year.

“I’m feeling way better,” Kaba told GamecockCentral in March.. “Way better than the first time I had my surgery. It’s a good thing when you go through something for the first time before. Luckily — it sounds bad but — luckily, it happened to me already. But I’m feeling way better, I’m feeling way healthier. It’s a slow process with the ACL; you can never rush something like this. But I’m having a great time with my training staff, just day by day making strides and seeing the progress I’m making and everything.”

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