Deebo Samuel out again for South Carolina

LEXINGTON, Ky. – South Carolina sophomore wide receiver Deebo Samuel did not dress out for the second straight game Saturday evening as the Gamecocks prepared to play Kentucky in Commonwealth Stadium.

Samuel, who has been battling hamstring injuries since he’s been with the team, remained in shorts, a T-shirt and a baseball cap turned backward as his wide receiver teammates warmed up in their game pants and cleats. When the receivers came out in full uniform, Samuel was in his game jersey and shorts.

Head coach Will Muschamp said during his Tuesday news conference that he expected Samuel to play against the Wildcats.

“If there’s any risk of injury, and we do a test with him strength-wise, I’m not going to put him out there,” Muschamp said Tuesday. “There could have possibly been a situation (against East Carolina last week) for some snaps here and there, but it’s a lingering thing. We’re trying to do more research of why. This started in high school for him, and it’s been an ongoing process since he’s been here. So we need to figure it out.”

Samuel, who was expected to be the Gamecocks’ go-to receiver this year, had four catches this season for 66 yards. He is the team’s fifth-leading receiver. Freshman wide receiver Randrecous Davis, who has three catches for 45 yards this season, did not make the trip after being injured in practice this week.

The game is set to kick off at 7:39 p.m. on the SEC Network.