South Carolina’s Travaris Robinson has good news on sidelined 2018 defensive starter

There could be light at the end of the tunnel for injured South Carolina defensive lineman Keir Thomas.

The senior has missed the entire Gamecocks season to date after an ankle infection following surgery. Will Muschamp suggested he might redshirt, but his recent work has given some reason for optimism.

“This past week, his spirit has been real high,” Gamecocks defensive coordinator Travaris Robinson said filling in on Will Muschamp’s weekly call-in show. “He’s coming back now, so now they’ve got him back running around. He’s taken all the bandages off, and all that stuff, so the infection is pretty much leaving his body.”

And the hope is to have him back soon.

“Hopefully we can get him back for the stretch run,” Robinson said. “He would be a tremendous help for our defense because of the leadership ability and how he guys gravitate toward him.If Thomas is out the next four games after the bye, he could come back and still be able to return in 2020.

The versatile lineman was one of the current staff’s early gets out of Miami. He’s played tackle and end and started 12 games in 2018 and 11 in 2012.

He was seventh on the team with 44 tackles, plus 4 1/2 for loss and 1 1/2 sacks.

“He’ll work a little bit in this bye week and we’ll see where he progresses,” Robinson said.