South Carolina receiver says he’ll miss rest of season
South Carolina receiver Corey Rucker is done for the season.
Rucker posted on his Instagram page Tuesday morning that his first year in Columbia had ended. He added in a Tweet later in the morning: “Praying for a successful surgery. I’ll be back next year!”
Head coach Shane Beamer told reporters last week that Rucker would not play against Missouri as he continued to fight through a lingering foot injury.
Beamer did note if Rucker got healthy this year, it was more likely he’d try to maintain his redshirt status. The NCAA allows players to appear in up to four games, while still maintaining a year of eligibility.
“He’s having surgery today and he’ll be done (for the season),” Beamer confirmed during his Tuesday press conference. “Hopefully he’ll be ready to roll for spring practice.”
“If he’s able to get healthy this season, it’s probably going to be to the point where you can play him this season and preserve some games,” Beamer said last week. “It’s kind of a day-to-day thing with him.”
The one-time Arkansas State transfer was expected to be a big piece of the South Carolina receiving corps this fall, but struggled with the foot injury throughout the fall.
Rucker appeared in two games, catching one pass for a 52-yard touchdown in USC’s win over Charlotte.
Later Tuesday, Rucker posted to Twitter that “surgery was successful. appreciate the good luck wishes.”
During his time with the Red Wolves, the Mississippi native recorded 75 receptions for 1,279 yards and 14 touchdowns over two seasons. Rucker’s best effort at A-State included a nine-catch, 310-yard, four-touchdown game against UL-Monroe in 2020.
“People love his spirit and his energy because — I know it’s been frustrating for him — he never got down, never stopped working, always had a smile on his face,” Beamer said of Rucker after the Charlotte game. “I think he’s just another guy that brings a dimension to the passing game. You can’t have enough of those guys.”
Rucker figures to be a big piece in a receiving corps next year that’s slated to lose fifth-year seniors Jalen Brooks and Josh Vann to graduation. The Gamecocks could also conceivably see Antwane “Juice” Wells Jr. contemplate an NFL decision, depending how the rest of his season goes.
This story was originally published November 1, 2022 at 10:21 AM.
