Three Gamecocks to miss most or all of spring practice, Shane Beamer says
South Carolina football will be without three players this spring because of injuries.
Gamecocks coach Shane Beamer said Tuesday that running back Raheim “Rocket” Sanders, linebacker Mo Kaba and receiver CJ Adams are unlikely to practice at all or play in the spring game. USC held its first of 15 scheduled spring practices on Tuesday.
Sanders, a transfer from Arkansas, is expected to be the favorite to win the starting running back job when healthy. He suffered a torn labrum while at Arkansas in a game against Florida International on Nov. 23 and later had surgery.
Sanders, who was in a sling when the newcomers were introduced at a basketball game in January, attended practice in everything but a helmet but didn’t participate. He spent time working solo on various conditioning workouts with assistant strength coach Chip Morton.
“Rocket’s out there taking mental reps and learning,” Beamer said.
When healthy, Sanders showed he could be one of the best backs in the Southeastern Conference. In 2022, he rushed for 1,443 yards and 10 touchdowns while averaging 6.5 yards a carry.
“Rocket didn’t do anything today and it’s very unlikely that he will be able to do anything this spring,” Beamer said. “He is making progress, getting better. But coming off that shoulder, he is not where he needs to be right now.
“He is doing some of the rehab stuff at practice, but as far as throwing him in there in live action, he likely won’t be doing any of that this spring.”
Kaba is coming off his second ACL injury. He suffered the latest injury in the second half of the team’s 2023 opener against North Carolina.
Beamer expects the North Carolina native ready to go when fall practice begins. Kaba has 53 tackles in 25 games played, including five starts, over four seasons.
Adams suffered what Beamer called a “spring break injury” to his finger and won’t be able to practice this spring. The Georgia product was part of the 2023 recruiting class and redshirted last season.
This story was originally published March 19, 2024 at 1:58 PM.
