Four South Carolina players will miss spring practice with injuries, Shane Beamer says
Two days before South Carolina begins spring practice, coach Shane Beamer said the Gamecocks will be without four players for the entirety of the spring.
Those players, Beamer said, are sophomore tight end Michael Smith, freshman defensive lineman Caleb Williams, freshman offensive lineman Damola Ajidahun and veteran offensive lineman Ryan Brubaker.
Two things to note:
First: It might sound disappointing that Smith isn’t participating this spring after he broke out during his freshman season, catching 10 passes for over 100 yards and a touchdown. Remember, Smith didn’t arrive on campus until last summer — meaning he missed 2024 spring practices and, well, it didn’t seem to stunt his growth one bit.
The second: Not everyone is Smith. Missing spring practice can sometimes really set back freshmen, or at least delay when they see the field. So it’s a tough blow for South Carolina that Williams — a three-star prospect out of Virginia — and Ajidahun — a four-star prospect who flipped from Georgia Tech on signing day — won’t be afforded a head start this spring.
Granted, the news could be worse. There’s no major starter who will miss spring, which is a positive for Beamer and USC.
South Carolina’s spring game is set for 7:30 p.m. April 18.
RB Rahsul Faison cleared to practice
Beamer said Monday that running back Rahsul Faison has been cleared to practice for the Gamecocks but, as far as him being officially cleared to play, Beamer said: “We’re very optimistic on everything. Is that 100% solidified right now? No. We’re very optimistic that we’ll get some good news here soon.”
Faison, a seventh-year running back who transferred from Utah State this offseason, was a beneficiary of the “Diego Pavia Rule,” which allowed players who played junior college football to get an extra season of eligibility.
This story was originally published March 17, 2025 at 1:03 PM.
