Dante Sawyer will miss spring practice

South Carolina junior defensive lineman Dante Sawyer had surgery on his left shoulder Wednesday and will not participate in spring practice with the Gamecocks.

Sawyer, 6-foot-3, 291 pounds, played in 11 games and started four as a sophomore last year, totaling 17 tackles and 2.5 sacks. His sack total tied for fourth on the team, and he also recovered one fumble.

The Suwanee, Ga., native was a four-star prospect when he first committed to the Gamecocks in 2014. He spent the 2014 season at East Mississippi Community College, where he was rated the No. 3 junior college defensive end in the country by ESPN.com.