COLUMBIA — The South Carolina Gamecocks will enter their matchup against No. 4 Alabama much healthier than they were a week ago against Oklahoma — and head coach Shane Beamer couldn’t be happier about it.
While the team will still be without starting right tackle Cason Henry, who is sidelined for the season with a shoulder injury, nearly everyone else on the roster is back to full strength.
Beamer shared the encouraging update Thursday night on his Carolina Calls radio show, following the SEC’s midweek injury report.
“In regards to everyone else, they’re good,” Beamer said. “Believe it or not, when the SEC report comes out, there will be no one on it other than Cason Henry, who is season-ending, and Caleb Williams, who unfortunately broke his leg in practice last week. But no one else is on there that we’re playing with right now.”
Freshman EDGE Dylan Stewart, who left the Oklahoma game with a hip injury, was not listed on Wednesday’s injury report, signaling he’s good to go this weekend. Offensive linemen Shed Sarratt Jr., Nick Sharpe, Trovon Baugh, and Tree Babalade, who were all banged up or missed time against the Sooners, have also been cleared to play.
Offensive tackle Jatavius Shivers, center Nolan Hay, and defensive tackle Monkell Goodwine were listed earlier in the week as questionable or probable, but Beamer confirmed Thursday that all are ready to suit up.
“It’s as clean an injury report as we’ve had in a long time,” Beamer said. “I wish Cason was healthy, wish Caleb was healthy, but we’ve had a great week. Huge credit to those players for fighting to get back, and to Clint Haggard, our training staff, and our strength coaches Chip Morton and Luke Day for getting them ready to roll.”
Beamer praised his players’ determination to recover and compete through adversity.
“It definitely wasn’t pretty all the time Saturday, to say the least,” he added, “but no one can question the want-to of our guys. They’re fighting their rear ends off to get healthy and stay in the fight of this season.”
Henry’s absence remains the team’s biggest blow. The redshirt junior lineman dislocated his shoulder on the first play of the Missouri game in late September and will undergo season-ending surgery next week.
“Going back to Cason, I hate it for him,” Beamer said. “He dislocated his shoulder on the first play of the Missouri game. He’s frustrated, but this surgery will fix it for good. He’s eager to get back.”
The SEC’s new player availability report system, approved last season, now requires football programs to release updates three days before kickoff, with additional reports each day — including a final one 90 minutes before game time.
South Carolina (3-4) will host Alabama at Williams-Brice Stadium on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET in a nationally televised game on ABC.
