South Carolina heads into its Week 3 SEC opener against Vanderbilt in solid shape health-wise.
With 90 minutes to go before kickoff at Williams-Brice Stadium (7:45 p.m., SEC Network), the SEC’s final availability report confirmed that the Gamecocks will be without just one player: starting defensive back Judge Collier, who is sidelined for the second straight week.
Other than Collier, no South Carolina players are listed on the report. On Vanderbilt’s side, defensive lineman Yilanan Quattara will be the only Commodore missing action.
Earlier in the week, South Carolina’s injury list included five names, but each has since been cleared to play. Defensive backs Vicari Swain, Brandon Cisse, and Jaquel Holman were initially listed as probable on Wednesday but removed from the report the following day.
Head coach Shane Beamer had already hinted at good news earlier in the week. “He’s our starting tight end, does so much for our offense,” Beamer said of Brady Hunt on his call-in show. “He’s done a heck of a job coming back … he’s going to play Saturday night, so we’re excited to be back as close to full health as we can be.” By Friday, Hunt was officially cleared to suit up.
The Gamecocks will also have safety Jalon Kilgore and defensive lineman JT Geer, both of whom missed the South Carolina State game, back on the field. Starting left tackle Josiah Thompson, who dealt with a minor injury last week, is also good to go.
The SEC introduced its standardized injury reporting system last season across football, men’s and women’s basketball, and baseball. Schools must file reports three days before each football game, with daily updates leading up to a final report 90 minutes before kickoff.
According to the league, penalties for late or inaccurate submissions range from $25,000 to $100,000 in football and $15,000 to $25,000 in basketball and baseball. Player designations mirror those used in the NFL, with athletes categorized as available, probable, doubtful, or questionable ahead of game day. On game day, designations narrow to available, game-time decision, or out.
