Nyck Harbor delivered the best performance of his young career during South Carolina’s heartbreaking 31–30 loss to No. 3 Texas A&M on Saturday — but his standout afternoon came to a frightening halt late in the game.
With less than three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter and the Gamecocks trailing by one, Harbor hauled in a crucial 18-yard reception on 4th-and-6 to extend the drive. Immediately after the catch, though, he stayed down on his side, motionless, as trainers rushed onto the field.
Harbor was eventually helped to the South Carolina sideline and taken into the medical tent. Not long before the final whistle, he was spotted walking to the locker room alongside a trainer.
After the game, head coach Shane Beamer shared the team’s initial understanding of Harbor’s condition.
“As I walked in here, the plan was to take him to the hospital,” Beamer said. “Just saw him in the training room with his dad. He landed on the sideline, and the guy came down on his chest. So I think they just want to, from a precautionary standpoint, make sure everything’s OK. So keep him in your prayers.”
Harbor finished the game with three receptions for a career-high 102 yards, highlighted by a blistering 80-yard touchdown in the second quarter that stretched South Carolina’s lead to 27–3.
Moments after scoring that touchdown, Harbor sprinted into the stadium tunnel — where cameras caught a Texas DPS Trooper appearing to shoulder into Harbor and running back Oscar Adaway III.
Beamer was asked about the confrontation but said he had no knowledge of it at the time.
“Got a ton of respect for the people here in College Station,” he said. “They’re just a first-class operation, everybody. From a game operation standpoint, they really do a great job. They’re first-class people, so appreciate them handling that the right way, sending (the trooper) home.”
The Texas Department of Public Safety addressed the incident on X (formerly Twitter) at 3:06 p.m. Saturday, noting that the trooper involved had been removed from duty.
Their statement read:
“Our Office of Inspector General (OIG) is also aware of the incident and will be further looking into the matter. No additional information will be released at this time.”
