South Carolina’s secondary will get a boost this weekend. Defensive back Judge Collier and defensive tackle Gabe Brownlow-Dindy have been cleared for Saturday’s SEC matchup with Kentucky, according to Friday night’s update of the league’s availability report.
Offensive linemen Cason Henry and Nolan Hay had already been ruled out on Thursday, while defensive back Buddy Mack III — a key piece on special teams — was officially ruled out on Friday after being listed as doubtful earlier in the week.
On the positive side, safety DQ Smith, who missed last week’s game against Missouri, was taken off the injury report Thursday and is expected to play. Tight end Mike Smith, who sat out the Missouri game, and offensive guard Trovon Baugh, who only saw special teams snaps, were not listed either, suggesting both are good to go.
Collier has been working his way back, but defensive coordinator Clayton White cautioned that the staff won’t rush him.
“He’s still grinding back from the injury, trying to get back in shape,” White said Wednesday. “It’s been a while since he’s played, so we’re definitely trying to make sure he’s in position before we just throw him back out there.”
Henry, meanwhile, was shaken up against Vanderbilt but returned to the starting lineup versus Missouri. However, he exited after the first play with what was reported as a shoulder injury.
The SEC will issue its final availability update 90 minutes before kickoff.
This is the second season under the SEC’s player availability report system, which was created to add transparency across football, basketball, and baseball. Reports must be filed three days prior to football games, with daily updates leading up to kickoff. Penalties for inaccurate or late filings range from $25,000 to $100,000 in football.
South Carolina will host Kentucky at Williams-Brice Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 27, at 7:45 p.m. on SEC Network before heading into its first bye week of the season.
