South Carolina took a tough hit to its secondary in Sunday’s season opener, losing one of its most experienced defensive backs.
Starting cornerback Judge Collier went down with a knee injury on Virginia Tech’s opening drive and did not return.
Head coach Shane Beamer confirmed after the Gamecocks’ 24-11 victory that Collier’s status is still unclear.
“To be determined,” Beamer said. “It’s a little bit of a knee injury. We’ll see when we get back to Columbia. … Losing Judge was a big loss.”
Collier was spotted on crutches in the second half, a discouraging sign for the Gamecocks’ defense. The injury happened early in the first quarter, and although Collier briefly tried to play through it, he was later sent to the medical tent. In his absence, Myles Norwood and Vicari Swain rotated into the lineup.
Collier has been a key piece of South Carolina’s defense. As a true freshman, he appeared in all 12 games with two starts. Last season, he started all 13 games, recording 28 tackles and leading the team with eight pass breakups.
The Gamecocks were also without freshman offensive lineman Shed Sarratt, who has been sidelined since suffering an injury in August practices. While he did not travel to Atlanta, Beamer noted that the staff was hopeful he could contribute soon.
“He’s been out for a couple weeks,” Beamer said. “I thought we were going to get him back but he just wasn’t ready.”
South Carolina will now wait for updates on Collier’s condition, as his health could play a major role in shaping the secondary for the rest of the season
