The South Carolina Gamecocks are preparing for the SEC’s conference-only schedule this fall. On Wednesday, coach Will Muschamp spoke with reporters to provide some updates.

One of the key takeaways from Muschamp’s press conference was that 2 players have opted out of the season amid concerns about COVID-19.

Per Muschamp, OL Jordan Rhodes and Mark Fox won’t play this year. He said he respects and understands their decisions:

Fox was set to be a redshirt freshman this fall. Rhodes was entering his redshirt junior year. Both players will be able to retain their year of eligibility heading into 2021.

Both players were projected to be backups this fall, but that will still be a blow to the Gamecocks’ depth moving forward into 2020.