The possible return of star wide receiver Deebo Samuel was something discussed around South Carolina for weeks. The recent setback that caused him to announce he would miss the rest of the season has also drawn plenty of attention from quarterback Jake Bentley.

Bentley told reporters Tuesday that he didn’t mince any words when he let it be known he wanted his top target back this season, and until the last week, there was an outside chance for that to happen.

“He knew how I felt,” Bentley said Tuesday. “I wanted him back. So I kind of had a feeling. It’s definitely big for us to have him back.”

Samuel suffered a broken leg against Kentucky, and has been out since then, though has worked to rehab the injury and possibly return late this season. He announced over the weekend that a setback has led him to plan to miss the rest of this season and return in 2018.

“He’s already talking about throwing in the offseason,” Bentley told reporters, according to The State, “getting ready to go.”

Before he was injured, Samuel was one of the top playmakers in the country, on offense and as a returner on special teams. In the first three games, he 250 receiving yards and six total touchdowns.

Samuel joins another player, linebacker Bryson Allen-Williams, who suffered a season-ending injury, but made plans to return next year.

“Obviously we’re excited,” coach Will Muschamp said. “I think it says a lot about our program to have a guy like Bryson Allen-Williams and Deebo Samuel, guys that are coming back to South Carolina and what we’re building there. They see what we’re building, they see the support and they want to be Gamecocks. It’s exciting and Deebo’s excited. … The prospects of moving forward and it’s an exciting time here at South Carolina.”