Coming off the first loss of the season, a 23-13 defeat against Kentucky at home, South Carolina will now be without the services of the team’s most explosive player following the injury sustained by receiver Deebo Samuel.

Initially feared lost for the season after breaking a bone in his foot, the timeline for Samuel’s recovery is uncertain but his absence is expected to be lengthy as the Gamecocks enter into the heart of the SEC schedule.

During his appearance on the weekly SEC Coaches Teleconference, Muschamp talked about how big of an impact Samuel’s loss could be and the steps Samuel has already taken to recover. Here’s a summary of what was said during the call:

  • How has Deebo handled the injury? He was crushed Saturday night. He was doing better Sunday, I spoke to him several times that day. He’s gotten better this week, been in the training room already. He’s been pleased with the right stuff.
  • Who will try and replace him? Well, you can’t look for one guy to do what he did. We have some guys that will combine to help replace him. OreTre and Shi will need to step up. Hayden Hurst will need to expand his role. It won’t be one person, it will be multiple people.
  • How do you bounce back from this loss? Well, we’ve had two good practices this week. We’ll know more when we play Louisiana Tech this Saturday. So far, I’ve liked what we’ve seen (on the practice field).