Gamecock Nation continues to monitor every update on the status of South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers for this week’s matchup with Missouri.
In the Thursday update to the official SEC availability report, Sellers was upgraded to probable after being listed as questionable the day before.
Wide receiver Mazeo Bennett was also upgraded from questionable to probable. Starting safety DQ Smith, a new addition to the list on Thursday, is listed as probable too.
Tight end Michael Smith and cornerback Judge Collier have officially ben ruled out.
Earlier in the day, On3’s Pete Nakos and Chris Low reported, citing sources, that Sellers practiced on Thursday and that barring a setback, he continues to trend towards playing on Saturday at Missouri.
South Carolna coach Shane Beamer seemed to back that up with the injury report he gave on his call-in show earlier in the evening Thursday.
“Michael Smith will be out; he won’t play. Judge Collier will be out; he won’t play,” Beamer said. “Optimistic about getting both those guys back next week. And then the other three (Sellers, Bennett, Cason Henry), you’re right, we have a report that will come out later on this evening and I’d say it’s trending in the right direction for those others guys and that we’re optimistic.”
The update from Nakos and Low, two of college football’s most reliable reporters, aligns with what GamecockCentral has heard throughout the week: that there is optimism in both the South Carolina and Sellers camps that the Gamecocks’ quarterback will play this week.
Beamer said that Sellers has been in good spirits.
“Oh, he’s great,” Beamer said. “He wanted to play last Saturday night. He was right back out on the field and active and involved — he didn’t practice necessarily on Sunday — but he was back out there with the team and hurt. He’s in great spirits. Again, he’s a competitor and that’s what I told him all week, at the end of the day, any of our players’ health is the most important thing, short-term and long-term. LaNorris has been adamant since Saturday night when he wanted to play that he was playing this weekend, and hopefully that’s the way it will turn out here in the next couple of days.”
The next update to the availability report will come on Friday night at around 8:10, followed by a final update 90 minutes before kickoff.
Collier has missed both of the last two games and most of the season opener against Virginia Tech with a knee injury.
Starting right tackle Cason Henry exited the Vanderbilt game early with an injury but was not listed on Wednesday’s report, meaning he’s expected to be available.
Sellers was injured last week on a helmet-to-helmet hit late in the first half against the Commodores. Luke Doty replaced him for the rest of the way.
The Gamecocks and Tigers are set for a 7 p.m. kickoff on Saturday in Columbia, Mo. ESPN has the coverage.
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