Kai Kroeger lone Gamecock to miss start of preseason camp
South Carolina enters preseason football practice with all but one player on its roster expected to be available at Day 1 of practice on Friday.
Head coach Shane Beamer said Thursday that punter/holder Kai Kroeger is the lone current player who is currently out with an injury.
“Kai Kroeger is going to be out here for the short-term,” Beamer said. “He’s got a foot injury that took place last week while he was punting getting ready for the football season — nothing long term. We are optimistic that he will be back for Game 1. He is on the road to recovery right now and is in great spirits, obviously, and certainly nothing long-term. Hopefully he will be back for Game 1 as well. We wish him a speedy recovery.”
Kroeger, who served as South Carolina’s punter and holder last season, has averaged 43.1-yards per punt through his first two seasons, which ranks third on the school’s all-time career list behind Joseph Charlton (45.5) and Sean Kelly (43.3).
The preseason fourth-team All-SEC selection, according to Athlon, is also one of the best holders in the country, saving several errant snaps last year. Kroeger also completed two passes, one for touchdown, on fakes last season.
As for who could replace him in those two roles, Beamer said that anyone on the roster who is listed as a kicker or punter could be in that conversation.
The Gamecocks’ second-year head coach added that the rest of the roster is incredibly healthy with practice set to start on Friday morning.
“Everybody else on our team, injury-wise, is full-speed and good to go,” Beamer added. “We’ve got a couple of guys that maybe we’ve just got to watch here at the beginning of practice here this week and make sure they’re not doing too much early on as we get back into the swing of things. But Clint Haggard and his staff have done a great job in the training room, getting our players ready, and then Luke Day, have done an amazing job in the weight room this summer as well.”
Gamecock Central will be on hand Friday morning for this first practice of the preseason, which kicks off at 9:40 a.m.
