Josh Belk weighs in on future

SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS FOOTBALL

UPDATED: Head coach Will Muschamp has released a statement on Josh Belk's future in a press release issued by USC on Wednesday afternoon.

"After talking with Josh Belk, he has decided to give up the game. He is a fine young man and we wish him the best."

"I fractured a vertebrae and decided to choose another path in life," Belk told Michelle of VizorSports.com according to a Tweet that Belk retweeted with the comment #GodsPlan. "One that won't potentially mess me up in the long run with injuries and all. Been praying and this is what God has led me to."

Belk, who has cleaned out his locker at the football operations center, joined the team at the start of fall camp and was granted immediate eligibility by the NCAA.

As a freshman, Belk played in six contests, including each of the final four games after dealing with a ankle injury for a seven-game stretch, and totaled 7 tackles and a quarterback hurry.

The 6-foot-3, 259-pound defensive tackle collected a career-high three stops vs. Virginia in the Belk Bowl.

A Lewisville High School graduate, Belk signed with Clemson's 2018 class as part of the early signing period and then enrolled at the school in January. He went through spring practice with the Tigers before announcing his transfer from the school at the end of the semester.

The former Army All-American and four-star prospect was ranked the No. 21 defensive tackle in the 2018 class.