SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS FOOTBALL

Former four-star recruit and current Gamecock lineman Max Iyama is taking a medical hardship and is no longer on the South Carolina football team, GamecockCentral.com has learned.

Iyama will no longer play football after a medical issue that was announced after the 2018 season. Per NCAA rules, a medical hardship allows a student-athlete to remain on scholarship while not counting against a program’s 85-man scholarship limit.

Iyama redshirted last season and didn't participate in spring practice in 2019; head coach Will Muschamp cures that medical issue.

The coaching staff never elaborated on the condition and Muschamp said in March that the Gamecocks hoped he'd be available once the season started.

“He’s not been cleared yet. We’re still working through that process and it’s been very frustrating for Max and us as well,” Muschamp said in March updating Iyama's condition. “We’re going to make sure his health is the most important thing.”

The offensive lineman was a 5.8 four-star recruit coming out of high school in Murfreesboro, Tennessee and committed to South Carolina over offers from Georgia, Louisville, Tennessee and a slew of other SEC programs.