SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS FOOTBALL

Will Muschamp provided some positive injury updates Monday afternoon, saying the Gamecocks should be getting two injured pieces of the defense back once they return from winter break.

Jaylin Dickerson is expected to be cleared once the team returns in January after missing all season with a hip injury that required surgery.

Injuries have been the story of Dickerson's career, missing his first year on campus with a shoulder injury, then his redshirt season was bogged down with hamstring troubles before the hip injury.

Outside of him, the Gamecocks are expecting Devontae Davis cleared for spring practice, which starts at the end of February, but Muschamp said he's not sure how much of the offseason work Davis will do leading up to that.

The junior college offensive lineman missed all season after fracturing his foot and redshirted this year.

Muschamp also said both Nick Muse (ACL) and Ryan Hilinski (meniscus) had successful surgeries.

Muse, he said earlier in the season, should be back for fall camp and USC released in a statement at the beginning of the month Hilinski should be "at full strength" by the time winter workouts begin.

Workouts will start in January with spring practiced scheduled to start Feb. 26.

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