After a massively underachieved 4-8 season, the South Carolina Gamecocks jumped into the portal and brought the No. 1 (On3) ranked OT Jacarrius Peak out of NC State. Just as they thought the O-line is sort for the 2026 season, he got hit with a nasty injury within 45 days of landing in Columbia. The Gamecocks chairperson released the whereabouts and whatabouts of his injury.
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Official statement from Gamecock FB spokesperson on OT Jacarrius Peak: “Jacarrius Peak suffered a lower body injury earlier this week and will miss spring practice. We expect that he will be available this season.”
The official word is a “lower body injury,” but the grapevine says it’s a pretty serious knee issue that’s going to keep him out for all of spring practice. The team might be telling everyone that they expect him to be back for the 2026 season. But behind the scenes, they are a little worried . Recovering from injuries can take different amounts of time for different people. They are not fully sure if he will be completely healthy and ready to play at his best when the season opener kicks off.
Official statement from @GamecockFB spokesperson on OT Jacarrius Peak: “Jacarrius Peak suffered a lower body injury earlier this week and will miss spring practice. We expect that he will be available this season.”
— Chris Low (@Clowfb) February 22, 2026
What makes this situation surprising is how the injury happened. He was not even at football practice. He got hurt while playing in a 3-on-3 basketball game that the team organized just for fun during the offseason. It was meant to help the players bond and enjoy themselves.
Peak transferred from NC State as an All-ACC player, and everyone saw him as the fix for an offensive line that gave up 43 sacks last year. At 6’4″ and over 300 pounds, he’s expected to be the brick wall protecting quarterback LaNorris Sellers’ blind side. Now, with spring ball starting on March 4, the team has to move forward without him in the lineup. This one’s going to sting badly for Shane Beamer’s squad.
The man can play left tackle (14 starts) just as well as right tackle (38 starts). He has 38 games of experience under his belt. The former NC State OT has allowed only around 6-7 sacks over his 2,200 snaps. During his most recent 2025 season, he was even more impressive. While protecting the quarterback’s blind side at left tackle, he allowed just 3 sacks the entire year. To put that in perspective, he didn’t give up a single sack in 10 of his 13 starts.
With Peak sidelined, the coaching staff is already having to scramble to figure out who’s going to take those crucial first-team reps.
Who’s going to replace if Peak doesn’t arrive for the season opener
Luckily for them, Josiah Thompson decided to withdraw from the transfer portal and stay in Columbia. Thompson is a veteran who has been a starter for two years straight. The problem is that he had a bit of a rough go of it in 2025. Even though he started all 12 games, he allowed seven sacks and saw his pass-blocking numbers dip compared to his freshman year. That’s not going to do the Gamecocks many favors.
The staff may look to graduate transfers Seth Smith (Northern Arizona) or Armando Nieves (New Mexico State). Many analysts believe Smith could start right away. Considering he is the most experienced natural left tackle on the spring roster with 25 starts. Moreover, even redshirt freshman Adedamola Ajidahun or true freshman Zyon Guiles could see increased reps at tackle during spring drills to see where it goes for them.
For now, all eyes are on Peak’s recovery timeline. While the school is optimistic about him being available this season. A significant knee injury is never easy to bounce back from, especially for a guy that big. The hope is that he can get through his physical therapy and be ready to rock by the time fall camp rolls around in August.
Until then, the Gamecocks are going to have to get creative with their depth.