Rico McWilliams leaves South Carolina football program

As the Gamecocks season opener approaches Thursday night, the secondary received news today that they did not want to hear.

Senior defensive back Rico McWilliams has left the Gamecocks football program according to a report from 24/7 Sports Writer John Whittle.

McWilliams played in 33 games for the Gamecocks during the last three seasons and was expected to enter his senior year as a starter at cornerback for South Carolina. He was listed as a starter on the Gamecocks preseason depth chart, but he reportedly dropped to working with the second string during his first fall camp under the direction of Will Muschamp.

Whittle stated that McWilliams, who had 18 starts under his belt, missed several days of practice last week to help family members impacted by the flooding in Louisiana. He reportedly returned to practice on Friday, but left the team for good on Saturday. South Carolina will now turn to their depth chart to fill the void left by McWilliams.