Al Harris Jr., David Johnson kicked off South Carolina football team

A pair of South Carolina football players are no longer part of the team. As first reported by 247Sports' John Whittle, true junior cornerback Al Harris Jr. and redshirt junior defensive end David Johnson have been dismissed from the program by head coach Will Muschamp.

No reason was given - apart from the obligatory "We wish them the best" statement from Muschamp - but Harris and Johnson were two players that saw significant time in 2015 and may have benefited from the new defensive scheme that looks to be put in place for 2016. Harris recorded 25 tackles in 11 games for the Gamecocks, as well as four pass breakups, while Johnson was responsible for 20 tackles in ten games.

While Harris and Johnson weren't star players, they do represent a pair of significant departures, and will certainly mean that things will open up a little at their respective positions come spring. It also means two open scholarships heading into next season, which might be filled by walk-ons or banked toward 2017's recruiting.

We'll pass along more as this story develops.