South Carolina football wide receiver Ahmari Huggins-Bruce is no longer on the Gamecocks’ roster and has enrolled at Louisville.
On Thursday night, South Carolina football fans tuned in to the first “Carolina Calls” show of the 2024 season, where head coach Shane Beamer provided some team updates. During the radio broadcast with Todd Ellis, Beamer announced that offensive linemen Aaryn Parks and Jakai Moore are out with injuries and could be sidelined for “a while.” He also mentioned that a few other players are dealing with minor issues but should be ready for next weekend’s season opener.
Additionally, Beamer confirmed that wide receiver Ahmari Huggins-Bruce is no longer with the team, following a few days of rumors. This means Huggins-Bruce won’t be available when Old Dominion comes to town.
Ahmari Huggins-Bruce, a native of South Carolina, spent his first three years of college at Louisville, where he was a part-time starter. This offseason, he transferred to his home-state team, South Carolina, with hopes of becoming a key player in a receiver unit that had many uncertainties. However, things didn’t pan out as expected for Huggins-Bruce. He quickly fell behind other receivers in the rotation and seemed to be out of the two-deep during fall practice.
According to the University of Louisville’s student directory, Huggins-Bruce has re-enrolled at Louisville. While he has not yet re-joined the football team, it is expected that he will do so.
For the Gamecocks, Huggins-Bruce’s departure likely won’t significantly impact wide receivers coach Mike Furrey’s plans. As a depth player who would have primarily played in the slot, Huggins-Bruce’s snaps will now likely go to other slot-oriented pass-catchers, including freshman Mazeo Bennett, sophomore Tyshawn Russell, and fellow veteran transfers Gage Larvadain and Jared Brown.
Ahmari Huggins-Bruce was one of five wide receiver transfers, and one of seven total scholarship newcomers, who joined the South Carolina football program this offseason. With just one year of eligibility remaining, his scholarship spot might be filled by a walk-on this season or saved for an additional roster spot after the 2024 campaign concludes.
With just 9 days remaining before the season opener against the Old Dominion Monarchs at Williams-Brice Stadium, head coach Shane Beamer and the Gamecocks are gearing up for the start of the season. The game will kick off at 4:15 PM ET and will be broadcast on the SEC Network and streamed on the ESPN app.