South Carolina football faced a serious offseason road block over the weekend when projected starting left tackle Jacarrius Peak suffered what is believed to be a “significant knee injury” according to 247sports’ Matt Zenitz.
Peak suffered the injury during a mandatory three-on-three basketball tournament that Shane Beamer uses as a team-building experience according to The Big Spur’s John Whittle— who first reported the injury over the weekend.
A Valdosta, Georgia native, Peak was a major win for Beamer and his staff in the portal over the offseason. He spent the first three years of his career at North Carolina State including two seasons as a full-time starter. Peak played 850 snaps in 2025, earning a 73.7 PFF grade after earned a 78.7 PFF grade in 842 snaps as a sophomore in 2024.
According to Zenitz report, there’s fear that Peak will miss at least some time during the 2026 season. That could affect South Carolina’s matchup against Tennessee. The Vols travel to Williams-Brice Stadium to face South Carolina on Saturday, Oct. 24.
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The matchup comes in week eight of the college football season. That would set Peak up in a solid spot to be back before the matchup against Tennessee. But as the Vols learned last year, offseason knee injuries can linger and it’s uncertain when an injured player will return.
Head coach Shane Beamer is entering a highly important sixth-year as South Carolina’s head coach. The Gamecocks are coming off a disastrous 2025 season in which they entered the year ranked No. 13 in the AP Poll before going 4-8 and missing a bowl game.
Tennessee football is coming off a disappointing 8-5 (4-4 SEC) season and is looking to get back into the College Football Playoff picture. The Vols’ matchup at South Carolina is their eighth straight game before an open date and is a week after a key home game against Alabama.
