South Carolina head coach Will Muschamp expects starting right tackle Zack Bailey to be back in 2018, but Bailey himself didn’t sound definitive on Thursday.
“As of right now, I’m just focused on the bowl game itself,” the junior from Summerville said. “Right now, I’m just focused on the game and what’s best for the team.”
The Gamecocks (8-4) will play Michigan (8-4) on Jan. 1 in the Outback Bowl in Tampa, Fla. Bailey will have one year of eligibility remaining after that game but could forfeit that year and enter the 2018 NFL Draft. Bailey was one of three South Carolina underclassmen to be evaluated by NFL scouts in the spring at USC’s Pro Day.