REPORT: Gamecock O-Lineman Trai Jones To Step Away From Football

South Carolina's football program has been dealt another unexpected departure, this time in the form of a retirement.

Over the past month and a half, the South Carolina Gamecocks have seen a plethora of players walk out their doors for a variety of reasons: transferring to another program, leaving for the NFL, or exhausting all their respective eligibility. On Friday afternoon, the program dealt with a departure of a different kind, as rising fifth-year offensive lineman Trai Jones has decided to retire from the game of football altogether, according to GamecockCentral.

Jones was a South Carolina native who played in 29 games for South Carolina, starting his career as a fullback in 2021 and transitioning back to his original position in 2022 and 2023. With Trai walking away from the sport, Lonnie Teasley will need another interior lineman to step up, whether it's North Carolina Central transfer Torricelli Simpkins III playing center, or Florida Atlantic transfer Kamaar Bell taking over one of the guard spots. Waiting to see who can fill in the void left by Jones will be one of the most intriguing storylines to watch for the Gamecocks this offseason.

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