Fresh off first TD, Corey Rucker carving role at South Carolina in wake of injury

Corey Rucker twisted his eyes around and searched for the black dot that shot toward him under the glow of the lights illuminating Williams-Brice Stadium on Saturday night.

He was tired. Running 52 yards has that effect. As does working through practices in the lead-up to a Week 4 win over Charlotte on a limited basis.

Still, with a slight bobble, Rucker snatched backup quarterback Luke Doty’s pass over the heads of 49ers defensive backs Juice Martin and Bryson Whitehead and raced into the end zone for his first touchdown as a Gamecock.

“First, I will say, I am out of shape,” Rucker said Tuesday, smirking. “I was so tired. I got the call from (offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield) and I was like, shoot, I’ve got to run again.”

Rucker saw his first game action of the season on Saturday after missing the first three contests of the year with a stress fracture in his foot. He noted he had barely practiced the week before. That led to him playing three total snaps, per Pro Football Focus.

But in those brief moments — notably his 52-yard touchdown reception — Rucker gave a glimpse at the home-run-hitting ability he can bring to a South Carolina offense in need of more consistently explosive presence.

“People love his spirit and his energy because — I know it’s been frustrating for him — he never got down, never stopped working, always had a smile on his face,” head coach Shane Beamer said. “I think he’s just another guy that brings a dimension to the passing game. You can’t have enough of those guys.”

Rucker is intriguing, no doubt. His skill set nicely complements what Antwane “Juice” Wells, Ahmarean Brown, Josh Vann and the rest of the receiving corps can do.

His personality, too, is unique in itself.

Rucker almost can’t help but smile. He bounds around the South Carolina football facility with as much energy and excitement as anyone. The Mississippi native is flashy, fun and charismatic.

Take the sparkly unicorn hat he donned during USC’s in-house media day as one example. Need more proof? Fast-forward back to his official visit in May. He grinned ear-to-ear as he brushed shoulders with women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley.

He even brought his own bowling ball — yes, you read that correctly — so he could slip in a few frames between what all his schedule entailed during his spell in Columbia.

“That was a first. That’s one that will stick with me,” Beamer said, cracking a smile. “He’s a really talented bowler and he was going to go bowling on his official visit. So he brought his own ball on the official visit.”

That Rucker could be an important piece heading into the heart of Southeastern Conference play shouldn’t surprise. He torched Sun Belt defenses in his two years at Arkansas State, recording 75 receptions for 1,279 yards (17.1 per catch) and 14 touchdowns in 20 games for the Red Wolves.

The Gamecocks could use another deep threat alongside Wells, who’s recorded just two catches for 27 yards the last two weeks as teams adjusted to his 189-yard outburst at Arkansas on Sept. 10. Vann, too, has had his issues getting loose minus a 75-yard punt return touchdown that was called back in Saturday’s fourth quarter due to a blocking penalty.

Beamer cautioned in recent weeks that he wasn’t totally sure what Rucker would show once healthy. Rucker himself conceded he’s still trying to get back. It’ll be a process over the next few weeks to get to 100%.

“I’ve come in for treatment after practice every day — I’m going to get treatment right after this,” Rucker said. “But it’s really conditioning, going through practice, running through pass skills, doing (individual work) and just trying to get back in football shape.”

Flipping the ball to the referee in the front right corner of the end zone after his score on Saturday, Rucker chest-bumped Wells along the South Carolina sideline. Hitting the ground, he thrice strummed an air guitar with the vigor of Eddie Van Halen — a nod to his moniker, “Rockstar Ruck.”

South Carolina shouldn’t face another real test until it meets Kentucky in two weeks. Thursday’s contest against S.C. State should be another nice tuneup before league play begins in earnest.

If Saturday foreshadowed what’s to come, Rucker will need more material for his post-touchdown concert routine.