COLA -- Heath Batchelor just told me that he has left the South Carolina football team.

Sources confirmed a little earlier that coach Steve Spurrier informed the team Thursday, two days before 22nd-ranked USC's game at No. 2 Alabama, that Batchelor wasn't part of the team anymore. He told the Gamecocks that Batchelor had lost his desire to play.

Batchelor started last week at left guard and had a tough time blocking Kentucky defensive tackle Corey Peters, who went on to be the SEC's defensive player of the week.

Despite the rough going this past week, coach Eric Wolford was strongly considering Batchelor to start Saturday against Alabama. Somewhere along the way, though, Batchelor was passed by converted tackle Jarriel King, who is slated to start against the Tide.

Terrence Campbell, who started earlier in the year, is out with a neck stinger. Spurrier has said Campbell might not return this season. Earlier this week, Wolford began talking about taking off Nick Allison's redshirt. That seems like a strong possibility now, with another guard gone.

Batchelor had an up-and-down run at USC. He started much of his redshirt freshman season at right guard. Batchelor played there early last season before hitting a wall with personal issues. He was forced to go home, to Haleyville, Ala., to collect himself.

After completing a university-issued checklist, Batchelor was allowed to return this past summer. He came back in great shape, he said thanks to a mixed-martial arts training program back home.

He'd worked himself back into the rotation before making his decision this week.

-- Th

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