'Citrus Bowl sees absence of South Carolina's standout defensive end Kyle Kennard'

Star defensive end Kyle Kennard of South Carolina will not be participating in the Citrus Bowl against Illinois on December 31, according to coach Shane Beamer's announcement on Wednesday.

Kennard, who recently declared for the NFL draft, has chosen to sit out of the bowl game in Orlando in order to focus on his preparations for the NFL. He is projected to potentially be selected in the late first round.

According to Beamer, "He is not currently with our team."

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Kennard was honored with the Bronko Nagurski Trophy this season as the nation's top defensive player, leading the Southeastern Conference with 15.5 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks. He also had three forced fumbles and was named SEC Defensive Player of the Year, earning multiple first-team All-American accolades.

This was Kennard's first and only season with the Gamecocks, having previously played four seasons with Georgia Tech before transferring after last season.

In his statement announcing his decision to enter the draft, Kennard expressed that transferring to South Carolina "has proven to be one of the best decisions of my life."

During his time with the Yellow Jackets, Kennard recorded 12.5 sacks, bringing his career total to 24.