For the second spring in a row, South Carolina has moved DeVonte Holloman from safety to spur.
Last year, it didn’t work. Holloman was moved back to safety in the fall and started 10 games while Antonio Allen starred at the spur position. Allen is gone now, and Holloman will stay at spur this time, defensive coordinator Lorenzo Ward believes.
“It is definitely the right move for this team,” Ward said. “We definitely need a young man with some experience playing the spur position. It’s so crucial to what we do in the 4-2-5 system.”
The Gamecocks have run the 4-2-5 since former defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson was hired in 2008 and will continue to run it under Ward. Traditional defenses are either a 4-3-4 (four defensive linemen, three linebackers, four defensive backs) or 3-4-4 (three DL, four LB, four DBs), but South Carolina employs four defensive linemen, two linebackers and five secondary players.
The difference is the spur position, which is a hybrid between a linebacker and a safety.
The spur “has got to be athletic,” Ward said. “He’s got to be able to take on run blocks, and he’s got to be able to cover in space. When you recruit that guy, you want him to be the most athletic guy on your team.”
In Allen, the Gamecocks had a 202-pound player who was more comfortable in coverage. In Holloman, they have a 241-pounder who is better suited to play closer to the line of scrimmage.
“Antonio is a little more athletic than DeVonte, but you are going to gain a lot more physicalness with DeVonte and a guy that can blitz,” Ward said.
Holloman had 51 tackles last season, fifth best on the team, and he will be in position to make even more plays at spur.
“He played well (at safety), but he knows if he is going to play at the next level, he has to play closer to the box,” Ward said.
When Johnson and former secondary coach Ron Cooper were recruiting Holloman out of South Pointe High, they told him they envisioned him as the team’s spur of the future and described to him the role of the position.
“That’s one of the reasons I chose South Carolina,” Holloman said.
Holloman is happy to move to spur but would have been just as happy staying at safety, he said.
“I’m happy to play football so I am happy to be on the field,” he said. “I try not to worry about stuff like that. I like to play football. If they put me in the back end, I will play. If they put me up, I’ll play.”
Last year’s brief trial at the position has helped this spring, Holloman said.
“Now it’s just tuning the little things, working on where my hands and my eyes are,” he said. “For the most part, knowing where I am supposed to be and all that, it’s come back to me. I am just working on the little things.
Last year, it didn’t work. Holloman was moved back to safety in the fall and started 10 games while Antonio Allen starred at the spur position. Allen is gone now, and Holloman will stay at spur this time, defensive coordinator Lorenzo Ward believes.
“It is definitely the right move for this team,” Ward said. “We definitely need a young man with some experience playing the spur position. It’s so crucial to what we do in the 4-2-5 system.”
The Gamecocks have run the 4-2-5 since former defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson was hired in 2008 and will continue to run it under Ward. Traditional defenses are either a 4-3-4 (four defensive linemen, three linebackers, four defensive backs) or 3-4-4 (three DL, four LB, four DBs), but South Carolina employs four defensive linemen, two linebackers and five secondary players.
The difference is the spur position, which is a hybrid between a linebacker and a safety.
The spur “has got to be athletic,” Ward said. “He’s got to be able to take on run blocks, and he’s got to be able to cover in space. When you recruit that guy, you want him to be the most athletic guy on your team.”
In Allen, the Gamecocks had a 202-pound player who was more comfortable in coverage. In Holloman, they have a 241-pounder who is better suited to play closer to the line of scrimmage.
“Antonio is a little more athletic than DeVonte, but you are going to gain a lot more physicalness with DeVonte and a guy that can blitz,” Ward said.
Holloman had 51 tackles last season, fifth best on the team, and he will be in position to make even more plays at spur.
“He played well (at safety), but he knows if he is going to play at the next level, he has to play closer to the box,” Ward said.
When Johnson and former secondary coach Ron Cooper were recruiting Holloman out of South Pointe High, they told him they envisioned him as the team’s spur of the future and described to him the role of the position.
“That’s one of the reasons I chose South Carolina,” Holloman said.
Holloman is happy to move to spur but would have been just as happy staying at safety, he said.
“I’m happy to play football so I am happy to be on the field,” he said. “I try not to worry about stuff like that. I like to play football. If they put me in the back end, I will play. If they put me up, I’ll play.”
Last year’s brief trial at the position has helped this spring, Holloman said.
“Now it’s just tuning the little things, working on where my hands and my eyes are,” he said. “For the most part, knowing where I am supposed to be and all that, it’s come back to me. I am just working on the little things.
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