End Jadeveon Clowney got the most attention last season among South Carolina’s true freshman defensive linemen. But tackle Kelcy Quarles did start the season’s final six games, replacing Aldrick Fordham, and is poised to hold that spot for at least two more years, and perhaps three.
“I moved him into a starter’s role because his production was higher,” said defensive line coach Brad Lawing. “I put a lot of stock in production, and he was making plays and he kept making plays. When he plays with a low pad level and uses his power, he’s a good player. But he has a habit sometimes of standing up and when he does that, he’s not a very good player.
“We do a lot up front. It’s not your granddaddy’s defense. We do a lot of stuff up there, a lot of read-outs, stuff that a lot of college teams don’t do. It takes some processing to learn how to do that. That’s where Kelcy got better last year, once he understood all that stuff.”
Quarles explained that a “read-out” is essentially when the tackle looks at the offensive guard’s feet after the snap to determine where he’s going to move. You can get fooled in these situations, Quarles said, so it takes experience to master the tactic.
“When we get out of our stance, in high school, you’d just look up at the man,” Quarles said. “But what you’re usually doing as a (college) defensive tackle, you’re looking at the guard’s feet. If he steps down, you shoot your hands and go. If he steps out, you play the reach. It’s all about reading the feet. If you read his feet and see where he goes, you’re pretty much in there.
“It’s kind of hard. I’m not going to lie. But once you start doing, it’s not that hard. You’re just looking at his legs and just looking at where he’s going and play with your hands and feel where he’s going. That’s basically all you’ve got to do – shoot your hands (out in front of you) and that guard or tackle will take you where you’re going.”
Quarles is making a concerted effort this spring to keep his pad level low, as Lawing mentioned that being such an important key for him.
“Every time I get down in my stance I think about, ‘Make you stay low, make you stay low,’” Quarles said. “I’m just continuing to rep it in my mind.”
Quarles still recalls how excited he was that day last fall when Lawing approached him in the trainer’s room and told him he was going to start. Now, with his status as a starter cemented, Quarles is confident USC can build on last season, when it ranked third nationally in yards allowed per game.
“I feel like we can go as far as we want to go,” he said. “We’re the only people who can stop ourselves.”
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Here now, some other notes from spring practices ...
** DeAngelo Smith might be the leading candidate to be USC’s top outside wide receiver next season, as Alshon Jeffery was last season, but Smith has no illusions about being the next Jeffery.
“You really can’t be an Alshon,” he said. “You can try to fill his shoes the best way you can, but Alshon’s stats speak for themselves.”
Smith sees 2012 being more of a group effort among the receivers, which would be unlike 2011, when Jeffery dominated the receiving stats.
“Me and Ace (Sanders) talked, and we feel like we can just throw it to anybody,” Smith said.
** Defensive coordinator Lorenzo Ward, who will debut full-time in that role next season, brings a more aggressive, blitz-oriented approach that he thinks will simplify things for his players.
“I think you take the guessing out of the game for a young man when you can tell them where they’re going,” Ward said. “That’s what you do when you call pressure. You tell them where to go and they don’t have to read blocks. They’re hitting gaps. That makes a game a lot more fun when you know no matter what they’re doing offensively, you’re hitting a gap.”
** Senior T.J. Johnson is entering his third season as the starting center, so he has seen a lot of offensive linemen come and go. He said he is impressed this spring with redshirt freshman Brandon Shell, who is currently the No. 1 left tackle. USC has three tackles for two spots – Shell, Cody Gibson and Mike Matulis, who is out for the spring after shoulder surgery.
“Brandon has come out here and totally surprised me,” Johnson said. “He’s been doing everything he’s supposed to do. He really picked up on the system quickly. We’ll go into film and coach will make a correction and the next day he’s got it corrected. Brandon’s done a phenomenal job of doing that.”
** Because DeVonte Holloman moved from strong safety to spur outside linebacker, the new strong safety is Brison Williams, who started one game last season as a true freshman when Holloman was hurt. And Williams struggled in that game.
What was the hardest part of that experience for him?
“Just knowing all the coverages and checks,” he said. “I was nervous. It was good that I got a start so I know how it’ll be this year.”
He expects to have fewer butterflies this year, since he knows he’s going to start. What is the main thing Ward, who still oversees the secondary, is emphasizing to him now?
“I’ve just got to play a lot (more) physical and attack better,” Williams said. “He just wants me to play stronger and get a lot of hands on receivers. I’ve just got to prove to coach Ward that I’m ready to play.”
link: http://www.postandco...mentId=blogDest
“I moved him into a starter’s role because his production was higher,” said defensive line coach Brad Lawing. “I put a lot of stock in production, and he was making plays and he kept making plays. When he plays with a low pad level and uses his power, he’s a good player. But he has a habit sometimes of standing up and when he does that, he’s not a very good player.
“We do a lot up front. It’s not your granddaddy’s defense. We do a lot of stuff up there, a lot of read-outs, stuff that a lot of college teams don’t do. It takes some processing to learn how to do that. That’s where Kelcy got better last year, once he understood all that stuff.”
Quarles explained that a “read-out” is essentially when the tackle looks at the offensive guard’s feet after the snap to determine where he’s going to move. You can get fooled in these situations, Quarles said, so it takes experience to master the tactic.
“When we get out of our stance, in high school, you’d just look up at the man,” Quarles said. “But what you’re usually doing as a (college) defensive tackle, you’re looking at the guard’s feet. If he steps down, you shoot your hands and go. If he steps out, you play the reach. It’s all about reading the feet. If you read his feet and see where he goes, you’re pretty much in there.
“It’s kind of hard. I’m not going to lie. But once you start doing, it’s not that hard. You’re just looking at his legs and just looking at where he’s going and play with your hands and feel where he’s going. That’s basically all you’ve got to do – shoot your hands (out in front of you) and that guard or tackle will take you where you’re going.”
Quarles is making a concerted effort this spring to keep his pad level low, as Lawing mentioned that being such an important key for him.
“Every time I get down in my stance I think about, ‘Make you stay low, make you stay low,’” Quarles said. “I’m just continuing to rep it in my mind.”
Quarles still recalls how excited he was that day last fall when Lawing approached him in the trainer’s room and told him he was going to start. Now, with his status as a starter cemented, Quarles is confident USC can build on last season, when it ranked third nationally in yards allowed per game.
“I feel like we can go as far as we want to go,” he said. “We’re the only people who can stop ourselves.”
---
Here now, some other notes from spring practices ...
** DeAngelo Smith might be the leading candidate to be USC’s top outside wide receiver next season, as Alshon Jeffery was last season, but Smith has no illusions about being the next Jeffery.
“You really can’t be an Alshon,” he said. “You can try to fill his shoes the best way you can, but Alshon’s stats speak for themselves.”
Smith sees 2012 being more of a group effort among the receivers, which would be unlike 2011, when Jeffery dominated the receiving stats.
“Me and Ace (Sanders) talked, and we feel like we can just throw it to anybody,” Smith said.
** Defensive coordinator Lorenzo Ward, who will debut full-time in that role next season, brings a more aggressive, blitz-oriented approach that he thinks will simplify things for his players.
“I think you take the guessing out of the game for a young man when you can tell them where they’re going,” Ward said. “That’s what you do when you call pressure. You tell them where to go and they don’t have to read blocks. They’re hitting gaps. That makes a game a lot more fun when you know no matter what they’re doing offensively, you’re hitting a gap.”
** Senior T.J. Johnson is entering his third season as the starting center, so he has seen a lot of offensive linemen come and go. He said he is impressed this spring with redshirt freshman Brandon Shell, who is currently the No. 1 left tackle. USC has three tackles for two spots – Shell, Cody Gibson and Mike Matulis, who is out for the spring after shoulder surgery.
“Brandon has come out here and totally surprised me,” Johnson said. “He’s been doing everything he’s supposed to do. He really picked up on the system quickly. We’ll go into film and coach will make a correction and the next day he’s got it corrected. Brandon’s done a phenomenal job of doing that.”
** Because DeVonte Holloman moved from strong safety to spur outside linebacker, the new strong safety is Brison Williams, who started one game last season as a true freshman when Holloman was hurt. And Williams struggled in that game.
What was the hardest part of that experience for him?
“Just knowing all the coverages and checks,” he said. “I was nervous. It was good that I got a start so I know how it’ll be this year.”
He expects to have fewer butterflies this year, since he knows he’s going to start. What is the main thing Ward, who still oversees the secondary, is emphasizing to him now?
“I’ve just got to play a lot (more) physical and attack better,” Williams said. “He just wants me to play stronger and get a lot of hands on receivers. I’ve just got to prove to coach Ward that I’m ready to play.”
link: http://www.postandco...mentId=blogDest
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