The spot ‘needs to be more productive’ for South Carolina, and it’s missing a leader
March 23, 2019
Usually, a college football team wants its leaders in place at all times to, well, lead.
In South Carolina’s case this spring, there might be some benefit to missing a staple at the linebacker position, even if it’s a position the coaches need more from after last year’s performance.
Middle linebacker T.J. Brunson won’t see the field in March, the fallout of several surgeries. In some ways, that might not be the worst thing.
“With TJ out, me and Sherrod (Greene) have to pick up the slack at the linebacker group,” sophomore linebacker Ernest Jones said. “So we’re making sure we’re fine lining on the small details and stuff.”
Greene made 73 tackles as a sophomore last season, but had more than a few spots where he struggled. Jones played sparingly because of a back injury, and burned his redshirt for what ended up being a few snaps in USC’s bowl loss.
The Gamecocks run defense struggled all over, especially in preventing opponents from grinding down the field.
“There’s a lot of area for improvement,” Gamecocks head coach Will Muschamp said. “Sherrod Greene can play both the Mike and the Will, but (he is) a guy that needs to be able to learn both in those situations and continue to progress as a player. Damani Staley I thought, another guy that took some strides.
“All those guys will have opportunities.”
Beyond Greene, Jones and Staley, Eldridge Thompson is limited by injury, Rosendo Louis Jr. is out, leaving early enrollee freshman Derek Boykins and former safety Zay Brown as the only other scholarship players at the position.
Defensive coordinator Travaris Robinson said youth was a primary driver for some of the struggles last season.
“That was the first time Sherrod got a chance to play a bunch,” Robinson said. “(Eldridge Thompson) was hurt, so we didn’t get him out there, and then Damani played a little bit, and that was his first time out there. So we were just inexperienced. So that’s the one thing I would say. Obviously with TJ, he’s been a staple in the program for a long time now, but he was the only guy out there that played a bunch of football.”
So there’s a benefit to those young players getting their fill of reps, both last season and in the spring.
Brunson got to work alongside Skai Moore, the program’s all-time interception leader and the kind of linebacker who doesn’t come along all that often. Robinson noted the defense missed Moore in 2018.
“Skai being the player that he was, I wasn’t here when he was here, but from what I’ve seen Skai was very good in coverage,” Jones said. “I feel like we all have our certain specialties in that type of assets in the game. I feel like, as a group though, we have to come together more.”
The coaches have said they see a good bit of potential in the group they have. Beyond Brunson’s steady presence, Jones backs his size with a cerebral approach. Staley has some mobility, as will Thompson when he gets healthy. Boykins looks the part, but has been brought along slowly.
But improvement is what spring is for.
Without Brunson, Jones and Boykins have been getting a lot of work in the middle, a spot Moore played a good bit in his first few seasons. There’s something that comes with that position in the SEC.
“Being vocal,” Jones said. “You have to be vocal. You have to be a leader no matter what you’re doing, you have to take the right steps to be that leader, that guy in the defense that everybody else respects you.”
March 23, 2019
Usually, a college football team wants its leaders in place at all times to, well, lead.
In South Carolina’s case this spring, there might be some benefit to missing a staple at the linebacker position, even if it’s a position the coaches need more from after last year’s performance.
Middle linebacker T.J. Brunson won’t see the field in March, the fallout of several surgeries. In some ways, that might not be the worst thing.
“With TJ out, me and Sherrod (Greene) have to pick up the slack at the linebacker group,” sophomore linebacker Ernest Jones said. “So we’re making sure we’re fine lining on the small details and stuff.”
Greene made 73 tackles as a sophomore last season, but had more than a few spots where he struggled. Jones played sparingly because of a back injury, and burned his redshirt for what ended up being a few snaps in USC’s bowl loss.
The Gamecocks run defense struggled all over, especially in preventing opponents from grinding down the field.
“There’s a lot of area for improvement,” Gamecocks head coach Will Muschamp said. “Sherrod Greene can play both the Mike and the Will, but (he is) a guy that needs to be able to learn both in those situations and continue to progress as a player. Damani Staley I thought, another guy that took some strides.
“All those guys will have opportunities.”
Beyond Greene, Jones and Staley, Eldridge Thompson is limited by injury, Rosendo Louis Jr. is out, leaving early enrollee freshman Derek Boykins and former safety Zay Brown as the only other scholarship players at the position.
Defensive coordinator Travaris Robinson said youth was a primary driver for some of the struggles last season.
“That was the first time Sherrod got a chance to play a bunch,” Robinson said. “(Eldridge Thompson) was hurt, so we didn’t get him out there, and then Damani played a little bit, and that was his first time out there. So we were just inexperienced. So that’s the one thing I would say. Obviously with TJ, he’s been a staple in the program for a long time now, but he was the only guy out there that played a bunch of football.”
So there’s a benefit to those young players getting their fill of reps, both last season and in the spring.
Brunson got to work alongside Skai Moore, the program’s all-time interception leader and the kind of linebacker who doesn’t come along all that often. Robinson noted the defense missed Moore in 2018.
“Skai being the player that he was, I wasn’t here when he was here, but from what I’ve seen Skai was very good in coverage,” Jones said. “I feel like we all have our certain specialties in that type of assets in the game. I feel like, as a group though, we have to come together more.”
The coaches have said they see a good bit of potential in the group they have. Beyond Brunson’s steady presence, Jones backs his size with a cerebral approach. Staley has some mobility, as will Thompson when he gets healthy. Boykins looks the part, but has been brought along slowly.
But improvement is what spring is for.
Without Brunson, Jones and Boykins have been getting a lot of work in the middle, a spot Moore played a good bit in his first few seasons. There’s something that comes with that position in the SEC.
“Being vocal,” Jones said. “You have to be vocal. You have to be a leader no matter what you’re doing, you have to take the right steps to be that leader, that guy in the defense that everybody else respects you.”