W
Wes Mitchell
Guest
South Carolina special teams coordinator and linebackers coach Coleman Hutzler spoke to the media Friday and had the following to say...
** Have an "awesome" open competition going on at punt returner. Have a lot of bodies there that can go back there and compete and are athletic enough. Bryan Edwards, Shi Smith, Josh Vann, Nick Harvey, Keisean Nixon and Jamyest Williams are all the mix. Just have to go compete. The first step is catching it and communicating. Those are key. Had two turnovers there last year and can't have that.
** Asked about Edwards being big for that role? He protects the ball but he's also good with the ball in his hands too.
** Asked about the fair catch rule on kickoffs... Do you want Deebo Samuel fair catching the ball? Want the ball in his hands as much as possible. The other guys bust their butts for him when he gets it and we know we can make big plays with him. Will try to put him in the best position to get the ball. Great to have him back and it provides energy. A.J. Turner, Keisean Nixon, Rico Dowdle, Bryan Edwards and Josh Vann are all also working at kickoff return.
** The place kicker competition is going great. "It's amazing what a little competition will do." Parker White had a good spring and a great summer and has stepped up his game. Shane Hynes has come in and is competing and Alex Woznick is as well. Three guys that have made big strides and improvements. Hynes is a guy that's kicked in college and made 4th quarter kicks and OT winners. He's stepped up in big moments in the past. No leader right now.
** Sherrod Greene has been great since he got here. He's competing with Eldridge Thompson for the weakside ("dime") linebacker spot. Thompson has been a little banged up with a hamstring but is getting back right. Close competition. Greene can also play MIKE. Who is next up after Brunson? It could be Rosendo Louis or it could be a scenario where you slide Greene over to MIKE and put Thompson in at WLB. Louis can be the backup MIKE but how soon is the question.
** Consistency is the name of the game with snappers and holders. It's not all on the kickers. It combined for some ugly numbers above 40 yards. And it falls on the staff for putting White in a situation to kick so many beyond 40 and 50 yards. They've all had a great summer. He has the leg to hit from 40+, so it's not a concern from that distance, but it's more about how often. Also depends on the 4th down. 4th and 3 let's maybe go for it. 4th and 9, have to kick it.
** RPO offenses are designed to make the linebackers hesitate. Trying to make us indecisive. Tell our guys we're fitting the run first. Stop the run and not create indecisiveness.
** Matthew Smith took every rep in the spring at the long snapper position with Ben Asbury injured and Smith did a great job, matured and competed. Even with Asbury back, Smith is pushing him hard for playing time. Smith is a RS FR walk-on from Roswell (Ga.). Feel very confident in him.
** The defense really doesn’t talk a lot in terms of sacks but more affecting the quarterback’s vision and mechanics during a pass rush. He said even with a lot of the RPO stuff teams are running now there’s still a chance for a pass rush to get to the quarterback.
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** Steven Montac said he’s seen a lot out of Israel Mukuamu and Jaycee Horn this camp and said those will be two “great” players good enough to leave after their junior seasons.
** Rashad Fenton said the cornerbacks will be able to play a lot of man coverage this season with more experience in the defensive backfield and longer corners like Mukuamu and Horn behind them.
** Montac said he and a few other guys spend the night at the stadium during camp so they won’t be late to meetings. Danny Fennell said there’s a tent a few guys set up in the player’s lounge that they sleep in every day.
** Fennell is working a lot at the BUCK spot this spring and said that position has been getting a lot of praise from the coaching staff. They were awarded the best defensive group trophy for the first week of camp recently.
** Montac said there isn’t a set rotation at safety right now and that he feels like he can play with anybody they put back there. He also said freshman RJ Roderick has been impressive to start camp so far.
** Bryson Allen-Williams says he feels 100 percent now. He tries to bring energy to the team every day and let that be his thing. He says the team showed last year that they can win without him and there's a true next man up attitude here. Wants to do everything he can to leave a legacy during his final year, but it's about the team. Allen-Williams is working at the BUCK and SAM spots - hasn't taken any reps at the WLB position.
** Have an "awesome" open competition going on at punt returner. Have a lot of bodies there that can go back there and compete and are athletic enough. Bryan Edwards, Shi Smith, Josh Vann, Nick Harvey, Keisean Nixon and Jamyest Williams are all the mix. Just have to go compete. The first step is catching it and communicating. Those are key. Had two turnovers there last year and can't have that.
** Asked about Edwards being big for that role? He protects the ball but he's also good with the ball in his hands too.
** Asked about the fair catch rule on kickoffs... Do you want Deebo Samuel fair catching the ball? Want the ball in his hands as much as possible. The other guys bust their butts for him when he gets it and we know we can make big plays with him. Will try to put him in the best position to get the ball. Great to have him back and it provides energy. A.J. Turner, Keisean Nixon, Rico Dowdle, Bryan Edwards and Josh Vann are all also working at kickoff return.
** The place kicker competition is going great. "It's amazing what a little competition will do." Parker White had a good spring and a great summer and has stepped up his game. Shane Hynes has come in and is competing and Alex Woznick is as well. Three guys that have made big strides and improvements. Hynes is a guy that's kicked in college and made 4th quarter kicks and OT winners. He's stepped up in big moments in the past. No leader right now.
** Sherrod Greene has been great since he got here. He's competing with Eldridge Thompson for the weakside ("dime") linebacker spot. Thompson has been a little banged up with a hamstring but is getting back right. Close competition. Greene can also play MIKE. Who is next up after Brunson? It could be Rosendo Louis or it could be a scenario where you slide Greene over to MIKE and put Thompson in at WLB. Louis can be the backup MIKE but how soon is the question.
** Consistency is the name of the game with snappers and holders. It's not all on the kickers. It combined for some ugly numbers above 40 yards. And it falls on the staff for putting White in a situation to kick so many beyond 40 and 50 yards. They've all had a great summer. He has the leg to hit from 40+, so it's not a concern from that distance, but it's more about how often. Also depends on the 4th down. 4th and 3 let's maybe go for it. 4th and 9, have to kick it.
** RPO offenses are designed to make the linebackers hesitate. Trying to make us indecisive. Tell our guys we're fitting the run first. Stop the run and not create indecisiveness.
** Matthew Smith took every rep in the spring at the long snapper position with Ben Asbury injured and Smith did a great job, matured and competed. Even with Asbury back, Smith is pushing him hard for playing time. Smith is a RS FR walk-on from Roswell (Ga.). Feel very confident in him.
** The defense really doesn’t talk a lot in terms of sacks but more affecting the quarterback’s vision and mechanics during a pass rush. He said even with a lot of the RPO stuff teams are running now there’s still a chance for a pass rush to get to the quarterback.
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** Steven Montac said he’s seen a lot out of Israel Mukuamu and Jaycee Horn this camp and said those will be two “great” players good enough to leave after their junior seasons.
** Rashad Fenton said the cornerbacks will be able to play a lot of man coverage this season with more experience in the defensive backfield and longer corners like Mukuamu and Horn behind them.
** Montac said he and a few other guys spend the night at the stadium during camp so they won’t be late to meetings. Danny Fennell said there’s a tent a few guys set up in the player’s lounge that they sleep in every day.
** Fennell is working a lot at the BUCK spot this spring and said that position has been getting a lot of praise from the coaching staff. They were awarded the best defensive group trophy for the first week of camp recently.
** Montac said there isn’t a set rotation at safety right now and that he feels like he can play with anybody they put back there. He also said freshman RJ Roderick has been impressive to start camp so far.
** Bryson Allen-Williams says he feels 100 percent now. He tries to bring energy to the team every day and let that be his thing. He says the team showed last year that they can win without him and there's a true next man up attitude here. Wants to do everything he can to leave a legacy during his final year, but it's about the team. Allen-Williams is working at the BUCK and SAM spots - hasn't taken any reps at the WLB position.
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