W
Wes Mitchell
Guest
South Carolina defensive coordinator Travaris Robinson spoke with the media Monday night and had the following to say...
** Feel better about the depth on the defensive side of the ball than at any point last year. Feel like we go three deep at both defensive line and linebacker. Need to get some guys back healthy in order to get to that point in the secondary, but getting there too.
** Jammie Robinson is a very talented young man. He's a smart kid. He's able to compute the calls and signal them to the other guys and that's uncommon for a freshman. He's playing nickel and safety and is working with the ones.
** Jamyest Williams has looked "really good." He's been in the program for a long time and the defense hasn't changes, so he's more comfortable making calls. He's doing a good job with that stuff, is having extra meeting time to continue to learn to make the calls, and he's healthy. He's in great shape and we're excited about him.
** Haven't made any exact position decisions as far freshmen possibly starting, but there's definitely a chance for a freshman or two to be in the starting lineup. If they continue to impress, they could be out there.
** Jamel Cook is "doing okay." It's a learning curve for him coming from cornerback to safety with the verbiage of everything. He's got to keep working and he will. He's doing a good job of trying to, he's just got to keep improving.
** R.J. Roderick and Jammie Robinson are both battling it out at nickel and safety. Right now, they're trying to decide which combination works the best to get the best five guys on the field.
** Israel Mukuamu has been getting a lot of reps at safety too. He's a corner and a safety, but a lot of the guys are repping at multiple positions. If you're going to make it to the next level, you have to be able to play multiple positions. He's a smart guy, so it's not too much for him to learn. He's going to be a good player.
** Probably not as pleased as we want to be with the turnovers created in the two scrimmages. Offense should be proud of that, because they're taking care of the ball but from the other side of the ball need to get more turnovers. Want to force three turnovers per practice in the team portions.
** Ernest Jones is still repping with the ones a bunch at middle linebacker. Excited about Ernest. He comes out with the right attitude and makes practicing fun and it rubs off on the other players. Excited about the linebackers right now. Damani Staley and Rosendo Louis have both done well too and excited about them. Feel like we can go three deep there.
Sherrod Greene is back playing as well just have to figure out where he fits in the mix at linebacker. The depth is way better on the DL and at LB. The backups at LB can do everything within the defense that the starters can do from a play call standpoint and that wasn't the case before.
** A.J. Turner has been repping with the defense a bunch and has played with the first team a bunch.
** Have some good competition at the SAM linebacker spot and that position is going to be important this year, because playing six to seven teams this year that have two-back running game elements. Sherrod Greene, Jahmar Brown, Rosendo Louis, Eldridge Thompson are all battling it out there.
** Javon Kinlaw, Kobe Smith and Keir Thomas will battle it out each week at defensive tackle to find out which two start. Then you've got Rick Sandidge and Zacch Pickens and Jabari Ellis behind them. Feel really good about the competition at defensive tackle and they'll have to fight it out every single week.
** Feel better about the depth on the defensive side of the ball than at any point last year. Feel like we go three deep at both defensive line and linebacker. Need to get some guys back healthy in order to get to that point in the secondary, but getting there too.
** Jammie Robinson is a very talented young man. He's a smart kid. He's able to compute the calls and signal them to the other guys and that's uncommon for a freshman. He's playing nickel and safety and is working with the ones.
** Jamyest Williams has looked "really good." He's been in the program for a long time and the defense hasn't changes, so he's more comfortable making calls. He's doing a good job with that stuff, is having extra meeting time to continue to learn to make the calls, and he's healthy. He's in great shape and we're excited about him.
** Haven't made any exact position decisions as far freshmen possibly starting, but there's definitely a chance for a freshman or two to be in the starting lineup. If they continue to impress, they could be out there.
** Jamel Cook is "doing okay." It's a learning curve for him coming from cornerback to safety with the verbiage of everything. He's got to keep working and he will. He's doing a good job of trying to, he's just got to keep improving.
** R.J. Roderick and Jammie Robinson are both battling it out at nickel and safety. Right now, they're trying to decide which combination works the best to get the best five guys on the field.
** Israel Mukuamu has been getting a lot of reps at safety too. He's a corner and a safety, but a lot of the guys are repping at multiple positions. If you're going to make it to the next level, you have to be able to play multiple positions. He's a smart guy, so it's not too much for him to learn. He's going to be a good player.
** Probably not as pleased as we want to be with the turnovers created in the two scrimmages. Offense should be proud of that, because they're taking care of the ball but from the other side of the ball need to get more turnovers. Want to force three turnovers per practice in the team portions.
** Ernest Jones is still repping with the ones a bunch at middle linebacker. Excited about Ernest. He comes out with the right attitude and makes practicing fun and it rubs off on the other players. Excited about the linebackers right now. Damani Staley and Rosendo Louis have both done well too and excited about them. Feel like we can go three deep there.
Sherrod Greene is back playing as well just have to figure out where he fits in the mix at linebacker. The depth is way better on the DL and at LB. The backups at LB can do everything within the defense that the starters can do from a play call standpoint and that wasn't the case before.
** A.J. Turner has been repping with the defense a bunch and has played with the first team a bunch.
** Have some good competition at the SAM linebacker spot and that position is going to be important this year, because playing six to seven teams this year that have two-back running game elements. Sherrod Greene, Jahmar Brown, Rosendo Louis, Eldridge Thompson are all battling it out there.
** Javon Kinlaw, Kobe Smith and Keir Thomas will battle it out each week at defensive tackle to find out which two start. Then you've got Rick Sandidge and Zacch Pickens and Jabari Ellis behind them. Feel really good about the competition at defensive tackle and they'll have to fight it out every single week.
