- Looking back at last season, T-Rob said last season inconsistency was the biggest issue. He talked a lot about gap integrity and knowing your assignment instead of trying to just make a play on your own.
- The goal is to keep opponents under 17 points a game, then 5.5 yards per pass, 2.5-2.8 yards per rush.
- Javon was a "great player" and Kobe Smith was "very, very solid" - those two will be hard to replace at DT. Pickens and Sandidge have a great responsibility and they're doing well, but they've only been in pads two days. Keir Thomas' addition helps. Pickens is over 300 pounds and will play some three-technique and some "shade" (close to over the center) for Carolina.
- Tracy Rocker is doing a great job and is tough on the guys, but it comes from love.
- They want to do a better job forcing turnovers, then make teams one-dimensional by having to pass the football; stop the run first.
- Nowadays, you can't teach your safety to key an offensive lineman for the run or the pass. Passes look like a run and runs look like a pass, so you have to adapt to all the different rule changes that help offenses, targeting rules, etc.
- Jaycee Horn is frustrated by lack of interceptions, but he doesn't get a lot of opportunities. The ones he had last season he didn't make and so he has to make the easy ones, T-Rob said, but he doesn't get a lot of targets and they want to have more guys like him.
-OD has been playing safety. He's smart and instinctive and they're excited about his progress. He's small, so has to gain weight. Dominick Hill has been playing corner and is learning from the guys ahead of him.
- Israel Mukuamu has been playing all spots in the secondary, and they need more out of John Dixon and Cam Smith to enable them to play Izzy at safety and Jammie at nickel.
Cam Smith is a quick guy, gained some weight in the offseason, working on some things with his hands.
Dixon's playing some nickel too.
- Sherrod and Damani are playing WILL (Ernest Jones at MIKE). Whoever's not been at the WILL, they've played at the SAM spot.
USC played more "regular" with a SAM LB on the field than in the past - around 30 percent.
- Jaylin Dickerson has been really good, just been injury prone. The coaches haven't had him much. He's a physical guy that knows what to do and has to continue to get reps.
- Mike Bobo is "really good" and has thrown out multiple tempos, personnel groupings. It's been exciting to coach against him, he said.
- Gaining a couple new coaches on defense has helped T-Rob get perspective on what they're doing as far as far as simplifying some terms, going back and looking at what they're doing.
- Shi Smith, Jaycee Horn, Josh Vann have been working on punt return.
- T-Rob said it's most important to have your best player at DT and then corner, then your smartest player at LB.
- Jordan Burch will - once he enrolls - fit in at BUCK. He can rush the passer and drop.
As for now, Brad Johnson, Rod Fitten are working at BUCK during spring. Joe Anderson plays more of the strongside end.
- Joey Hunter will get a look at corner once he comes in this summer. If he can handle two positions, he'll get a look at corner and safety.
- The goal is to keep opponents under 17 points a game, then 5.5 yards per pass, 2.5-2.8 yards per rush.
- Javon was a "great player" and Kobe Smith was "very, very solid" - those two will be hard to replace at DT. Pickens and Sandidge have a great responsibility and they're doing well, but they've only been in pads two days. Keir Thomas' addition helps. Pickens is over 300 pounds and will play some three-technique and some "shade" (close to over the center) for Carolina.
- Tracy Rocker is doing a great job and is tough on the guys, but it comes from love.
- They want to do a better job forcing turnovers, then make teams one-dimensional by having to pass the football; stop the run first.
- Nowadays, you can't teach your safety to key an offensive lineman for the run or the pass. Passes look like a run and runs look like a pass, so you have to adapt to all the different rule changes that help offenses, targeting rules, etc.
- Jaycee Horn is frustrated by lack of interceptions, but he doesn't get a lot of opportunities. The ones he had last season he didn't make and so he has to make the easy ones, T-Rob said, but he doesn't get a lot of targets and they want to have more guys like him.
-OD has been playing safety. He's smart and instinctive and they're excited about his progress. He's small, so has to gain weight. Dominick Hill has been playing corner and is learning from the guys ahead of him.
- Israel Mukuamu has been playing all spots in the secondary, and they need more out of John Dixon and Cam Smith to enable them to play Izzy at safety and Jammie at nickel.
Cam Smith is a quick guy, gained some weight in the offseason, working on some things with his hands.
Dixon's playing some nickel too.
- Sherrod and Damani are playing WILL (Ernest Jones at MIKE). Whoever's not been at the WILL, they've played at the SAM spot.
USC played more "regular" with a SAM LB on the field than in the past - around 30 percent.
- Jaylin Dickerson has been really good, just been injury prone. The coaches haven't had him much. He's a physical guy that knows what to do and has to continue to get reps.
- Mike Bobo is "really good" and has thrown out multiple tempos, personnel groupings. It's been exciting to coach against him, he said.
- Gaining a couple new coaches on defense has helped T-Rob get perspective on what they're doing as far as far as simplifying some terms, going back and looking at what they're doing.
- Shi Smith, Jaycee Horn, Josh Vann have been working on punt return.
- T-Rob said it's most important to have your best player at DT and then corner, then your smartest player at LB.
- Jordan Burch will - once he enrolls - fit in at BUCK. He can rush the passer and drop.
As for now, Brad Johnson, Rod Fitten are working at BUCK during spring. Joe Anderson plays more of the strongside end.
- Joey Hunter will get a look at corner once he comes in this summer. If he can handle two positions, he'll get a look at corner and safety.
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