Shift sets Norwood free to maneuver

A year after Eric Norwood earned All-SEC honors and set a school record for tackles for loss, South Carolina coaches want him to be more of a stand-up guy this year.

Norwood, who had 13 sacks the past two seasons as a defensive end, has moved to outside linebacker this spring. Coaches are confident that switching Norwood from a three-point stance and bringing him off the edge in a stand-up position will allow the junior from Acworth, Ga., to make more plays.

Norwood thinks so, too.

“I’m going to be all-conference,” Norwood said after a recent practice. “Not to be cocky, but I’ve got a lot of confidence in myself, and I know the coaching staff has got a lot of confidence in me.

“So the goals and expectations that I have for this year, I think, are still going to allow me to be all-conference.”

USC defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson said flip-flopping Norwood and sophomore Cliff Matthews maximizes the talents of both players. Matthews had 15.5 sacks at defensive end as a senior at Cheraw High but had none last year at outside linebacker for the Gamecocks.

“We thought that Eric was a more versatile player and Cliff was not using his abilities to the full extent, which is playing pass rush. He was playing out in space too much,” Johnson said. “Eric has done a little bit more of that. As the scheme progresses, Eric is going to become more and more an outside linebacker on the line of scrimmage as opposed to a linebacker dropping (in coverage).”

The 6-foot-1, 265-pound Norwood, who last played linebacker as a high school junior, said he is fast enough to cover tight ends and fullbacks on pass plays.

“I’ve never seen a guy with natural pass-rush skills like him that also seems to have a really good, solid knowledge of perimeter play,” Johnson said.

Norwood broke a USC record with 19.5 tackles for loss in 2007, a total that included a team-high six sacks. With offenses not as certain where to look for Norwood this year, he believes he will be less vulnerable to double-team blocks and should increase his sack total.

“When I was at defensive end, (linemen would) just come down and double-team me,” he said. “Because I’m coming from everywhere, it makes the defense better.”

Johnson said his goal is to get Matthews, Norwood and linebackers Jasper Brinkley and Melvin Ingram on the field at the same time. Moving Norwood will help the first-year coordinator accomplish the goal.

In his first two seasons, Norwood has shown an ability to make things happen wherever he is lined up. He tied an NCAA record by returning two fumbles for touchdowns in the fall during the Gamecocks’ nationally televised victory against Kentucky.

After watching Norwood on video and seeing him in person the past week, Johnson, who has 27 years of experience as a college coach, struggled to name a player with a skill set similar to Norwood’s.

“I don’t know that I’ve coached a kid with his physical size that has the versatility he has,” Johnson said.

Norwood hopes there are bigger things to come at his new spot.

Reach Person at (803) 771-8496.