South Carolina has small, intriguing group at safety heading into spring

The Gamecocks lose a pair of starters – D.J. Smith and Chris Lammons, the latter of whom moved to a new position his last year. One rotation player returns, along with an unproven freshman who missed 2017 with injury, so the position Will Muschamp works most closely with will have to get into shape quickly.

Starter

Steven Montac, senior, 5-foot-11, 181 pounds – He’s not the biggest or fastest player, but he’s versatile and reliable. That likely keeps him at the top of the lineup after injuries rendered him more of a role player last season.

Top Reserves/potential starters

Jaylin Dickerson, freshman, 6-foot-1, 188 pounds – He might well have been a freshman starter last season, but a shoulder injury ended things before they began. The taller, rangy safety will have to settle for stepping in at a spot that loses a pair of starters.

Javon Charleston, junior, 6-foot-0, 189 pounds – The former walk-on got a few snaps last season, but mostly was limited to special teams work. It remains to be seen whether the large incoming group of freshman defensive backs can carve out roles or if he will get his chance.

The Rest

Zay Brown, freshman, 5-foot-11, 194 pounds – He spent last season redshirting. Has a reputation as a solid hitter.

Freshmen in for spring

R.J. Roderick, 6-foot-1, 211 pounds – The former high school quarterback is pretty raw in the finer points of playing defensive back. He’s a well-built player who moves well and can cover ground.

This story was originally published February 25, 2018 at 11:11 AM with the headline "South Carolina has small, intriguing group at safety heading into spring."