What South Carolina’s latest position change might tell us about Gamecocks freshmen
South Carolina football coach Will Muschamp made a few announcements about his secondary on Tuesday morning.
Tavyn Jackson is moving from corner to safety, and the trio of nickel and outside corners will be Keisean Nixon, Rashad Fenton and Nick Harvey, a Texas A&M transfer who has yet to officially practice for the team.
This, and the roster breakdown, might reveal something about USC’s freshman cornerbacks, Jaycee Horn and Israel Mukuamu.
With Jackson moving, the Gamecocks appear to have limited numbers behind that trio, which could put a lot on a pair of true freshmen. Jackson seemed to have potential as a corner, but missed all of last year with hamstring issues.
Freshman Jonathan Gipson appears more likely to end up as safety at 6-foot-1, 186 pounds, though anything is possible. Former wide receiver Korey Banks is still at the position, but hasn’t been talked about much by the staff.
Safeties Jamyest Williams and Steven Montac both have experience at nickel, and could probably drop down in a pinch.
But for the most part, it looks as if Horn and Mukuamu will enter August camp as the likely backups at the outside corner spots.
Muschamp surprised some folks when he said the 6-foot-4 Mukuamu would play corner rather than safety on signing day. He performed well enough in spring to earn some praise.
“Made a lot of progress,” Muschamp said. “A very coachable young man. Very intelligent, really smart. A guy that’s in the weight room Saturday and Sunday, seven days a week. Understands he’s got to get stronger.”
Horn was a four-star recruit, rated a top-210 player nationally with NFL bloodlines. USC quarterback Jake Bentley called him one of the best players in the team’s player-run summer practices.
Horn and Mukuamu now appear to be the first and second options on the outside if someone gets hurt or, perhaps, players who could rotate in. USC has been extremely thin in the secondary the past two seasons, and could, in theory, survive with the top group taking most of the work.
This also says Harvey showed a lot to someone in the unofficial work. Muschamp called him an elite SEC player when he was at Texas A&M, but that was a season-ending knee injury ago.
The Gamecocks now have a rather stuffed group at safety with Jackson. Steven Montac is the most experienced player, and the only one Muschamp said he fully trusts at the position.
Jackson is in a similar spot as Jaylin Dickerson, who showed a lot of promise before missing last season with a shoulder injury. Williams comes in after an up-and-down first year, and Gibson’s fate is still to be determined.
Rice grad transfer J.T. Ibe adds experience. Javon Charleston is in limbo after an arrest, while R.J. Roderick might have the most physical talent but spent most of last season as a high school quarterback or hurt.
Still, the Gamecocks seem to have their top group at three of the five defensive back positions, and have a pair of freshmen in position to help sooner rather than later.
This story was originally published July 31, 2018 at 5:59 PM.