Some Gamecocks could shift positions to address injury issues, including key defender

At the moment, South Carolina football only has three healthy options at safety in Steven Montac, R.J. Roderick and Jaylin Dickerson.

That’s enough a team could survive with, but not comfortably or confidently with the risk for more players going down. So Will Muschamp and his staff are already talking about a few other options to move to the position to shore it up.

But they’re not sure who yet.

“We had a discussion about that (Sunday),” Muschamp said. “We’ll continue that (Monday) to get ready for Tuesday’s practice on who we need to prepare to get ready and meet with those guys (Monday) afternoon and (Monday) night.”

That’s a result of the news that Jamyest Williams and Javon Charleston are out for the season. USC was already down graduate transfer safeties J.T. Ibe, who the team is hoping to get back soon after a knee injury, and Nick Harvey, who has been stuck in concussion protocol.

Muschamp said one player already had enough background to have perhaps played in a pinch, but he’s also a senior corner who is one of the team’s best cover men.

“We were prepared with Rashad Fenton can go play safety if he needs to,” Muschamp said. ”He knows our defense extremely well and he can go play a safety spot to give us a fourth going into the game. We will make some preparations past that.”

Muschamp didn’t say who might move, but the Gamecocks moved a range of players to safety during the offseason, trying to help a position that struggled for consistency all season. In terms of corners, USC has Fenton, Jaycee Horn, Keisean Nixon and true freshman Isreal Mukuamu, plus a smattering of walk-ons and redshirting freshman Jonathan Gipson.

Horn has already worked at nickel and on the outside in his true freshman season. Mukuamu has the height to play safety at 6-foot-4, and Nixon was at points a candidate for the position before settling in at corner.

Beyond the defensive back group, former safety Zay Brown is now at linebacker, but has yet to see the field in a year and a half. Some of USC’s receivers have high school backgrounds on defense, but the best ones are also top offensive players (Bryan Edwards played defense against a Hail Mary earlier this season).

In South Carolina’s first two seasons with Muschamp, the team has often had to rely almost exclusively on two or three safeties for long stretches. Granted, the attrition that has pushed USC at one specific spot is a first for Muschamp.

“It’s been unusual,” Muschamp said. “Thank goodness we’ve got a little depth at the position and got some young guys, especially that stepped up. It’s unfortunate, but is what it is.”

This story was originally published November 5, 2018 at 9:08 AM.