T-Rob drops a few nuggets about USC freshmen, trying to get receiver to defense
South Carolina defensive coordinator Travaris Robinson was easygoing. He’s a man charged with rectifying a turnover problem, and building up a secondary that’s shorthanded at the moment.
But less than an hour after his team’s first practice of the spring, he was jovial, dropping a few nuggets about his unit and the plans for a few players.
▪ Freshman linebacker Derek Boykins will start off as a middle linebacker. Muschamp had praised his work in space, but the staff wanted to limit his work in coverage early on.
▪ Freshman defensive lineman Joseph Anderson will not be working at tackle to start off, but instead be limited to end. In Robinson’s words, he’s “spinning.”
▪ A.J. Turner’s five practices on defense are more about getting him ready for an emergency role than anything else. Robinson also joked he’s been lobbying Will Muschamp to allow wide receiver Shi Smith to get into the action on defense.
▪ Robinson called the defensive line the most talented unit his defense had. He said the depth is finally where the staff had been trying to get it.
▪ Freshman Rodricus Fitten has now picked up the nickname “Hot Rod.”
▪ Asked about the linebacker regression last season, Robinson said it was just a reminder of what Skai Moore can mean to a team.
▪ Someone asked about the turnover front during the first practice. Robinson jokes Bryan McClendon probably wasn’t happy with how often the ball hit the ground.
▪ He mentioned the staff spoke with coaches from the Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers to pick their brains.
