Who will play this key spot for USC? Travaris Robinson isn’t sure yet
The nickel position is crucial in the structure of the South Carolina football team’s defense. Players there match with inside receivers, do a good amount of run support and are regularly targeted in the run-pass option plays that are a bedrock of many modern offenses.
And if you ask South Carolina defensive coordinator Travaris Robinson who is going to play there, he’d be hard pressed to answer.
“I don’t know that yet,” Robinson said. “We’re going to work a couple of guys.”
South Carolina has its 2018 starting nickel on the roster in Jaycee Horn. The 2017 starter, Jamyest Williams, is also still there.
But in an ideal situation for the coaches, neither is there in 2019.
“Obviously Jam got a lot of reps at nickel, Jaycee got a lot of reps at nickel,” Robinson said. “We’re going to use R.J. (Roderick) some at nickel, so that’s something that he’ll be able to do for us this year. We started that today with him.”
At the moment, Roderick is likely the most consistent safety the team has. The staff would like to play Horn on the outside, where he has a high ceiling, and at the moment Williams is purely a safety.
So the answer might come with newcomers, but they won’t get to campus until after spring.
“I’m thinking maybe Shilo (Sanders) and Jammie Robinson will probably be some of the other guys who will compete to play in the nickel spot,” Robinson said. “I have no idea. I’m eager to see.”
Sanders stands at 6-foot, 186 pounds. Robinson is a little more stout at 6-foot, 193 pounds, and head coach Will Muschamp said he’ll likely end up a nickel or safety.
Williams’ one year there was a rocky one, while Horn thrived but basically could anywhere.
The uncertainty points to the versatility of the Gamecocks secondary. Horn can play any of the spots. Williams can play two spots, as can Israel Mukuamu. If Roderick adds nickel to his repertoire, the Gamecocks could be closer to their goal of playing only the best five they have.
Some of this will also fall on how good recruits Cam Smith and John Dixon are when they get on campus. USC hasn’t been shy about playing freshmen, and both have potential on the outside to help free up Horn.
But if the worst-case scenario is a freshman All-American retaking his old spot, that’s not the worst, but it’s also not the ideal.
“I would love to have Jaycee outside at corner, if he can,” Robinson said. “I think he can be really dominant outside. He gives us another bigger body, so we’ll be really big outside if that’s the case, but I don’t know that. We’ve just got to see where everybody kind of falls.”
