He’s tasked with developing Gamecocks 5-star Zacch Pickens. What he’s seen thus far
There’s not a full read South Carolina defensive tackles coach John Scott Jr. can get on star pupil Zacch Pickens.
The former five-star recruit started spring by nursing a hamstring injury. The team is five practices into spring ball. But in that work, he’s shown a certain level of ease in accomplishing some of the things asked.
“He’s able to do things naturally that really good football players are able to do, naturally,” Scott said. “With the limited amount of reps in practice that he’s had, he’s been able to do some things.”
The 6-foot-5, 293-pound lineman was the No. 8 player in the county in the final 247 Sports composite rankings for 2019. He boasts quickness, explosiveness, what any coach would want from him.
And beyond that, he possesses a basic building block and top-tier SEC lineman needs.
“You can’t coach that body,” Scott said. “He’s a big kid. He’s already got a powerful lower body. He’s got long arms so he already has the frame.”
Pickens was a productive player in his final high school season with 87 tackles (leading the team as a defensive lineman) including 15 for loss and six sacks, while moonlighting as a running back who ran for 889 yards and 20-plus touchdowns. He also wasn’t playing many seconds halves as his T.L. Hanna squad regularly ran out to big leads.
Gamecocks head coach Will Muschamp said the spring plan is for Pickens to play both tackle and end, though him starting off with Scott points to more interior play.
Scott pointed out it’s grown more and more common for freshmen and first-year linemen to fine their way into rotations, rather than waiting their turn. The Gamecocks haven’t been shy about doing that, playing the likes of Keir Thomas, Keir Thomas, Aaron Sterling, Rick Sandidge and Kingsley Enagbare in rotation roles in Year 1.
But getting to that point involves some trial by fire, some double teams from 675 pounds of SEC veterans. On that front, Pickens is only at the start of his journey.
“I’m excited to see, just like we say, all freshmen, they have to get in there and get their nose bloodied a little bit and feel it from SEC linemen,” Scott said. “But so far from what I’ve seen on a limited basis, I like where we’re headed with him.”
