Potential USC safety combo: ‘He can come down and hit, I can come down and hit’
The freshman season of South Carolina defensive back Jammie Robinson was made more impressive by something key that was asked of him.
The fact he stepped in as a true freshman starter was discussed often. The fact he also shared time at a second top spot on the depth chart was talked about less.
And that could give the Gamecocks a pair of thumpers on the back end.
When Robinson wasn’t playing In the slot, he often replaced J.T. Ibe as the other safety next to R.J Roderick. Ibe is now done with his eligibility, and although the defense is still figuring out the situation in the secondary, the Robinson-Roderick combination offers something valuable.
“We’re both gonna click, so he can come down and hit, I can come down and hit,” Robinson said. “So it’s just really just being confident playing besides someone ... who can come down and own his part of the field. That just makes everything go smooth.”
South Carolina would probably have to go back to the D.J. Swearinger era to find a time the position was hard-hitting and consistent. Safety play has been a running issue for most of the Will Muschamp era, outside one year with Chris Lammons, D.J. Smith and Steven Montac.
Part of the reason Robinson earned the role he did last season was his physicality and ability to stand up in run support in the box. Roderick was up and down in his second year playing the position.
Another reason the pairing could factor in? The defense might lean even less toward playing a nickel (fifth defensive back) than it did last season.
“You look at our first two years, we were hurt on the perimeter plays, outside, bubbles, screens, quick screens, things like that,” Gamecocks defensive coordinator Travaris Robinson said. “People getting the ball out fast, and then sometimes we get outmatched when they put the tight end to the field and they block our nickel pretty good.”
That means playing three linebackers more often, which means less need to drop Robinson down to nickel.
Last season, Robinson was third on the team with 62 tackles and broke up four passes, while Roderick had 55 tackles and a pair of interceptions.
Robinson said his diligence in the film room helped him hold down two spots, as did something about his skill set.
“I can cover, and I can tackle,” Robinson said. “So me being able to play nickel and safety, being able to cover the slot receiver and then move back to safety and fit in the run and fit in the gaps and being able to come out and hit.”
The Gamecocks secondary is in a bit of flux: There are four returning starters, and the most touted up-and-comers are at the spots with the most settled options.
Israel Mukuamu and Jaycee Horn are returning starring corners, but sophomore John Dixon showed enough to play early last season and former four-star Cam Smith has a high ceiling after adding strength in the off-season. If one of those younger players stepped up, it could allow Horn to help in the slot or Mukuamu to play some safety.
And that’s to say nothing of freshmen O’Donnell Fortune and Dominick, redshirt freshman Shilo Sanders or fourth-year safety Jaylin Dickerson, who lost two full seasons to injury.
If Dickerson can stay on the field, he could provide a boost at those back-end spots, and he’s watched Roderick grow into a leader of sorts for the groups.
“I’ve seen him change a lot,” Dickerson said. “He’s becoming a better person, and a better athlete.”
