The lingering question of where to play one of South Carolina’s most talented defenders
The question has been there for South Carolina football for a few years: Will there be a moment when Israel Mukuamu, the Gamecocks’ towering cornerback, is asked to fill in at a position of need?
It’s unusual that he’s 6-foot-4 and playing corner. Most often defensive backs that tall shift inside, but he has the hips and foot speed to stick on the outside. Yet his team might simply have to play him elsewhere.
South Carolina’s defense has gone several years with inconsistent play at the safety position, often shifting other defensive backs to the position but never quite finding a steady group. Gamecocks coach Will Muschamp said the junior has repped at safety in addition to corner, and the structure of the 2020 defense might call on him to make the move.
“Israel’s very smart,” Muschamp said last week. “He can learn anything. He can play nickel. He can play dime. He can play safety. He can play corner. So again it all goes back to, if we’re in regular, get the best four DBs out there. Those four, maybe right now, I couldn’t tell you. When we’re in nickel, when we’re in dime, the best five or six DBs on the field.”
Mukuamu, fellow corner Jaycee Horn and safety/nickel Jammie Robinson are anchors of the group, with R.J. Roderick having played an up-and-down season in his first year as a starter. With that group, the team could likely at least field a starting secondary with its regular personnel. But more often than not, modern college teams are playing five or more defensive backs more than half the time.
If Jaylin Dickerson, Shilo Sanders, newly minted safety Jahmar Brown or freshman Joey Hunter step up into consistent options, it’s a bit of a moot point. But if players step up a other spots, it could allow for some mixing and matching from the corner spots.
Horn and Mukuamu’s backups have been among the players the staff has talked up most.
“Cam Smith and John Dixon have made a lot of strides,” Muschamp said. “These guys have had a good summer. Those guys are in really good condition, and I’ve been very pleased.”
Smith was a former four-star recruit who spent last season adding weight. Dixon has pure cover skills and started early last season.
If either is a consistent option, Horn could possibly move to nickel, bumping Robinson to safety. Or Mukuamu could slide over and help on the back end.
A product of the state’s Lowcountry, Mukuamu stepped into the lineup late in his freshman year of 2018 and was a solid starter all last season. He was great against Georgia, had some rough plays against Clemson and Tennessee, and came away with a statistically strong campaign. He finished with 59 tackles, four interceptions (three against UGA) and broke up 13 passes.
Since D.J. Smith and Chris Lammons, a former corner himself, departed after the 2017 season, the Gamecocks have not found consistency at the safety position. Steven Montac struggled as a starter, and the set of Nick Harvey, J.T. Ibe and Jamyest Williams were inconsistent before injuries. In 2019, Williams left the team after four games, and Roderick and Ibe were inconsistent much of the year.
South Carolina’s approach has always been to train players at multiple spots. It proved crucial when Lammons moved to stabilize the 2017 secondary. Perhaps it could shift some of South Carolina’s most talented defenders to cover a long-running problem spot.
“We need to get better. We need more production at the safety position,” Muschamp said. “There’s no question about that.”
