A lineup nugget about Shilo Sanders’ role in South Carolina’s defense
The little tidbit R.J. Roderick dropped about his secondary-mate Shilo Sanders might not necessarily be a long-term thing.
But it was interesting just the same.
The third-year starting safety mentioned that when fellow starter Jammie Robinson slides down from safety to nickel, the man taking his place has not been either Israel Mukuamu, who had been doing it early in camp, or veteran Jaylin Dickerson, who had been limited by a hamstring but was expected to return this week. Instead it was Sanders, the son of NFL great Deion Sanders.
“Right now, we’ve got Shilo,” Roderick said. “Shilo’s definitely been learning. He’s definitely taking some steps as well.
“Shilo gets in our rotation whenever we go to nickel.”
Defensive coordinator Travaris Robinson confirmed Sanders has been working with the top nickel group, though that spot is a ways from being settled. He noted Dickerson, Mukuamu and even corner Jaycee Horn have spent some time there.
That’s notable because throughout last season, the Gamecocks often found themselves a man short when playing five defensive backs. An abundance of talent at corner, with John Dixon and Cam Smith behind Mukuamu and Horn, made it seem like shifting one of the veterans over might be an option, but an emergence of Sanders might make that moot.
The redshirt freshman out of Texas played in four games last season, making only one tackle. He spent part of the summer playing baseball, and had seemed at the edge of the mix in the safety spot. He was a three-star recruit.
But if he’s getting first-team reps, that’s notable. The 6-foot, 195-pounder is quick and has the obvious NFL bloodline. If he can emerge as a reliable secondary player, it helps fill a need that’s been a question all offseason.
“He’s doing a good job of understanding the defense,” Robinson said. “So much better than last season. Shilo hasn’t played a bunch of football. So now he’s starting to learn the different techniques. And that’s the one thing we talk to him about all the time.
“One thing about Shaolin when you turn on the tape whether it’s defense or special teams. He’s playing fast and that’s a great quality to have.”
This story was originally published September 11, 2020 at 11:55 AM.
