Be aggressive, attack, get to QB. USC defenders offer early reviews of new scheme
Over the course of the next month, much will be made of South Carolina QB competition and new offensive identity. Head football coach Shane Beamer and offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield have talked about learning concepts from some of the most exciting minds in football but have yet to offer a ton of specifics on what USC’s overall scheme will look like.
On the defensive side of the ball, though, there’s no question about what the Gamecocks and new coordinator Clayton White will run. White used a 4-2-5 scheme at Western Kentucky, and he’s brought that with him to Columbia.
The real question will be how quickly South Carolina’s defenders, having played under a different system with coach Will Muschamp and defensive coordinator Travaris Robinson, will adapt.
Despite having only two practices under their belts, the players have had walk-throughs and time to study the playbook during the offseason program, so they’re somewhat familiar with the new scheme. And from the sound of it, there’s a noticeable difference.
“I think it’s a little more like on the attack,” sophomore defensive lineman Tonka Hemingway said. “Movement, a lot of movement going throughout the defense.”
Under Muschamp, the Gamecocks relied on a bend-don’t-break style of defense, never ranking higher than 65th nationally in sacks per game or 60th in tackles for loss per game.
Under White’s aggressive scheme, getting to the quarterback will be a higher priority.
“I think the scheme will be a little bit different for us to get after the quarterback,” sophomore edge Jordan Burch said. “Things will change, stunts, different pass rush plays we got going in, but I think this year will be a little bit better. ...
“I would say more aggressive the approach will be, more dedicated to sacking the quarterback.”
In the middle of the defense, there will be one fewer linebacker spot. But sophomore Mo Kaba said the scheme switch actually frees his position group up to do more.
“I feel like it’s really great for linebackers. I love that defense. I never played that defense before, but I really love it right now,” Kaba said.
“We have two main things that we have to check to. Everybody has a job, and it’s your job to do that job pretty much, and everything’s not based on just one person trying to make a call for everybody on the defense, so that’s why I love it.”
That freedom and flexibility are attributes senior safety RJ Roderick noted in the secondary as well.
“The safeties are way more involved in the run fits this year Then reading pass, we read our keys more and being with the keys we read, whenever we get a certain read, we’re allowed to do different things just as far as helping the rest of the defense,” Roderick said. “Because a lot of times the safeties in the defense don’t have any work, just like an assignment to carry out. Sometimes you can just be a free player and help out other players on the defense.”
It all adds up to a player-friendly scheme, where defenders have the flexibility to pursue plays.
“The way most offense are, three receivers on the field, and they have the run-pass option with linemen going four or five yards down the field, it’s creating a lot of space,” White explained in a radio interview Wednesday with 107.5 FM The Game. “With 4-2-5, you have another DB or big nickel on the field that can do multiple things. The way we play our defense, we give our players options or tools to help them play the run or the pass.””
And that player-first mindset extends to White’s overall approach to coaching the defense.
“He’s great, man. He always wants to teach you new things,” Kaba said. “If he feels like there’s something that he doesn’t like, he’s gonna know that you probably don’t like it either. He’s gonna try to change it up just to help base it around all of us, pretty much. So I really like him as my defensive coordinator. I hope I have him all my four years.”
This story was originally published March 25, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
