D.J. Park’s progress, move to right tackle lead to 1st-team role

At some football programs, this would be the time D.J. Park would naturally step in. At some, playing as little as he has might mean the opportunity passed him by.

The former four-star offensive line prospect is entering his fourth year in the program. The duty he saw in his 18 career games has mostly been limited to special teams, and that’s after a 2015 season when true freshmen got starts at guard and tackle.

So as a player who’d seen younger players pass him on the depth chart, a new coaching regime and reset that comes with it is a welcome change.

“It’s been kind of like a new experience, I guess,” Park said. “Kind of getting that brand new offense, back in there again, kind of a fresh start. I think that really helped me in the long run, and just kind of enjoying it.”

Park got a decent amount of playing time in the Gamecocks’ spring game, but at a different spot than he started the spring. He was at No. 1 right tackle, ahead of true sophomore Blake Camper, after playing guard the past few seasons.

He is listed as the right tackle starter on the USC preseason depth chart.

Park had taken some reps from Zack Bailey on the interior, but ended up on the outside. He started his career as a right tackle, partially because of injuries at the position. He’d moved inside that fall and been there since.

His versatility and performance caught a few eyes.

“D.J. has made tremendous strides,” Gamecocks coach WIll Muschamp said. “He’s really done a good job at the right tackle position. He and Blake Camper are battling. I have a lot of confidence in D.J.”

His competition with Camper will likely continue into fall camp. Mason Zandi is entrenched at the left tackle spot, and the three interior spots boast relative depth with the emergence of Donell Stanley as a reserve.

As he looks toward the summer, Park added weight loss as a focus. He ended the spring at 325, and aimed to lose 10-15 more pounds.

That will play a role in his pursuit of holding onto that starting spot. As he wound down spring ball, he admitted, he’s just happy to be in the conversation to step in.

“It’s been great,” Park said. “I’ve been on second team two years now, I’m finally getting my chance at a starting spot, so I’m just going there to take it.”

This story was originally published April 21, 2016 at 2:58 PM with the headline "D.J. Park’s progress, move to right tackle lead to 1st-team role."