COLOMBIA – South Carolina could have hired Bill Belichick to coordinate their defense and that may not have made much of a difference. That’s the cost of losing top tackler Ernest Jones and most of the secondary of a unit that allowed 36 points and over 450 yards per game last year.
However, Clayton White, a native of North Carolina and graduated from the state of North Carolina, still managed to lift some spirits when he spoke on Monday. The new Gamecocks defensive coordinator was last seen leading a rigid, disciplined and productive defense in Western Kentucky.
“My story, my past, was an aggressive version of a 4-2-5, a very multiple version of a 4-2-5,” said White. “Our databases will be close to coverage.”
This brought together two concepts that have been tremendously successful and disappointing in the past 15 years. The Gamecocks using a 4-2-5, or taking a dime back on the field, brought back good memories of the defenses that Ellis Johnson performed when Steve Spurrier’s teams were at their peak. And just the mention of defensive backs not giving recipients 10 yards of snap buffer had to please the crowds by watching the midfield remain more open than a Waffle House for the past five years.
The Gamecocks’ defenses under Will Muschamp, long known as a defensive conductor, were not all bad, but they were highly technical, in the style of the NFL and had a lot of subtlety about the fundamentals. Defenders were taught to try to get the ball out first, then tackle; and the general scheme was death by cutting the paper, to try to avoid the big move. Its concept was to allow opponents to move up and down the field, as long as they did not cross the goal line.
This sometimes worked. In 2017, blessed with takeaway artists Skai Moore and Dante Sawyer, Gamecocks finished fifth in the SEC in total defense and won nine games, five of them won by defensive stands at the end of the fourth period.
At other times, as in most cases, this did not happen. Not that Spurrier’s final defenses were exemplary, either, but after watching Johnson coordinate a wealth of talent in a fierce unit that proudly called itself “The Goon Squad”, seeing the USC being victimized by the same basic moves, or just an approach from poor quality, it was quite worrying.
White’s first defense, at least eight months before his first game, is quite worn out due to his proven talent, although there was good news on Monday when SEC co-leader JJ Enagbare announced he would be back for the next season.
The schemes White ran in Western Kentucky and other stops are at least channeling some excitement at USC.
“This allows our defensive line to attack up front,” said White, mentioning the speed he wants across the group. “This allows our linebackers to go down and read great keys and have the opportunity to play fast. Our DBs, when they blitz, they will attack with a purpose. That is our mindset. “
Johnson called nickel “Spur” and three of its major have been very successful. Darian Stewart, Antonio Allen and DeVonte Holloman were highly productive players at USC and went to the NFL.
Muschamp did not use the term, but played several packs with a nickel. Keisean Nixon, Rashad Fenton and Chris Lammons have ventured out on the spot, and each is now in the NFL.
White knew the USC pedigree and his personal past.
“He’s another guy who can do a lot of things. He can run, he can hit, he can cover, what kind of guy is he? “White said. “This guy has to be a player who can do a lot of things. Still learning names, but beginning to think that we have some tags that can slide under that nickel stain. “
This year’s massive defection of secondary bodies left few bodies in the room, but coach Shane Beamer continues to recruit. White knows that they may have to adapt some of their ideas to fit the list, but it also brings an offensive mentality.
He trained running backs in Connecticut for two seasons. White learned how defenses can be attacked and exploited this in his success on the other side of the ball.
“You can’t wait until August or May to start thinking about being ready to play a game of football,” said White. “The focus on readiness is the ultimate goal for me now.”
Follow David Cloninger on Twitter @DCPandC.