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Building secondary depth priority for Gamecocks during offseason

South Carolina is done with spring practice, and the Gamecocks are exiting with a long to-do list over the course of the next four months, but shoring up the secondary is one of the main ones.

The Gamecocks are thin on the back end both in terms of numbers and experience and the plan is to not only bring on more guys into the room but continue bringing along some of the younger, inexperienced players.

Torian Gray || Photo by Chris Gillespie
Torian Gray || Photo by Chris Gillespie
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“We have to continue to add to the depth in that room cause that’s one of the positions where we’re very thin,” Shane Beamer said. “A lot of your core special teams players are going to come from that defensive back room and that linebacker room and our numbers aren’t where we need them to be right now.”

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They’ve already taken care of some of the first issue, already landing a handful of high school and transfer players who will arrive in Columbia over the coming weeks.

Washington State transfer Tyrese Ross committed late last week, joining Assumption College transfer Carlins Platel who will come in this summer as well.

South Carolina also has junior college corner Isaiah Norris and high schooler LaDareyen Craig coming in as well.

Beamer and the coaching staff are hopeful the newcomers, mixed with the players currently on the roster, will yield a good secondary and key special teams players.

“Coach (Torrian) Gray and coach (Clayton) White have done an awesome job coaching those groups,” Beamer said. “I’m excited to see some of the new arrivals we’ll have here this summer that are coming in here to continue to move that group forward.”

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The Gamecock secondary room currently is thin with only 10 scholarship players on the roster this spring and it was even smaller during practice with injuries keeping some players out.

They return just two players from last year’s roster who started at least five games—RJ Roderick (6) and Jaylan Foster (5)—from a unit coming off a rough year.

South Carolina gave up 42 pass plays of 20 yards or more last season, second worst in the SEC.

“Discipline is going to be the only way we’re going to be able to play defensive back here at South Carolina. We all know that. Our mistakes show up on the scoreboard as DBs,” defensive coordinator Clayton White said.

“It’s not like any other position where you get second and third down to redo things. If a DB messes up it’s points. Discipline is where it’s going to start. That’s where we’re going to hang our hat on.”

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White is transitioning South Carolina over to a 4-2-5 defense with more being put on the defensive backs in terms of helping in the run game and getting to cover on the perimeter.

“Coach is going to have guys involved in stopping the run game, whether it’s bringing an extra guy or playing our base defense,” secondary coach Torrian Gray said. “You have to be able to cover a guy on the perimeter and you’re going to get challenged. It’s exciting from that standpoint. You know what you’re getting into because I think players love this type of defense because it is aggressive.”

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