Sometimes in football, especially during a coaching change, it can be hard for players and coaches to make a connection. That hasn’t been the case at South Carolina.

The coaching staff has made it a priority to connect with the players in their room, and so far it’s working three practices in with defensive players having nothing but good things to say about their new position coaches.

“I love coach (Jimmy) Lindsey. He’s the type of coach where he starts from the ground up. He doesn’t come in and hit it 100 miles per hour,” Jabari Ellis said. “He makes sure you get it and starts from the ground up. He’s definitely a type of coach that will make sure you have it. I like that a lot.”

Also see: Latest team and recruiting scoop from spring ball

The Gamecocks have four defensive assistants on the coaching staff, three new to Columbia: defensive line coach Jimmy Lindsey, defensive backs coach Torrian Gray and defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Clayton White.

Lindsey came after a stop at Illinois and is making an immediate impact on the Gamecocks’ interior defensive line with Zacch Pickens saying he’s already seeing some progress three practices into spring.

“Really the technique. That’s the majority of what I need to work on,” he said. “Coach Lindsey is being real technical with me with all of my fundamentals to make sure I have all my steps right. I think I’ve come a long way. It feels like I’m doing something right.”

Also see: Full notes from Wednesday's media availability

The only new staff member who has experience in the SEC is Gray, who worked with Shane Beamer at Virginia Tech but the most recent stop came for two seasons at Florida.

“Coach Gray is a great coach. He’s heavy on technique, and that’s what I love about him,” David Spaulding said. “We’re all heavy on technique and being a technician. You have to have good eyes to play on the back end where everybody has to communicate as well.”

Mike Peterson is the only returning member of the Gamecocks’ coaching staff, coaching outside linebackers and defensive ends.

He has a veteran group returning, headlined by Aaron Sterling, JJ Enagbare and Jordan Burch, but Peterson was a big reason the Gamecocks landed transfer Jordan Strachan, who led the nation in sacks last year.

“Coming to play for Mike Peterson. I wanted to come play for coach P. he’s one of the best in the business,” Strachan said. “He’s played a lot of football in the NFL, and that’s somewhere I want to get one day. That went into my decision.”

Also see: Latest buzz around the men's basketball program

The Gamecocks are three practices into the spring and learning White’s 4-2-5 defense.

Players were really complimentary early on about the scheme, and Pickens also had good things to say about it Wednesday.

“It allows us to really rush how we want to rush. We’re trying to get one-on-ones here and there and not taking on all the double teams any more,” he said. “It’s mainly just the guard or the center. We should come open a lot this year."