After 16 days of practice, how does the defensive line stack up, how do the linebackers look, and how's the competition shaping up at the safety spot opposite of Ko Simpson? Those are just some of the topics South Carolina co-defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix discussed following Wednesday afternoon's practice.

I think we've improved since our first scrimmage, but we still have a long way to go. There's still two weeks before we play our first ballgame. I think the intensity picked up and we tackled better. We still have to eliminate the missed assignments.

Right now, we feel like we have a strong first unit and that consists of De'Adrian Coley, Marque Hall, Chris Tucker and right now Josh Johnson. Stanley Doughty is working himself into better condition and he's fighting for a starting spot. But we feel like those guys right there give us a chance to be successful when we start.

Linebackers, they're looking good, they're looking good. Ricardo Hurley is making plays, Mike West is making plays and Lance Laury has been consistent. We've got a lot of freshmen in those positions that have a chance to factor in as well.

Great, great. Brandon Isaac is the starter right now and he's really improving. He still has a ways to go but he's the guy right now. That's a steady competition day in and day out. We're going to put the best guy out there that gives us a chance to win on September 1st.

Orus is doing good, Orus is doing good. He actually was starting at defensive end. We're going to make an evaluation after our next scrimmage between him and Josh Johnson to see who's going to start there. But he's doing well. He's picked up on everything well and playing hard.

That's our number one objective, to get as much speed on the field as possible and get the guys in position to make plays. And we feel like Orus is one of those guys that can factor in and help us more on the defensive line than he could at linebacker.

At defensive end, I would say Josh Johnson and Orus Lambert on one side and on the other side I'd say De'Adrian Coley and Jordin Lindsey.

The biggest thing he's doing now is he's bigger. He's up to 260 pounds and in the spring he was 225. And he's playing smarter and he's playing with better fundamentals and he has a sense of urgency that he is trying to get the job done instead of maybe in the spring he was learning or not going as hard as I would like to see him go.

He can't play the first game.

Right, no doubt. He's going to factor in. He's a bonus for us. Charles has done well. He's done really well.

Raysor, he's been a pleasant surprise. He's actually in better shape and better conditioned than he was in the spring and he's actually getting to a position now where he can make plays on the defense. He's just got to get consistent, he's kind of hot and cold at times and we just got to get him doing the right thing on every snap.

It's great, it's great. We've got nine guys doing it right most of the time and two guys can get you beat, so it doesn't make a difference ... we've just got to get all eleven on the same page on every snap getting it done.

We're gonna be multiple, we're gonna be multiple. We're not afraid of coming at the quarterback in certain situations and, of course, we'll play some zone at times as well. We've got to mix it up, we've got to mix it up and in certain situations we will come after them.

I won't say that. I think our offense is improving. Everyday, they come out and give us challenge. I think our objective on defense is to be the best we can be every chance we come out here and practice, and hopefully we'll go out and play that way on Saturdays.

Yeah, I'll tell you what, I like some of the guys getting on the edge. I think we have some speed up front. Once again, we moved some guys into those positions to give us more speed up front. I'm more concerned right now with just playing the run, getting our guys fundamentally sound to stop the running game, because if you don't stop the run they're not going to throw it at all.

I'll tell you what, size is not as of a big factor if they'll play with heart and learn their assignments. We feel like even though they are a little smaller we can still get the job done. We'll sacrifice a little size at times but we won't sacrifice heart and determination.

I think we're improving. I think we're where we are supposed to be, but I think we still have a long ways to go, but we've got two weeks to get there and hopefully we'll have a finished product when we come out September 1st.