Inside the DIME linebacker position

During summer workouts, as Will Muschamp watched Jahmar Brown sprint around the practice field, he had an idea.

The head coach working a little closer with the linebackers this offseason, saw an opportunity to add another wrinkle to the Gamecock defense this season and saw a position change for the sophomore backer.

“As we continued to work,” Muschamp said, “I was thinking this guy could be a really good DIME for us because he’s a guy that can play in space, can cover in man coverage and can play in the box.”

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Brown came in solely as a linebacker, playing in nine games primarily on special teams and getting a few reps at outside linebacker.

This offseason, once Muschamp saw his instincts in the run game and ability to cover in the deep part of the field, it gave the coaching staff the chance to move him to what Muschamp called an “advanced placement linebacker.”

Brown started spending a little more time in the defensive back meeting room to learn coverage skills and as he began doing that the coaching staff saw someone who could add a lot to a defense this season.

“As you got him on the back end you see a guy who can play in the middle of the field, he can play half safety, can play quarters safety and we knew he can play in the box,” Muschamp said. “He just added value to him as a player. Then he’s able to do some of the things he can do at linebacker he’s already showed us he can do, then play man coverage, now you’re able to disguise things so much better.”

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For those who don’t know what the DIME position is, it’s relatively simple. It’s just bringing a sixth defensive back onto the field, primarily reserved for third down or definite passing downs.

It can vary between pairing six DBs with three defensive linemen and two linebackers or four up front and another linebacker.

The DIME is expected to fit the run, if need be, but will also be asked to drop back and cover in the middle of the field like a safety closer to the line of scrimmage.

Brown’s skill set as a linebacker gives him the ability to play in the middle of the field and as he gets more comfortable will be better in coverage too.

“We ask him to go in the middle of the field and be in the deep part of the field a lot of times. We ask him to play man to man or trail technique on a receiver. He has to be a versatile guy like a linebacker but has some DB experience,” defensive coordinator Travaris Robinson said. “It’s more like a nickel but probably a little bigger because we’re asking you to be more in the box compared to a nickel.”

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Brown is still listed as questionable right now recovering from a knee sprain, but when healthy will be the starting DIME backed by starting safety RJ Roderick.

This year will be the first time the Gamecocks are really able to use this position because of the depth South Carolina’s cultivated in the defensive backfield.

“The depth of being able to put a nickel out there and have two quality safeties with two quality corners, I wouldn’t know if I could sit here and tell you we’ve had that,” Muschamp said. “To me, is that sixth DB better than the second linebacker? Those are the questions we get into.”