Jones impressing, earning first team reps

SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS FOOTBALL

South Carolina still has 23 days before the season kicks off in Charlotte, but if the game suddenly got moved up to Friday, Coleman Hutzler knows who is starting linebackers would be.

“Right now it’s Ernest Jones and TJ Brunson as your two starting backers if we had to play a game tomorrow. Those guys are having a great camp and doing a great job. Ernest stepped up and had a great spring. I’m excited.”

Jones, who fought a back injury to start his career as a freshman, got healthy by the end of last season and elevated his game through the spring and now fall camp to where Hutzler’s confidence in him is “through the roof.”

Also see: What we learned from week one of training camp

As a freshman, Jones played in five games with 16 tackles, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery and now is in the thick of the starting linebacker position.

If he and Brunson were on the field at the same time, Brunson slides over to the WILL linebacker spot and Jones would take over in the middle.

It’s a position the Gamecocks have groomed Jones for with Hutzler calling him a “hammerhead” and saying he’s commanding the defense well through the start of practice.

“He’s off the charts, man. He works at it in the meeting room, on the field, in walk-throughs. His approach mentally has been awesome,” Hutzler said. “Then to bring that along with being a hammerhead and being a physical player at the point of contact. He’s making calls when he’s at MIKE and TJ’s at WILL. He’s making all the checks. He’s handled it well.”

Also see: Full recap from Hutzler's fall media session

The Gamecocks also have returners Damani Staley, Rosendo Louis, Eldridge Thompson and Sherrod Greene—who’s out right now with a concussion—while also bringing in a few talented prospects in Jahmar Brown and Derek Boykins.

It’s probably the deepest linebacker room Hutzler’s been able to coach and thinks it’ll be beneficial in the long run keeping players healthy.

“TJ Brunson shouldn’t have to play 900 snaps on defense. I asked the room the first day, ‘Who’s fault is that?’” Hutzler said. “I raised my hand, number one, but Ernest Jones raised his hand, Rosendo Louis raised his hand, Damani Staley raised his hand. We understand the disappointment we had last year as a group stopping the run. That’s a point of emphasis all offseason, all summer, for our group. Ernest Jones’s stepped up; Damani Staley’s having a great camp so far. Those two guys really stood up. (Rosendo’s) healthy and doing things.”

Also see: Running back position preview

Brunson played the bulk of last year’s defensive snaps banged up, getting fully healthy this offseason. Entering this year, Hutzler thinks this group of linebackers will bounce back from an inconsistent 2018 season.

The problem last year was they had to ride the same three or four players constantly, whether that be injuries or young players not being fully ready to play, but this year Hutzler doesn’t think there will be any limitations on what they can do.

“Just to be able to give a guy a series and T-Rob doesn’t have to second guess what he’s calling because of who’s in the game and to be able to mix, match and ball,” he said. “I have 100 percent confidence and T-Rob does as well that we’re going to execute.”