Pickens will have 'good opportunity' to play game one

The Gamecocks have been consistent in their message the last few years when it comes to playing freshmen: if he’s good enough, he’ll play no matter how young or old he is.

That goes for quarterbacks, running backs, three-star players and the Gamecocks’ first five-star prospect Zacch Pickens.

So when asked Monday if Pickens is playing his way into some defensive snaps in the Gamecocks’ season opener, Travaris Robinson gave the expected answer.

“I would imagine he will have a good opportunity to play,” the defensive coordinator said.

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Pickens is in the midst of a solid camp as a freshman, which likely catapulted him into the team’s defensive line rotation this season.

The 6-foot-3, 300-pound behemoth of a defensive lineman enrolled in January and went through spring practice with the team, which seems to have given him a nice edge entering fall camp and paying dividends right now.

Going through spring has shown how beneficial it can be for freshmen trying to play early. Spring gives them a chance to get adjusted to the weight room, practice tempo and plenty else so when camp starts, they’re only focused on soaking in the playbook and scheme.

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“He’s more confident, and that’s the most important thing. It’s hard to play defensive lien as a freshman. Those guys are big and he’s always been bigger than everybody so technique is very important,” Robison said. “Now he’s realizing he can’t just over power people. He’s has to play with technique and work on that stuff. Then you know how it is, it’s just the different stuff of him understanding what’s demanded of him: effort, getting to the ball, pad level."

Every coach who’s worked with Pickens this camp has seen a lineman more comfortable in the Gamecocks’ system.

It helps he’s sometimes playing alongside preseason All-SEC Javon Kinlaw, who said earlier in camp Pickens reminds him a little bit of himself.

“He’s doing a great job. He’s going to be a really good player for us. He’s definitely turning the corner. It helps when he has Kobe next to him or Javon,” Robinson said. “We just have to continue to work. Our guys have the right mindset right now.”

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The Gamecocks begin game planning for North Carolina Thursday, which means it’s getting to crunch time on when Robinson and defensive line coach John Scott Jr. will nail down a group of probably six to seven defensive tackles that will be key cogs in the rotation.

Pickens seems to be firmly in the mix, although he might not be the first group on the field.

The starting competition seems to be a three-man race between seniors Kinlaw, Kobe Smith and Keir Thomas, but Pickens and a few other guys seem to be competing to go into that second group.

But, in reality, starters don’t really matter on the defensive line; with so many substitutions to keep guys fresh throughout a game, snaps usually even out.

“I don’t care who starts. I tell players that all the time. They’re the only ones who care if who starts, them and their parents,” Robinson said. “I just want the best guys on the field. Again, if you’re good enough, you’ll play. On D-line we have to rotate and keep those guys fresh.”