Advertisement
football Edit

Position breakdown: linebackers

Gamecock Central is breaking down each position on the football field heading into the 2017 season, with a new position each Monday. This week’s position is linebackers.

Each week we’ll break down each position, discussing the player to watch and a newcomer who could make an impact this season.

The skinny: The linebackers were the strength of last year’s defense with Bryson Allen-Williams and Jonathan Walton manning the majority of time there. This year figures to be much of the same with Allen-Williams returning and former All-SEC linebacker Skai Moore coming back from neck injury.

Allen-Williams and Moore could become one of the best one-two punches in the SEC. Moore led the Gamecocks in 2015 with 111 tackles and four interceptions. Allen-Williams was second on the team last year with 75 total tackles and two picks.

Both could have gone pro last year but opted to stay at South Carolina and play their senior seasons. Head coach Will Muschamp said he hopes to use Allen-Williams in more of the Gamecocks’ pass rush this year after he picked up 8.5 tackles for loss last season.

Also see: Insider notes on Dax Hollifield plus more on linemen recruiting

Player to watch: TJ Brunson

Brunson, a three-star linebacker out of Richland Northeast, saw limited time on the field his freshman season. He played in 11 games but picked up just 12 total tackles as a rotation player behind the starting three linebackers.

Going into his sophomore season, he is listed as the starting middle linebacker on the two-deep depth chart and Muschamp said he expects Brunson to make a major jump this offseason and be ready to start as the MIKE linebacker in the SEC.

If Brunson can make that jump, not only will the linebacker corps become one of the best position groups at South Carolina, it could be one of the better position groups in the conference.

Also see: Tindall gives insight on recruitment leaders, potential commitment date

Newcomer to watch: Sherrod Greene

Greene was the only linebacker signed in the Gamecocks’ 2017 class and is likely going to have to wait his turn behind Allen-Williams, Moore and Brunson along with backup outside linebacker Antoine Wilder.

Coming into college, Greene is rated as a three-star inside linebacker out of Rocky Mount, North Carolina. Greene enrolled over the summer at South Carolina and if he has a good enough preseason camp and the coaches don’t redshirt him, he could potentially see time on special teams and in the linebacker rotation his freshman year.

Also see: Baseball loses player to injury, offers highly-rated shortstop

Storyline to watch: How will Skai Moore play after sitting out a year?

Moore’s hasn’t played in an actually college football game since the Gamecocks’ lost to Clemson in 2015, so there’s a chance he could be rusty to start the first few games next year.

Muschamp said Moore had the best summer workouts he’s ever had at Carolina and also had a really good offseason regiment to bring him into camp in really good shape and 100 percent healthy.

If he has too much rust out of the gate, then it means Allen-Williams and Brunson will have to shoulder more of the load. But if Moore comes out this season firing, the other two linebackers will have free roam to make plays and wreak havoc.

Advertisement