Steve Atwater’s last NFL game came in 1998, a few years before South Carolina safety Tyrese Ross was even born.

Ross grew up around football in an era without Atwater and an NFL full of safeties similar to him—the head-hunting, downhill, physical types—but that doesn’t mean Ross doesn’t play like the NFL Hall of Famer.

“He’s an old school safety. He’s like a 1985 safety, a Steve Atwater type of guy. He’s going to come downhill and hit you,” defensive coordinator Clayton White said. “It’s either hit or miss right now, but he’s had two of our biggest hits the first 15 days of practice and he’s only practiced five or six days. That says a lot about his want-to to come up and play.”

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Ross transferred in from Washington State this offseason but his debut on the practice field was delayed because of COVID protocols.

Since he returned a little over a week ago, he’s done nothing but impress the coaching staff from a physical standpoint and his ability to come down and lay the wood.

“We like Tyrese Ross and he’s a great addition, and we love what he brings to the defensive backfield,” White said. “You guys are going to hear him in the stadium on Saturdays for sure.”

Now, as the Gamecocks enter single digit days before the season opener, the question becomes how much Ross will play.

RJ Roderick and Jaylan Foster were the two starters entering camp and, while those two seem set as likely starters if healthy, Ross has certainly earned playing time Sept. 4 in Williams-Brice.

The next step is continue ingratiating himself in the defense and get comfortable on the back end.

“Tyrese Ross has solidified himself as one of the two or three safeties who are going to play. He missed a couple practices early in fall camp so he’s getting back into the groove. He’s trying to get the rust knocked off,” White said. “We have to do a better job with Tyrese on getting him caught up to speed on our stuff.”

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White mentioned there will be a few positions with a rotation during the opener, but he’s not planning to rotate players in and out just for the sake of rotating players.

With White saying Ross will rotate and play at safety certainly means the transfer has earned it through his play so far through preseason camp.

“My philosophy, personally, we want to rotate guys and the guys who’ve earned the team,” White said. “It’s not going to be an opportunity to go out and try and see if you earn the time. You earned the time during training camp. The guys who’ve earned the time will be the guys who play in the game.

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