South Carolina’s defense will be down one starter for about half the season, Will Muschamp announced Tuesday, with Sherrod Greene scheduled to miss 4-6 weeks with a fracture in his hip.
Greene, who’s started for the Gamecocks for three seasons, leaves a big void the Gamecocks will now have to try and fill with another senior on the roster.
“Damani’s played MIKE and WILL since he’s been here. He’s had a great camp filling in for Ernest. He played over 30 snaps the other night and thought he played well. He’ll play well,” Muschamp said. “Damani can play both spots. Spencer Eason-Riddle can play the MIKE as well and we’re hoping to get Rosendo back in two weeks.”
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Using Pro Football Focus numbers, Staley played 38 snaps Saturday (19 in run defense, five pass rush and 14 coverage snaps) with an overall grade of 43.2.
Staley’s played in 16 career games at South Carolina with 55 tackles, two tackles for loss, and two fumble recoveries.
With Ernest Jones missing a few weeks of practice after an appendectomy, Staley got the chance to play middle linebacker and WILL, which he did well.
His backup will be Mo Kaba, Muschamp said. Kaba, a three-star player coming out in the 2020 class.
Kaba’s coming off an ACL tear his senior year of high school but impressed the coaching staff with how he practiced in training camp.
The 6-foot-2, 227-pound linebacker didn’t log a snap against Tennessee.
“Mo’s a very physical, tough, hard-nosed guy. I love the way he plays the game,” Muschamp said two weeks into camp. “We’re asking a lot more of him than has ever been asked from an assignment standpoint, from a communication standpoint. As he continues to progress he’ll help us defensively and will certainly help us on special teams. He’s a physical, physical, tough young man. I’m glad he’s a gamecock I can assure you of that. He has a bright future.”
The Gamecocks (0-1) still plan on starting Jones at MIKE and Brad Johnson at SAM, where he practiced in camp.
Both finished with PFF grades of 68.7.
“Brad’s really done a nice job for us rushing the passer situationally, playing the SAM linebacker for us,” Muschamp said. “I thought he played well, set some edges on the defense and did a nice job. I think he’s going to continue to improve. It’s a new position for him. There is still some learning involved in that. He’s a guy that’s given us a lot pass rush in the past and I thought Saturday we have to continue to get him in those situations more especially going down there against a team that throws the ball extremely well.”
