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Thompson: Battling 'real deal' O-Line daily making Gamecock D-Line better

Gamecocks O-LIne vs. D-Line

(Part 2 of a two-part interview with Gamecock DL coach Lance Thompson)

Their strongest ally in the South Carolina defensive line’s quest to rebound from two subpar seasons since Jadeveon Clowney left the program for the NFL could be found on the opposite side of the ball.

Battling the Gamecocks’ sturdy offensive line daily in practice has unquestionably strengthened his unit, D-Line coach Lance Thompson said earlier this week.

“This is a real deal offensive line,” Thompson marveled on Wednesday when he spoke with reporters following practice. “These guys are good. D.J. Park, Donell Stanley, (Mason) Zandi are real deals. They are big, they are physical, they’re good kids and they’re hard-nosed. All of them.

“For me, the best thing about our situation is every day we are competing against a really good SEC offensive line. I tell our guys that if we can compete and perform at a high level consistently against these guys, we’re going to be OK when we get to Saturdays. That part has been very beneficial.”

The first 12 preseason camp practices have been highlighted by continuous drill work between the offensive and defensive lines.

“Shawn (Elliott) has been great,” Thompson said. “We’ve had a lot of drills against each other. That does nothing but make our guys better.”

One defensive linemen who has benefitted immeasurably from the daily work against the Gamecock offensive line is redshirt freshman Shameik Blackshear, who was highly touted when he signed with USC in 2015. He appeared in just two games last season before his struggles to overcome a serious high school knee injury forced him to the sidelines. The NCAA granted him a medical redshirt.

“Shameik has done a very good job coming off the injury,” Thompson said. “He has shown a lot of toughness. Obviously, his strength level is not where it was because of the injury, but he is conscientious and works hard. What I like best about Shameik is he is long and he can run. He is going to have an opportunity (to contribute) this year.”

Another defensive lineman who has battled back from injuries is junior Taylor Stallworth, who enjoyed a promising true freshman season in 2014 before a torn pec muscle kept him out of the spring in 2015. He appeared in nine games last season, but another chest injury suffered at Texas A&M short-circuited his campaign.

Stallworth is being counted on to help plug holes and control the running game (USC has allowed more than 5.0 yards per rushing attempt in the past two years) as well as provide inside pressure on the quarterback.

“I have known Taylor since he was a junior in high school in Mobile,” said Thompson, formerly an assistant at Auburn (2015), Alabama (2012-14) and Tennessee (2009-11) before joining Muschamp in Columbia.

“He is a good kid. He’s a big guy (listed at 6-foot-2, 310 pounds). He has strength. He can hold the point in the run game. The thing with him is we have to get him healthy and keep him healthy. You have to play D-Line healthy.”

Another defensive tackle who got his feet wet as a true freshman is Kelsey Griffin. Now the Buford, Ga., product is a senior with 26 games under his belt. The former four-star prospect has 34 career tackles and looks to finish on a strong note.

Griffin’s biggest nemesis in his first three years with the Gamecocks? Consistency.

“The biggest thing with Kelsey is just being consistent, disciplined and reliable,” Thompson said. “If you’re supposed to be in the B gap, be there. When you’re supposed to play a certain technique, play it. Don’t make stuff up. But Kelsey is a great guy and works hard. We need him to help us by playing at a high level this fall.”

After arriving at USC with high expectations, Ulric Jones switched from defensive line to offensive line midway through last season, and eventually redshirted. He moved back to D-Line in the spring. He has two years of eligibility remaining.

“Ulric is coming along,” Thompson said. “He has to play with better pad level and he has to learn how to use his hands and feet at the same time. We have a huge void at defensive tackle for guys with substantial, meaningful playing time. He is another option or us. So far, we’re encouraged. He has worked with me since Day 1. He wants to please you, but we have to work on pad level and improving the defensive fundamentals are different from offense.”

After spending one year at East Mississippi Community College, junior defensive end Dante Sawyer gained extensive experience in 2015 by appearing in 11 of 12 games with four starts. He was credited with 17 tackles and 2.5 sacks.

Sawyer missed spring practice while recovering from post-season shoulder surgery, so preseason camp has been his first football action since late November.

“Right now, Dante is just playing end,” Thompson said. “He has an edge and toughness to him. Hopefully, we can put him in some situations to make plays this fall.”

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