Last fall proved to be an up and down year for this group. Will Muschamp’s specialty, the safety position saw it’s fair share of shuffling throughout 2016.

The Gamecocks do return their leading returner from last season in S DJ Smith. Smith had his best season as a Gamecock, racking up 80 tackles along with 1 INT.

One thing that was a glaring problem for South Carolina last fall was their overall speed at the safety position. Seniors Chaz Elder and Chris Moody struggled at times to keep up with quicker receivers and even shied away from contact. This made the Gamecocks vulnerable in the secondary and put a ton of pressure on the outside defenders. While South Carolina does lose these two guys, their overall team speed should improve drastically.

Meet The Safeties…

S – #24 DJ Smith, Sr / S Steven Montac, Jr-22

S – #3 Chris Lammons, Sr / Javon Charleston, Soph-17

*Bold denotes starter

Most To Prove…

DJ Smith. Smith had his best season in the garnet and black last fall when he registered 80 tackles with 1 INT. While these numbers come off as impressive, there is a lot on the table left for the senior from Marietta, GA. Smith’s biggest area for growth comes as a leader. The Gamecocks will have youngsters like Jamyest Williams and Tavyn Jackson playing meaningful snaps as true freshman. They will rely on someone with Smith’s experience to help them along the way. DJ will need to show an improved sense of physicality and a knack for the football in the air as well. With this being year two in Will Muschamp’s system, expect more confidence from the senior, which should result in improved number’s from last fall.

Best Overall…

Chris Lammons. Lammons makes the transition from corner-back to safety this fall. The senior out of Lauderhill, FL racked up 53 tackles in 2016. He showed a knack for the football, accumulating for 3 INT’s and 6 pass break-ups as well. Coach Muschamp has said many times in fall camp that Lammons has the ability to play all of the positions in the secondary. He should flourish at the safety position. Lammons will have the ability to scan the field and use his football knowledge to read quarterbacks. He’s also not afraid of being physical and meeting running backs up in space. Chris Lammons is a guy who plays with a ton of emotion, as he showed when he was kicked out of several games last fall for targeting. As long as he can keep his emotions in check, he should be able to have an All-SEC caliber year.

Season Will Be Successful If…

Speed and physicality. The problems at safety in 2016 were glaring at times. Too often was there a chance to lay a hit on someone or step up and break up/pick off a pass that wasn’t taken advantage of. With all due respect to the previous players, expect the safety position to be much improved this fall. Lammons and Smith is a nice starting duo. Players like Jamyest Williams, Steven Montac, and Tavyn Jackson shuffling in should provide athleticism and big play ability to the back end as well. JUCO transfer Keisean Nixon should also be able to make his presence felt and has caught rave reviews in fall camp. No matter what the stats say, this unit should be more fun to watch just from a physicality and speed standpoint.

Overall Grade…

B-. The addition of Chris Lammons boosts this group a ton. Lammons is the most proven player in the Gamecocks secondary and should be able to make a ton of big plays at the safety position. DJ Smith is primed for his best season as a Gamecock. While young freshman fill the depth chart, their talent is not to be questioned. Jamyest Williams should be able to have a solid freshman year and make big plays for Will Muschamp. Injuries to Tavyn Jackson and Steven Montac will impact depth early on, but both players should be back by week three. As stated earlier, the safety position should be much more athletic this fall which will result in more big plays and contested match-ups deep down the field. While this unit may be apt to give up a big play here and there, the amount of big plays they make should increase drastically as well.

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