Scout team earning respect of South Carolina starters on defense
Shane Beamer likes South Carolina to practice the way it plays. He tries to keep things as physical as possible throughout the entire season, which he’s done successfully the last two years.
But it’s been hard to do that this year with so many injuries. It’s gotten to a point where they don’t have enough players to fill out the scout team offensive line.
It’s left the team in a spot where other players from different positions have had to step in.
“Some of those younger guys, I think Lucas Vose stepped in there and did a great job,” Trey Knox said. “They said his set looks pretty good, so I mean, we might have to throw some weight on him. But those guys, I mean, just love the room, the unselfish nature of trying to do whatever we can to get the team ready to play.”
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Being on the scout team isn’t a glorious life, much less out of position. But they know their job is to make their teammates better every week. So they do it.
“I know some of those guys would rather run routes than have to go in there and block me or Boogie (Huntley) or Jordan (Strachan) on the edge. So I really appreciate those guys,” TJ Sanders said.
Just because it’s scout team, doesn’t mean it’s been easy for the starting defense, though. In fact, it’s almost the opposite.
“Those guys might not be tackles but when they’re coming in giving us looks, they’re not like just leaning over and letting us push them. Those guys are actually working and competing, trying to get us better,” Sanders said.
And that’s what the Gamecock defense needs. It’s been a tough year and big part of why South Carolina sits at 2-5 with five games to go. But the way they practice has definitely made them better.
“The young guys, they’ve been giving me great reps even from the scout side,” Jalon Kilgore said. “We’ve got a lot of young receivers. They’re going to do real good when they get in.”
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Kilgore has been facing some of the SEC’s best receivers this year. But going up against his teammates during scout team periods every day has been huge for him.
“As a safety, I guard a lot of slots. I’ve been going up against Kelton Henderson and Ben Rollins and they give me great looks, especially Kelt,” Kilgore said.
Henderson, a freshman wide receiver, has given Kilgore every single look possible, including short and deep routes. Kilgore said he’s even been talking some trash to him, something that tends to happen in real game situations.
“It makes you keep your mental right. So that’s what I like,” Kilgore said. “Him and Tyshawn, I know they’re going to give me the best look each and every time. So I love going against them in scout because I know they’re going to make me better.”
Come game day, Kilgore and his teammates on the defense feel as ready as ever because they got solid work in against the scout team.
“It don’t get too much closer look to when you actually playing them in the game,” Kilgore said. “So when I see the players in the game, it’s like I’ve already seen in this in practice.”
