Debo Williams Discusses Importance Of 3rd Year In Clayton White's Defense
One of the hardest things about a regime change in major college football is the introduction of a new scheme on both sides of the ball. This happened with South Carolina's Football program when Shane Beamer arrived in December of 2020. While the offensive side of the ball gets plenty of attention for becoming more of a pro-style scheme, the defense doesn't talked about nearly as much in this aspect.
Going from more of a 4-3 multiple defense to a 4-2-5 defense with different verbiage and concepts hasn't been easy for Gamecock defenders, but those who have been in Columbia since 2021 are now feeling more comfortable in Clayton White's scheme. This sentiment is one that linebacker Debo Williams echoed to the highest degree on Wednesday afternoon when speaking to the media.
"We're going into our third year of coach White's defense, so honestly [we're] perfecting it knowing everything [now], and we can add little details to it. Before, [we] were coming in [our] first year, and we were doing blitzes and stuff, and he couldn't put [in] exact specifics because it was just our first time hearing it, but you've got some guys that's been here going into our third year, like me specifically I'm going into my third year under his defense."
Besides coach White now being able to make his defensive playbook a bit more comprehensive, Williams feels more confident in his ability to help his teammates in the defensive front if he feels the alignment or call is off.
"If I see something's not right, I can fix the d-linemen; I can fix the edge. That's been my goal too, trying to learn the whole defense and be able to perfect my craft and be the smartest guy on the field."
Some other players who are potential starters going into their third year in Clayton White's defense are Alex "Boogie" Huntley, Tonka Hemingway, Jordan Strachan, Tyreek Johnson, Marcellas Dial, David Spaulding, and O'Donnell Fortune. How much will scheme continuity help South Carolina's defense in 2023? We'll find out beginning on Sept. 2nd.
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