Devonni Reed Enables South Carolina's Aggressive Approach
Defensive coordinator Clayton White routinely forces offenses into challenging situations. He runs a lot of Cover-1 man concepts, leaving one deep safety while isolating his defensive backs.
Opposing offenses generally have a way to counter this. They try quick concepts out of the backfield or to the boundary to get their playmakers isolated in space; they occasionally slip an offensive lineman out there to help create space.
However, these plays only work when a defender reads what's happening pre-snap. Safety Devonni Reed is that player for South Carolina; he's always in attack mode and comes downhill with bad intentions.
Missouri tried to get their playmakers into space early in the game, but Reed recognized each attempt and managed to fly downhill without quarterback Brady Cook noticing.
The Tigers pivoted their approach and attacked corners on the outside with simple man-beaters, but Reed's mere presence forced them to alter their approach minutes into the action.
He still has to iron out a few rough patches, as sometimes his aggression can lead to breakdowns. For example, Cook took a keeper into the end zone for Missouri's first score on the day. Reed's assignment appeared to be holding the edge as defensive linemen Jordan Burch took the back.
Reed bit down inside, and Cook pulled the ball, walking across for a score. It wasn't a mental lapse, just an example of playing too fast. If Reed can figure out ways to fix these breakdowns, he could become a dynamic player.
His impact goes further than offensive game planning. Freshman safety Nick Emmanwori has been excellent this year, and a lot of his success comes from playing off Reed.
Emmanwori gets to play assignment-sound football, knowing in the back of his mind he doesn't have to make a hero play because Reed is in close pursuit. While all young players know this, some feel isolated and must attack the football because of the surrounding personnel.
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