Five Players Under the Microscope
posted by Scott Hood, Saturday, August 04, 2007
BLAKE MITCHELL: No surprise here. Head coach Steve Spurrier predicted last season Mitchell would enjoy a All-SEC season. It didn’t happen, though Mitchell was sensational over the final 18 quarters after being benched for seven games.
Spurrier has gone out on a limb again by saying he believes Mitchell, a fifth-year senior, will have a huge season in 2007 in his third year as the starter.
Every starting quarterback for Spurrier is under immense pressure. They are really an extension of the HBC on the field. Historically, some handled it well (Danny Wuerffel) while others have not.
Mitchell knows from last season’s experience that Spurrier won’t hesitate to yank him if he gets off to a slow start. Last season, Spurrier had Syvelle Newton waiting in the wings. Now, there’s Chris Smelley and Tommy Beecher waiting for an opportunity, along with true freshman Stephen Garcia.
Hopefully, Mitchell is motivated by the fact he has an opportunity to finish among the top three quarterbacks in USC history with a decent season.
WILLIAM “WEB” BROWN: Brown, a senior, will replace three-year starter Chris White at center as long as he‘s not beaten out by someone else in fall camp. One of the few players still left from the 2003 recruiting class, Brown has started seven games in his career, all at guard.
Brown has been undersized for most of his career but has gained weight over the last several months to put himself in position to take over the center spot from White, who made over 40 career starts. That type of experience is tough to replace.
Center is such an important position that the argument could be made that the loss of White was bigger than the departure of wide receiver Sidney Rice to the NFL. With five highly acclaimed WR recruits coming in, that position appears to be solidified. However, center in a different animal. If Brown fails, it would constitute a significant setback for an offense line that must come out of the gate strong.
RYAN SUCCOP: He will again perform all three chores in the kicking game: field goals, punting and kickoffs. The new rule moving kickoffs back to the 30-yard line could have a significant impact on the game. Having a strong kicker will be seen as a strong asset. Succop put nearly 40 percent of his kickoffs into the end zone last season.
Some coaches believe the new kickoff rule will create more scoring because the offense will start out with better field position. It will be the kickers’ responsibility to reach the end zone or get as close as possible. Kickers who only reach the 10-yard line will leave their defenses vulnerable because offenses could often be starting their drives from the 30-yard line or beyond.
Take away the blocked field at Florida and the miss in the Liberty Bowl and Succop was deadly accurate on field goals last season. Overall, he was 16-for-20, including an impressive 8-for-11 from beyond 40 yards. He boomed one from 55 yards against Vanderbilt but had another 55-yarder against Florida nullified by a penalty. His role could grow larger in 2007.
CARLOS THOMAS: After splitting time between wide receiver and defensive back in 2005, Thomas was entrenched at cornerback last season but simply wasn’t physical enough and didn’t tackle well. Afraid of getting beat deep, too often he surrendered space to a receiver.
His mediocre 2006 campaign prompted Thomas to vow after spring practice he would play much better this season. With Fred Bennett gone to the NFL, Thomas will be counted on along with Captain Munnerlyn to spearhead USC’s secondary.
Steve Spurrier has harped over and over again that USC allowed opponents to convert too often in third-and-long situations last season. The failure to stay disciplined in a zone defense is a major reason for that shortcoming.
If Thomas enjoys a solid season, chances are the secondary will follow suit and finally play up to the expectations of the coaching staff.
CASPER BRINKLEY: With twin brother Jasper Brinkley anchored at middle linebacker and drawing raves from the media, opponents and NFL scouts, Casper has been sort of lost in the shuffle.
This year, he’ll move between outside linebacker and defensive end depending on the situation. Casper had a solid season in 2006 with 44 tackles (3.5 for loss) after transferring from Georgia Military College. This season, he’s facing pressure for playing time from a large group of young and talented defensive ends, as well as from Dustin Lindsey at strongside linebacker.
Inevitably, everything Casper does on the football field this season will be compared favorably or unfavorably to his brother Jasper, who’s already been discussed as a first-round NFL Draft selection.
That’s not Casper’s fault. But it is the reality.
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When you play major college football, there’s daily pressure to perform on a high level. Here are my five players who are under the most pressure to perform as fall camp is set to begin later tonight. The microscope will definitely be on these guys.
BLAKE MITCHELL: No surprise here. Head coach Steve Spurrier predicted last season Mitchell would enjoy a All-SEC season. It didn’t happen, though Mitchell was sensational over the final 18 quarters after being benched for seven games.
Spurrier has gone out on a limb again by saying he believes Mitchell, a fifth-year senior, will have a huge season in 2007 in his third year as the starter.
Every starting quarterback for Spurrier is under immense pressure. They are really an extension of the HBC on the field. Historically, some handled it well (Danny Wuerffel) while others have not.
Mitchell knows from last season’s experience that Spurrier won’t hesitate to yank him if he gets off to a slow start. Last season, Spurrier had Syvelle Newton waiting in the wings. Now, there’s Chris Smelley and Tommy Beecher waiting for an opportunity, along with true freshman Stephen Garcia.
Hopefully, Mitchell is motivated by the fact he has an opportunity to finish among the top three quarterbacks in USC history with a decent season.
WILLIAM “WEB” BROWN: Brown, a senior, will replace three-year starter Chris White at center as long as he‘s not beaten out by someone else in fall camp. One of the few players still left from the 2003 recruiting class, Brown has started seven games in his career, all at guard.
Brown has been undersized for most of his career but has gained weight over the last several months to put himself in position to take over the center spot from White, who made over 40 career starts. That type of experience is tough to replace.
Center is such an important position that the argument could be made that the loss of White was bigger than the departure of wide receiver Sidney Rice to the NFL. With five highly acclaimed WR recruits coming in, that position appears to be solidified. However, center in a different animal. If Brown fails, it would constitute a significant setback for an offense line that must come out of the gate strong.
RYAN SUCCOP: He will again perform all three chores in the kicking game: field goals, punting and kickoffs. The new rule moving kickoffs back to the 30-yard line could have a significant impact on the game. Having a strong kicker will be seen as a strong asset. Succop put nearly 40 percent of his kickoffs into the end zone last season.
Some coaches believe the new kickoff rule will create more scoring because the offense will start out with better field position. It will be the kickers’ responsibility to reach the end zone or get as close as possible. Kickers who only reach the 10-yard line will leave their defenses vulnerable because offenses could often be starting their drives from the 30-yard line or beyond.
Take away the blocked field at Florida and the miss in the Liberty Bowl and Succop was deadly accurate on field goals last season. Overall, he was 16-for-20, including an impressive 8-for-11 from beyond 40 yards. He boomed one from 55 yards against Vanderbilt but had another 55-yarder against Florida nullified by a penalty. His role could grow larger in 2007.
CARLOS THOMAS: After splitting time between wide receiver and defensive back in 2005, Thomas was entrenched at cornerback last season but simply wasn’t physical enough and didn’t tackle well. Afraid of getting beat deep, too often he surrendered space to a receiver.
His mediocre 2006 campaign prompted Thomas to vow after spring practice he would play much better this season. With Fred Bennett gone to the NFL, Thomas will be counted on along with Captain Munnerlyn to spearhead USC’s secondary.
Steve Spurrier has harped over and over again that USC allowed opponents to convert too often in third-and-long situations last season. The failure to stay disciplined in a zone defense is a major reason for that shortcoming.
If Thomas enjoys a solid season, chances are the secondary will follow suit and finally play up to the expectations of the coaching staff.
CASPER BRINKLEY: With twin brother Jasper Brinkley anchored at middle linebacker and drawing raves from the media, opponents and NFL scouts, Casper has been sort of lost in the shuffle.
This year, he’ll move between outside linebacker and defensive end depending on the situation. Casper had a solid season in 2006 with 44 tackles (3.5 for loss) after transferring from Georgia Military College. This season, he’s facing pressure for playing time from a large group of young and talented defensive ends, as well as from Dustin Lindsey at strongside linebacker.
Inevitably, everything Casper does on the football field this season will be compared favorably or unfavorably to his brother Jasper, who’s already been discussed as a first-round NFL Draft selection.
That’s not Casper’s fault. But it is the reality.
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Scott Hood. Since February of 2005, Scott has covered the South Carolina football, men's basketball and baseball programs for GamecockCentral. He may be reached by email at scottblog(at)gamecockcentral.com. Replace (at) with @.