Clayton White: South Carolina veterans have done an 'outstanding job' mentoring new players

One challenge for a coaching staff every offseason is blending new players into the team and teaching them how things are done at a new place. Luckily, for South Carolina Gamecocks defensive coordinator Clayton White, he has plenty of veterans helping out.

This Spring, White has praised the veterans on South Carolina and explained that they’ve done an outstanding job mentoring the new players on the team.

“Anytime somebody’s new and they get comfortable pretty fast, to me, I give credit to the guys that are teaching them and helping guide them,” Clayton White said. “Our veteran guys have done an outstanding job at each position. I want to say we have some new players, either freshmen or transfers, but our guys that were here before have done an outstanding job of mentoring them and teaching them the ropes. I think that’s important.”

There are more than a few new players on the South Carolina defense in 2024. As of now, eight defensive players have transferred onto the South Carolina roster. Meanwhile, the 2024 recruiting class has six incoming freshmen on the defensive side of the ball.

“We understand that if we have everybody in this defensive room available for games on Saturdays, we have a chance to do some good things and obviously it takes all of us. We have a saying, ‘One shine, we all shine.’ So, we’re all trying to build off of that and make sure that we’re holding each other accountable.”

Clayton White has been the South Carolina defensive coordinator since 2021. Four times, including in 2021, he has been a Frank Broyles Award nominee as the nation’s best assistant coach.

South Carolina is coming off a season where the defense finished 66th in scoring defense, giving up 26.3 points per game. The Gamecocks were also 90th in total defense, giving up 395.7 yards per game.

Clayton White defined a successful spring game

Clayton White shared that his goal in a Spring Game is to leave it without suffering injuries while playing clean football.

“A successful spring game will obviously be clean football on both sides and walk away with nobody getting banged up. No toe injuries or anything whatsoever – just come out as clean as possible,” White said.

“I think the most important thing for us is executing calls. Yes, I’m very competitive. [But] I’m not really caring on who wins the drill. I more care about us executing the call and then obviously competing ‘til the end and whoever wins, wins. But very serious about us executing our calls. That’s the most important thing. If we make a call, don’t drop the wrong way. Then all of a sudden — I think there was one spring game we had a guy wide open in the right corner and I’m still mad about it. So just want to be able to execute calls when a call’s a call.”