How Bam Martin-Scott excelled in late-season switch to more 3-3-5
There may not have been a soul in Columbia more happy about South Carolina’s push to play more of its 3-3-5 defensive personnel last season than linebacker Bam Martin-Scott.
The three-linebacker look, as opposed to the two-linebacker scheme that Carolina has used for most of Clayton White’s tenure, not only meant that Martin-Scott was now on the field with the first string but it also put him in a role that proved to perfectly fit his skillset.
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Martin-Scott excelled with the expanded opportunity, collecting 32 tackles in his last four games played after just six in the first six of the season.
“To me, Bam Scott, from a talent standpoint, has always been one of those guys, you ask yourself, ‘Why isn’t he playing (more)?'” defensive coordinator Clayton White said in a GamecockCentral Takeover Interview on 107.5 The Game. “Everybody has their strengths and weaknesses, so Bam’s strength is (playing) outside the box, being an apex player coming off the edge, being football player. I was very proud of him and now, I’ve told Bam he has a clean slate, let’s make sure we maximize this last year.”
Martin-Scott, who made the decision to return to Columbia for his final year of eligibility, could potentially have a role even bigger in 2024 as potentially one of the top playmakers in a front six that is experienced and versatile.
Martin-Scott is continuing to play that SAM linebacker position when the Gamecocks are in three-linebacker looks, while also playing the MIKE when they’re in their 4-2-5 defense.
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He’s also part of a Carolina defense that will continue to expand his season as they morph between the two primarily looks in what they’re now calling a “flex nickel” defense.
“That means playing two fronts and nickel personnel will be the base,” White said in a press conference last week. “And I think our guys understand our system well enough to where they both blend and the words in one defense means the same thing in the other because of the versatility of our players and how deep we are in this defense.
“And I think that our guys, they light up when we talk like that. They light up when we know we have options and different things that we can do on the field to defend all these multiple offenses that we have to face.”
