South Carolina's special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis met with the media on Wednesday to break down his unit's progress and ahead to Saturday's clash with Kentucky. The veteran coach highlighted young contributors, praised specialists for steady improvement, and stressed the importance of "great operations" in the kicking game.
William Joyce’s Consistency
DeCamillis pointed to kicker William Joyce's hard work this offseason as a key factor in his early- season success. "He's done a good job. He's really worked hard during the offseason and then during the summertime," he said. "The operation's gotten better. Cole [Rasmussen] has done a really good job with his snaps, and I think we got a good operation so far between the three of them. That’s really what helps kickers more than anything else: great operations.”Joyce has been great on his shorter attempts so far, and DeCamillis is confident he can extend that consistency to longer kicks as the year progresses.
Getting Young Guys Involved
True freshmen Mike Tyler and Donovan Darden earned reps last week, which DeCamillis said was all part of his plan to accelerate development. "You're always looking to try to get young guys out there," he explained. "In my opinion, part of my job is to help those guys develop as players down the road, and the only way you get better is by playing football. And football is special teams."
He also noted that sophomore Jaquel Holman handled four returns after teams opted to kick away from Nyck Harbor. DeCamillis hinted that fans could even see more young players rotated in this week.
Mason Love’s Impact in the Punting Game
Freshman punter Mason Love has been handed the starting job and, according to DeCamillis, is handling it well.
“Obviously, you’re always going better, no question about it, but he’s done well,” DeCamillis said. He highlighted Love’s ability to control field position, including a punt downed at the half-yard line against Missouri. “If he can continue to do that, we’ll be in good shape.”
Holman’s Versatility
With teams scheming away from Harbor, DeCamillis praised Holman's toughness and athleticism as a return man. "He's an aggressive kid. All through camp, he showed some toughness and showed some real burst," he said. "He played at running back in high school...and he's only going to get better as a cover player and and all those things too. Hopefully, that experience will help him become a better defensive player down the road."
Looking Ahead
The Gamecocks' special teams unit has been one of Shane Beamer's hallmarks, and DeCamillis's emphasis on development and detail shows that tradition remains a focus heading into Week 5. South Carolina and Kentucky will kick off at 7:45 p.m. ET on SEC Network.