A lot of attention is given to the Gamecocks secondary coming into the 2010 season and rightfully so as it is loaded with talent. The USC secondary will give many restless nights to opposing offensive coordinators leading up to game day. Many who talk about the secondary will mention the names of Stephon Gilmore and/or Chris Culliver. One they overlook and whom is poised for a breakout season in 2010 is DeVonte Holloman.
Make no mistake about it; Holloman is a key ingredient for USC at strong safety. He is a like a “sleeping giant” as he is not getting a lot of attention heading into the upcoming season but deserves a lot of the credit for the secondary being one of the best in the SEC.
This is a kid out of high school that could have played for anyone and he chose South Carolina. He is a little humble and well grounded. But don’t misunderstand that demeanor as he possesses all the right tools to be a great football player this season and in the future.
Last season, he played in all 13 games as a true freshman and helped the secondary be eighth in the nation in passing defense. DeVonte is solid in frame and has excellent closing speed to boot. He stands at six foot three inches and weighs in around the 225 mark. He had one interception last fall with 30 tackles. What makes him really good is he played some at quarterback in high school; this understanding helps him in pass coverage. DeVonte will look to improve on the Gamecocks terrible turnover margin ratio and interception stats in 2010. Improve those two areas and the Carolina ‘D’ will lead the team to many victories.
He, along with some others, will be looked upon to step up their game in 2010 if USC is to contend for a SEC title run. DeVonte is up for the task and after a few games under his belt, I am sure he will not be overlooked anymore as the “sleeping giant” will be awake and ready to cause havoc in 2010.
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This article was written last week for SouthernPigSkin as I am a contributing writer for them foucsed on the USC Fighting Gamecocks football team. Follow SPS on Twitter at Twitter.com/SouthernPigskin. Become a fan of them on Facebook at the SouthernPigskin.com Facebook Page
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