Tracy Rocker trying to ‘get this dog out’ out of Zacch Pickens. Here’s how it’s going
The thing that stood out to Zacch Pickens was the lack of space.
When he was a defensive end at T.L. Hanna High School in Anderson, he could get out on the edge and fan out against players whose talent his own far exceeded. But in the SEC at South Carolina, his position was defensive tackle.
His coach, Will Muschamp, often says that’s one of the most difficult spots for a freshman to pick up. Pickens, a prospect ranked in the top 10 nationally in his class, lived that out in 2019.
“It’s a work in progress,” Pickens said both about his position change and his first season on campus. “With D-tackle, it’s like, you’re right there.
“I’m slowly starting to get myself prepared for that, too.”
Muschamp at the start of spring practice said the team needed Pickens to be a reliable player in the middle of a defensive line that lost two starting tackles off last year’s roster.
Year 1 for him was simply a learning experience. He came to Columbia a five-star prospect, the No. 8 overall player in the country in the 247Sports Composite rankings. He played a decent bit but instead of having a larger role, his snaps were more reminiscent of a solid first-year rotation lineman.
Pickens ended his season with 16 tackles and a QB hurry.
He discussed what he’s improving in mostly technical terms, coming out of his hips better and cleaning up footwork. Beyond that, his coaches, including new defensive line coach Tracy Rocker, aim to get a little more of a mean streak out of him.
“Coach Rocker is really trying to like get this dog out of me,” Pickens said. “He knows it’s in me, but it’s a work in progress, too.”
He’s at about 299 pounds right now, aiming to get to 300. Pickens said he learned to battle in the trenches from former Gamecocks lineman Javon Kinlaw, who is set to be a first-round NFL Draft pick in a few months.
Kinlaw told Pickens it took him three years to develop to the top level he reached, and it might take Pickens that long too. But the younger lineman aims to chase the older one and do better. He also has a model still at USC in fifth-year senior lineman Keir Thomas, who had a surprise fourth-year redshirt season in 2019.
Pickens’ progress has not gone unnoticed by teammates.
“Just growing up,” defensive end Aaron Sterling said. “Becoming more mature, understanding the game of football, things of that nature. He’s learning how to strike blocks and stuff, learning about block techniques and things, what the linemen are trying to do and stuff like that.”
Pickens reminisced about his first experiences with SEC double teams, and a highlight moment against Texas A&M where he raced downfield to run down a tight end.
Pickens has a chance to be the best player in the league, Thomas said. Asked whether Pickens, with a jovial personality, might be a bit too nice, Thomas replied, “Sometimes.”
“But he definitely has that side to him. So don’t make him mad.”
This story was originally published March 4, 2020 at 12:38 PM with the headline "Tracy Rocker trying to ‘get this dog out’ out of Zacch Pickens. Here’s how it’s going."
