Mike Reed ready to see his corners put it all together on game day

Trayvon Mullen will get a long look in fall camp

by Nikki Hood - Staff Writer - Tue Aug 01 14:01:02 GMT-04:00 2017

SUNSET, SC – Mike Reed has a talented and deep group of cornerbacks who have made major strides over the summer. Now, they need to put it all together on game days.

With veterans Marcus Edmond and Ryan Carter, Reed will look toward Mark Fields, Trayvon Mullen, K’Von Wallace and A.J. Terrell to play big roles at both the boundary and field corner spots.

Reed met with the media at head coach Dabo Swinney’s media golf out in July and told TigerNet that he’s anxious to see the progress that’s been made since last April when spring practice concluded.

“Being away from them since spring ball, you're kind of anxious to see who's put in the work, who matured and things of that nature,” Reed told TigerNet. “Then there's the influx of the new kids and seeing where they fit into the puzzle. They all can. Ryan and Marcus are your senior guys who have played a lot of ball. Trayvon Mullen was mixed in last year and did a hell of a job. I'm looking for a bigger role out of him. Mark Fields. We are a very talented group, now we just have to put it on and put it out there.”

Despite having Edmond and Carter to anchor the corners, Reed said both starting jobs will be open when fall camp begins on Thursday.

“That's the way I play. Coach Swinney may have a different plan, but for me you always have to keep that carrot dangling in front of the players because if you're not then they'll get complacent,” Reed said. “In my situation, I don't want my players to get complacent. I want them to always be in a situation where they have to prove themselves. No one has earned anything until it's game time.”

Reed said he is looking to his two veterans to provide the leadership of the group.

“They're battle tested. At the end of the day, you know they've already been thrown into the grease and that's what you like about those guys,” he said. “They're journeymen. They've played a lot of ball and their leadership qualities will rub off on the younger guys.”

Fields will be a junior, and Reed said he’s looking to be able to trust the Charlotte native in all situations.

“He's got to be consistent. He's got to be a guy that if I turn my back, I'll be able to trust that he's doing what he's supposed to do,” he said. “He's working hard. I'm very excited about everything I've heard that he's done this summer. I look forward to that transpiring onto the field when it's time to play.”

Mullen received valuable experience as a backup last season, and Reed said he expects big things out of the talented sophomore.

“Right now, he's doing a heck of a job over at the boundary corner,” he said. “Because of his length, his physicality, his athleticism, it allows him to use it over at the boundary corner which is typically your bigger, more physical corner and that's the attributes that he has. Right now, he's going to sit in at the boundary corner, still be able to play some nickel and some dime and have the flexibility to play some safety if we need it.”

Wallace is a jack of all trades but has settled in at the boundary corner spot.

“The thing that I like about Trayvon is he knows both sides. A lot of people think that at corner, you can play both positions,” he said. “No, the boundary corner is totally different than the field corner. For a young kid to come in and learn both positions, it said a lot about his football IQ. What he needs to do is change his body and get a lot stronger. A lot of those guys in high school, they're the big guy on campus so the physicality part, it has to be an adjustment. He's done it and I'm looking for big things out of him.”

Reed also expects Terrell – a true freshman from Atlanta – to come in and contribute right away.

“My expectation is that he's going to be a player. That's what I recruited him for,” he said. “He has a great skillset, not to mention he's 6-2 1/2. Like all of my players, I look for them to compete and contribute early.”