Campbell, Parrish battle it out at strong safety

"You'll find out who's starting at strong safety for sure at 12:30 Saturday,'' Slade said. "Corey (Campbell) and Jarod (Parrish) both have their assets.''

Campbell and Parrish split playing time against Alabama last week, with Parrish getting the start in place of suspended safety Brandon Johnson.

Campbell and Parrish are expected to play again when the No. 11 Vols (6-1, 4-1 SEC) visit South Carolina (5-2, 3-2) in what promises to be a slugfest.

"It's going to be a tough, two-fisted game,'' Slade said. "We know that going in.''

Slade's defensive backs have to be ready to provide physical run support while also containing the Gamecocks' dangerous receiver, Troy Williamson.

"Four letters,'' UT free safety Jason Allen said, asked to describe what makes Williamson so good. "F-A-S-T. He's a legit 4.2 guy, and he can go up and get the ball.''

Chances are, Allen will be asked to cover Williamson from his free safety position while also freelancing in run support. But at times the strong safety -- Campbell or Parrish -- will be called upon.

"The good thing about those guys is they're not going to make very many mental mistakes,'' Slade said. "You're not going to get the glaring critical errors.''

The question is, when will Campbell and Parrish develop into playmakers?

Johnson had just turned the corner, making two interceptions against Ole Miss on Oct. 16, before he was indefinitely suspended on. Oct. 18 for discharging a firearm.

Slade said he felt at the end of last season that Campbell was on the verge of breaking through after he posted strong performances against Georgia and Miami.

"Corey took a step back at the start of the season, and I was very surprised,'' Slade said. "But he's been getting back to the guy we saw last year; practicing and working very hard.''

Campbell said it comes down to his mindset.

"The difference is that last year, I wasn't thinking about making mistakes,'' said Campbell, who had an interception to seal the Vols' 17-13 win over Alabama. "This year, at the start of the season, I was thinking a lot and not playing to my abilities.''

Parrish, meanwhile, is still feeling his way around the game-time environment, having played very sparingly his first two seasons.

"It was just good to get back to the feel of playing in a game,'' Parrish said. "It had been about two years since I played that much in a game. I felt like I adjusted to it as the game went on. Things moved pretty fast, at first.''

Slade said the players are comparable in their abilities, and Allen, who lines up next to both of them at practice every day, agrees.

"I'd say Jarod is a little better against the run and Corey is better against the pass,'' Allen said. "Any time you have competition for a position, it's good. Both of those guys want to play, and the competition has been beneficial to them.''

Campbell and Parrish came to UT in the same signing class two years ago, and often stay after practice and work together.

"We're great friends off the field,'' Parrish said. "We worked out together in the offseason, and we stay after practice and work together.''

Slade has noticed that both have shown more intensity in practice since Johnson's suspension.

"The light has come on,'' Slade said. "They're both getting better. You'll just have to wait and see who starts.''