The collision Saturday against TCU that left Derrius Bell with a concussion had a significant effect on the sophomore cornerback: his second concussion in four weeks took him out of the secondary, perhaps for the rest of the season.

To fill the void left by Bell’s absence, the SMU coaching staff is turning to a pair of true freshmen: Keivon Gamble and J.R. McConico.

Despite his slight build, freshman Keivon Gamble "will stick his nose in there and scrap," according to secondary coach Derrick Odum (photo by Webmaster).

“What happened (to Bell) is one of those unfortunate things that can happen in this game,” SMU secondary coach Derrick Odum said. “But we feel good about Keivon and J.R. They’re both going to be really good players for us. They’ve got some quickness, they’ve got some toughness about them and they’re really competitive guys, so the whole thing now is learning everything.

“It just takes a while — all the nuances. They know they’re in the deep third, but they don’t know all the nuances of being a deep-third defender, reading routes and getting a jump on things — that’s the biggest thing they’re working through right now. So whenever we feel like they’re capable of doing that — and games dictate when we can play some guys — we’ll do that.”

Gamble, from Lincoln High School in Dallas, makes up for his slight build with excellent speed and cover skills, and Odum said Gamble is far more physical than his physique might suggest.

“Keivon’s got a lot of quickness and speed, so he’s more like a Bryan McCann-type of player — he’s a track guy,” Odum said. “That’s why you try to redshirt as much as you can, because of the strength issue. All of (the freshmen) are talented, but it’s the strength issue that usually gets in the way of them getting on the field right away and being successful. At the corner spot, you don’t have to be a beast out there, but it definitely helps to be strong, and it gives you confidence when you have strength. But he’s not a shy guy — he’ll stick his nose in there and scrap, so we’re not changing anything.”

“They say my strength is my speed,” Gamble said, “but I think it’s also my reaction time, because I read routes pretty well.”

McConico, who arrived on the Hilltop from Venice High School in Los Angeles, is listed as a couple of inches shorter (5-8) and two pounds heavier (172) than Gamble.

“I would say I’m a balanced corner,” McConico said. “I can cover and I can hit.”

Another newcomer in the SMU secondary, junior college transfer Sterling Moore, will take Bell’s spot in the starting lineup across from McCann. Moore said he is impressed by his freshman teammates, and said both are stronger than they look.

“They’re both physical, they’ll both get their hands on you, and they’re both fast guys,” Moore said. “J.R. finds the ball really well, and his ball skills are very good for a freshman. Keivon’s physical off the line. He’s going to jam you, he’s going to run with you. They’re both going to be great players before their time is through here.”

How much Gamble and McConico play — it still hasn’t been determined which one, or both, will play Saturday against East Carolina — remains undecided. For the time being, junior Bennie Thomas will be the first backup behind McCann and Moore, and sophomore Keith Robinson also fits into the rotation. Also factoring into the equation is the fact that while Gamble joined his teammates for preseason workouts, McConico arrived at the beginning of classes in September, meaning he missed nearly two dozen practices with his new team. But at a position at which confidence is vital, Gamble and McConico both insisted they’re ready to contribute.

“I’m ready — I can’t wait,” Gamble said. “They just told me to be ready, and I am.”

“I’m very comfortable with the defense,” McConico said. “Sterling Moore, Derrius Bell, Bryan McCann — they’ve helped me with the defense, making sure I know all the calls, so now I’m just packing it down. I’m ready to play now — I’m just waiting for my chance.”

If McConico and Gamble already possess the confidence that could allow them to succeed at such a make-or-break position as cornerback, perhaps more important is the confidence their coaches and teammates already seem to have in them.

“I think there’s always going to be a little bit of butterflies when you get in there for the first time, but they’re so confident in what they do, they’re going to be alright,” Moore said. “First snap — they might have a little bit of the butterflies, but after that, they’ll be alright.

“That’s what we feel with any of our DBs, that we can put them in there and there’s going to be no dropoff between any of us. Coach Odum always says he has confidence in anybody in our secondary now, so I think we can throw anybody in there, and we’re going to be good to go.”