State of Troy

Well did that feel like the longest offseason or what?? The Trojans ended their 2016 campaign with a historic Rose Bowl performance defeating Penn State in a true thriller. We were blessed to see some brilliant moments from Sam Darnold as well as veteran players and newcomers alike.  While we would just like to watch the highlight tape over and over, it’s time we look ahead to 2017 and take stock of what the Trojans will look like in the new season.

USC lost quite a bit with players like JuJu, Adoree, Darreus Rogers, Chad Wheeler, Stevie T, and Zach Banner all departing for the NFL. Fortunately, USC has been recruiting well and welcomes a class full of talent and potential. 2^nd year head coach Clay Helton has alluded to several freshmen making an immediate impact so we expect very few redshirts. Let’s break down our offense and defense to get familiar with our projected starters.

OFFENSE

A young and athletic unit will be led by QB Sam Darnold. There’s no need to reiterate what Sam brings to the offense and time and again he has shown that when the bright lights come on, he is a steady hand ready to command an offense. Darnold will receive much needed support from a tenacious running back committee of Ronald Jones, Aca’Cedric Ware, and possibly freshman Stephen Carr.

At receiver, what USC lost most was leadership. JuJu Smith-Schuster and Darreus Rogers were veterans and had a sideline presence that could motivate the whole unit. Breakout player Deontay Burnett looks to step right in and be the go to target for Darnold. Tyler Vaughns and Velus Jones are talented weapons as well. Steven Mitchell looks to return from injury but will have to compete with younger talent to earn his spot back. I would be remiss to not mention the incredible tight end we have in Daniel Imatorbhebhe.  His height and reach make him a great red zone target.

The offensive line presents a potential chink in Tommy Trojans armor. The sheer size of Banner cannot be replaced and Wheeler was a quick and intuitive tackle. The key to success with this group will be to stay healthy. As most guys on the line range from 280-310lb’s it is vital they protect their knees and ankles as depth is something we do not have at these positions. Look for Nico Falah and Toa Lobendahn to instill veteran mechanics into new faces like Andrew Vorhees a 6’6 310lb true freshman.

In summary, the position players are in place and it will come down to good coaching and staying healthy to have the offense reach its full potential. If the tailbacks can keep the linebacker’s attention and free up the wideouts for single coverage, look out…because we heard Sam has been working on his deep ball.

DEFENSE

What can you say about the hole Adoree Jackson leaves in this unit? His legacy will be remembered at USC for years as one of the most exciting and fun players to don the Cardinal & Gold. What he did leave was a group of inspired defensive backs looking to make the same name for themselves.

Redshirt junior Ajene Harris has had an impressive fall camp and looks determined as ever. He’ll compete alongside Iman “Biggie” Marshall and the outspoken Jack Jones for starting cornerback roles. Chris Hawkins and Marvel Tell will lead the safety group who added some serious recruits in Bubba Bolden and Isaiah Pola-Mao.

Linebackers Porter Gustin and Cam Smith lead this group alongside Uchenna Nwosu. Overall, I feel very solid about our linebacker play and think we have a high defensive IQ with these guys on the field.

Down in the trenches the Trojans have size and experience in Rasheem Greene a 6’4 275lb junior. He will lead a group that includes true freshman and 320lb Brandon Pili as well as Kenny Bigelow who looks to return from two injuries and finally make the impact he’s capable of. Much like our offensive line, we have the size and talent but depth is the issue. Let’s hope that in the event of an injury, a young freshman can step up and play.

In summary, the defense has a lot of young and hungry players. Our secondary will need to be disciplined for us to win tough games. The linebackers need to direct the unit and the D-line needs to stay healthy while being aggressive in their attack on opposing QB’s.

Stay tuned for another post soon breaking down the USC schedule and my season predictions for college football at large.

FIGHT ON