17 for '17: Josh Fatu
Our countdown of USC’s most intriguing players to watch in spring practice continues. Note: This is a list of guys who have the most to gain and are best positioned to do so.
For each player, we examine the depth chart, back story, outlook, key questions and how their role could swing in spring.
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11. JOSH FATU
Profile: 6-3, 290, senior
Current pecking order: He might be a slight frontrunner at what is a very open competition at nose tackle. He can also play defensive tackle.
Background: Rewind one year and USC’s defensive staff, which wasn’t finalized until late January of 2016, was in scramble mode in regards to defensive linemen. The Trojans particularly needed tackles (remember, Stevie Tu’ikolovatu didn’t announce his transfer until the summer). They curiously decided to pass on longtime commit Keyshon Camp with about a week to go before signing day, leaving Liam Jimmons as the lone lineman on board. USC wanted (and needed) more but couldn’t land its other targets. It wasn’t until the morning of signing day that USC contacted Fatu, who intended to sign with Boise State, and offered him a scholarship. The JC prospect was coming off a big season at Long Beach City College that netted him 10 scholarship offers, including three from Power 5 schools. Last fall, Fatu was often the first D-lineman to come off the bench for the Trojans. He finished with 21 tackles, a respectable number given his usage and position. A sprained ankle limited him over the final month of the season.
Outlook: Fatu didn’t play enough to form a strong opinion of him, although there’s reason to believe he’ll be productive. He typically was in the limited time he got in place of (and sometimes alongside) Tu’ikolovatu. Former All-American defensive lineman Shaun Cody, now a close observer of the team as a media correspondent, often noted Fatu’s natural pass rushing skills and said he made progress in the run game as the season wore on. He’ll have all the reps he can ask for this spring to convince the coaches that he’s ready to make an impact on a regular basis. While Rasheem Green is entrenched at defensive end, it’s not certain whether Fatu will be at nose tackle or defensive tackle. (I’m guessing the former with Kenny Bigelow occupying the latter.) What is apparent: the Trojans need a few defensive linemen to have career years to fill the void left by Tu’ikolovatu, arguably the defensive MVP last season. There are several candidates — USC currently has 11 scholarship D-linemen — but none at this point would seem better prepared to play up the middle than Fatu.
Key questions: How good is he? Is he one of USC’s three best defensive linemen? Will he play nose tackle or defensive tackle?
Swing potential: He can win one of two starting jobs or end up a role player in a potentially deep rotation.
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17 FOR '17
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