BERKELEY, Calif. -- The Kedon Slovis narrative has moved well past surprising true freshman making a mockery of his 3-star recruiting ranking. It's moved beyond promising young quarterback with obvious potential down the road.
No, the moment has aleady arrived and the future is now.
At least, that's what Slovis is showing over the second half of this season -- that it will take unexpected and unforeseen circumstances to pry him out of this starting job next fall.
It's been well stated that I have been -- and remain -- a believer in JT Daniels' abilities, and in an alternate reality I believe the Trojans' intended sophomore starter would have dismissed doubters with his own statistically-satisfying season in this offense with these playmakers. But his Week 1 knee injury didn't allow that, and now the question is will Slovis allow the former 5-star nationally-coveted prospect any chance at reclaiming his job?
He's sure not playing like it of late.
It can't be done much better than Slovis did it Saturday night, completing 29 of 35 passes for 406 yards, 4 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Except, it wasn't an isolated outburst -- just the most consistent and refined of his recent string of offensive outburts.
Slovis now has three 400-yard passing performances in the last four games -- as many as Sam Darnold and Cody Kessler combined for over their five seasons manning the position for the Trojans.
I feel the need to keep offering qualifiers when I repeat that stat -- it's a different offense, much is placed on Slovis' shoulders, etc. -- but that doesn't make it any less impressive.
It's hard to overlook the fact that since he returned from the concussion that cost him most of two games early in the season, the freshman QB has thrown for 19 touchdowns and 5 interceptions (or that 15 of those TDs have come in that recent four-game run).
-30 of 44 passing for 406 yards, 4 TDs, 1 INT at Colorado
-32 of 57 passing for 264 yards, 3 TDs, 3 INTs vs. Oregon (the one blemish)
-29 of 39 passing for 432 yards, 4 TDs, 1 INT at Arizona State
-And the best performance yet Saturday night.
"It's not surprising me anymore," freshman wide receiver Drake London said.
London might as well be speaking for everyone who has followed this team this season. Slovis made those 406 yards, 4 TDs, 0 INTs and a 82.9 completion percentage seem part of the new norm.
Case in point, USC didn't even bring him to the postgame news conference as its offensive representative Saturday night unlike after his previous big games.
Case in point, Trojans offensive coordinator Graham Harrell didn't feel the need to boast about his prized pupil -- the one he's been touting from the very beginning -- until further prodding.
"If he plays well, he should always throw for 400 with those guys, right?" Harrell said with a smile. "I think he's just, like I've said since I've been here, you can't replace experience. The more games you play in any offense, the better you're going to get, and obviously with the receivers we have and the offense we run [there is] an opportunity to put up a lot of points. Like I said, the better he plays, the more experience he gets, the better he will play and the stats will follow.
"The thing that I like most about Kedon, I don't think he's too worried about stats. He understands the better he plays the more likely we are to win football games."
Harrell isn't a sportswriter trying to procure riveting reflection from the overly humbled freshman star, though. (I kid, I kid.)
"I think it just shows what our offense is capable of," Slovis said, again deflecting recognition for his play. "I think I can play better even after a game like this, and especially after the other three games, two games. I think it's just a testament to what this offense can be in the future."
He's not wrong. The Trojans offense is burgeoning finally under Harrell, performing like many expected when his hiring was hyped as a perfect fit for USC's deep bevy of passing-game playmakers.
Honestly, with all the understandable speculation about will become of head coach Clay Helton's status after the regular-season finale next week, fans might want to concurrently wonder what a change at the top would mean for Harrell, who really seems to be finding his footing in his first season as an OC at a Power Five program. That's a column for another day.
As for Slovis, it's just hard not to be excited about what he's doing each week. I wrote previously in this space that fans should be looking past his freshman mistakes and appreciating the many other moments when he plays beyond his years.
Well, it would take a devoted critic to find any such freshman mistakes Saturday night -- you know, like Slovis himself.
"There's one throw, I think the one to TV, that probably should have been picked off. I can't make that throw, it's a bad decision, so just eliminating those," Slovis said of his focus moving forward.
Fair enough. Some have noted that he holds onto the football too long, and that will be refined in time too, but there's also a highlight reel worth of plays this season that Slovis extended in the pocket before making a key completion. It's likely he'll find a better balance in those moments moving forward, as every other part of his game seems to be following a directly upward trajectory.
"He's a special player, don't get me wrong. It's not like [this] just happens," Harrell said later in his comments. "To be a true freshman and be able to do what he does is really, really impressive, but I don't think he's really changed. He's just doing it on a more consistent basis, and that's what's allowing him to have [this] success."
Harrell's earlier point holds merit too. Slovis is certainly benefitting from the collection of talent he throws to each week. Michael Pittman, who hauled in 11 of Slovis' passes for 180 yards and a touchdown Saturday night, is among the most skilled wideouts in the country. Amon-Ra St. Brown (5-85-1 vs. Cal) should achieve the same stature in the future as well. Tyler Vaughns, when healthy, is a magician on the sidelines (even if he drops a few easier throws now and then), and freshman Drake London is emerging as one of the most talented No. 4 receivers in the country.
Several of Slovis' biggest completions vs. Cal came on balls he lofted downfield with the trust that his receivers would make the play -- a 45-yarder to Pittman, a 50-yarder to St. Brown and a 45-yard to London come to mind. The QB is, of course, the first to acknowledge the enviable situation he's in as a freshman.
"Most of the time with those guys, especially with Pitt, you think you have a good shot throwing it deep," he said. "… I remember in high school I wouldn't be able to make some of the throws because I knew my guys couldn't make it. It wasn't their fault, you know, they're not Michael Pittman or these guys."
Said Helton: "He's giving his kids a chance to make plays. You're not seeing a lot of overthrows, and I think that's the mark of a good quarterback is giving your kids an opportunity to make the plays for you. And his attitude, that's the other thing that stands out to me -- always positive, always energetic, always poised and takes command of the offense. He doesn't look flustered at any point in time he's been out here.
Helton noted the stat that Cal had given up only 9 passing touchdowns all season (and had allowed only two prior QBs to even throw for 250 yards) before Saturday, but that wasn't his favorite part of Slovis' stat line.
"My favorite number is that zero -- 0 interceptions," Helton said. "That's a really good defense. I think Justin Wilcox is one of the better defensive coaches in the country, and I'll never forget being here and Sam Darnold having one of his hardest days because of how they mix up coverages, pressures and things like that. One, credit the offensive line. They did come after us and they held up. And credit the wideouts. I thought they did an unbelievable job when they got their one-on-one situations making big plays for the kid, and he protected the football. When you have 4 touchdowns and 0 interceptions, that's a hell of a day."
Yeah, it really was. And yet, like London said, it wasn't surprising -- as surprising as that is to say.
No one can say for sure what Daniels would have done in this offense. It's fair to think he might have avoided some of the early setbacks (like Slovis' 3 INTs in the critical loss at BYU), and it's an unfair break to a talented young QB that we'll never know that answer.
But on that same note, nobody could have predicted that Slovis would do this either, and if Saturday reflected another step forward in his development and maturation, it's hard not to want to see what the next level to his game is moving forward.
"I think he's getting better," Pittman said. "He's showing us that he's an elite college quarterback."
WANT MORE ANALYSIS AND COMMENTARY LIKE THIS?
Not subscribed? We have two new promos ongoing. Take HALF OFF the first year of a new annual subscription (just $49.50!), or get $75 in FREE ADIDAS GEAR along with a discounted subscription. Choose the option that is best for you! Details and sign-up links here.
