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No position group on the USC roster can claim such a dichotomy of fortune and strength but also five-alarm concern as is the situation with the defensive line.

When it comes it to the defensive ends, USC is simply loaded. Five-star freshman Korey Foreman arrives with all the expectations imaginable, while joining a group that already features an expected rising star in sophomore Tuli Tuipulotu and the most underrated of the bunch in redshirt senior Nick Figueroa, who actually led the Trojans last season with 7 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks in six games.

That's not even factoring in junior outside linebacker Drake Jackson, who largely operates like a defensive end in his pass-rushing B-backer role (with Hunter Echols behind him). Jackson has landed on some mock drafts as a potential first-round pick.

"As far as the quality of men within that two-deep, there's a lot people that would like to have those players," USC coach Clay Helton said.

Indeed, many teams would envy the Trojans' depth of pass rushers -- but maybe not the abject lack of experience on the interior, where starting nose tackle and anchor of the line Marlon Tuipulotu left for the NFL, projected veteran starter Brandon Pili sustained a season-ending torn Achilles tendon in April, promising four-star freshman Jay Toia stunningly transferred to UCLA after spring practice, and expected impact transfer addition Ishmael Sopsher from Alabama continues to recovery from leg surgery for compartment syndrome with no definitive timetable for return.

Yes, all of that happened at one position. Essentially what might have been a logical three-deep of Pili-Toia-Sopsher is now mostly off the table, pending whatever progress Sopsher can make in the near future.

"There is optimism that he can be involved in some facet [during camp]. We're going to bring him along slowly," Helton said last week.

Helton downplayed the concerns overall, but from the outside it's a major question for a defense that was already middle of the pack in rush defense last season (49th nationally, 153.33 yards allowed per game).

Without those aforementioned names, USC is looking at a likely rotation at nose tackle including redshirt freshman Jamar Sekona (who split reps with Toia during spring after Pili's injury), redshirt freshman Kobe Pepe and redshirt sophomore Stanley Ta'ufo'ou. That trio combined to play 65 defensive snaps last season.