USC started its final week of spring ball Tuesday with its 13th practice, after which Lincoln Riley was pressed for overarching updates on what questions still remain, which players have boosted their stock the most, etc.
"I mean, I'd say there's a lot of competition in the corner room right now. I don't want to say unsettled -- there's just a lot of guys in there I think can help this football team, and how that shakes out will certainly be interesting to watch," Riley said. "There's definitely some competition in the receiver room right now. I even think the D-line room, again not unsettled, it's just like there's a lot of good players in that room and they're battling and they're making each other better, and I think our rotations and how we play and who we pair up together, it will be interesting to see how that unfolds. Both through the end of spring and how those guys improve in the summer, but obviously we've put a lot of into that group and expecting that group to be a dominant unit. So I think how that one comes together will be really interesting to watch unfold."
Watch Riley's full post-practice interview and scroll down for a complete transcript of his comments ...
With spring winding down, what position do you consider the most unsettled?
"I mean, I'd say there's a lot of competition in the corner room right now. I don't want to say unsettled -- there's just a lot of guys in there I think can help this football team, and how that shakes out will certainly be interesting to watch. There's definitely some competition in the receiver room right now. I even think the D-line room, again not unsettled, it's just like there's a lot of good players in that room and they're battling and they're making each other better, and I think our rotations and how we play and who we pair up together, it will be interesting to see how that unfolds. Both through the end of spring and how those guys improve in the summer, but obviously we've put a lot of into that group and expecting that group to be a dominant unit. So I think how that one comes together will be really interesting to watch unfold."
How has Husan Longstreet looked with the first-team offense and is he a viable QB1 option?
"I mean, Jayden's taking the reps with the 1s. There's really not ... more 1s than 2s, there's really not as much like this guy with the 1s and this guy with the 2s in spring -- it's more just about quality team reps. He's getting better. He does some great things, he still makes some freshman mistakes from time to time. He's just growing and learning, so for us it's not -- I mean, Jayden's clearly the No. 1 quarterback right now. Which is not surprising at all. Husan has done a really nice job, he makes a lot of explosive plays. I would expect there in the summer he would have the opportunity to get a lot better, just like I told you guys the same thing about Jayden last year. I mean, last year in spring Jayden was doing some good things but was still learning; in the summer and fall camp was really helpful for him. I'm sure it will be Husan and for Sam as well. But I feel like we have three guys that we can go win with. All three guys have shown the ability to move the ball, command the offense and (couldn't hear it)."
Where has Jayden taken the biggest steps through spring?
"I think decision-making, especially in the last -- the last five, six practices, he's really been strong, thrown the ball well, which he's kind of always done. But I think just understanding what we're trying to accomplish offensively, not just his role in it, understanding the big picture. He's been really good in the situational drives and moments that we've put him in. And yeah, he's just kind of gaining momentum and gaining steam too. He's still a guy that's played a little bit of college football obviously but he's still relatively young. It's not like this guy's got 20 starts in our system under his belt, so he's getting better quickly too and you can see the sense of urgency at work that he has behind it right now."
What have you seen from Bishop Fitzgerald so far?
"He's been kind of a steadying kind of commanding presence. He's got some real leadership ability. You see the way he communicates, how quickly he's learned our system. He's picked it up, it's felt, almost seamless. And he's played a lot of ball. He gets out there, he knows what to expect, he knows the checks, he knows the formation adjustments. He's just, it's like bringing in a veteran in the NFL. His learning curve is not quite as steep as somebody that hasn't played as much football. He's done a really nice job, he had a couple really nice plays in the scrimmage the other day, and yeah, I think certainly has been a very positive addition."
