Fall camp seemed to fly back for USC faster than usual with so much anticipation for the No. 6-ranked Trojans and their season starting a week earlier than most teams.

Seven days from now, USC will kickoff against San Jose State in the Coliseum as part of college football's "Week 0" lineup.

Much was learned over the last three weeks while some questions still linger heading into the opener. Not all depth chart decisions or position battles are necessarily resolved, but we have enough clarity to make a relatively confident projection of what that all will look like for the Trojans next Saturday.

It is worth noting, however, that the defense did not break into teams or alignments during the media viewing periods this last week so there could always be fluctuation behind the scenes that wasn't noticeable.

But here is our projected defensive depth chart for the season opener ...

RELATED: See our projected offensive depth chart here

(Note: This is a projection only for the San Jose State game, taking into account who we expect to be physically available. There are names not listed below that we certainly expect to make an impact during the course of the season.)

(Because many of the defensive linemen play multiple spots and will rotate heavily, we're listing the defensive line in groups or tiers.)

1. Bear Alexander, sophomore; Kyon Barrs, redshirt senior; Anthony Lucas, sophomore/Jack Sullivan, redshirt senior

2. Jack Sullivan, redshirt senior; Stanley Ta’ufo’ou, redshirt senior; Solomon Byrd, redshirt senior

3 De'jon Benton, redshirt senior; Tyrone Taleni, redshirt senior; Sam Greene, freshman

Alexander, the high-profile defensive tackle from Georgia, and Barrs, the veteran transfer from Arizona with a lot of starting and game experience, should be the two main interior linemen. That said, the coaching staff challenged Barrs throughout camp to elevate his play and reach his full potential, so that is something to monitor, but they're often spoken of as a duo by teammates and that's how we project them anchoring -- and bolstering -- the middle of the defensive front. Those two are a big reason why there is heightened optimism and confidence in the front seven this year.

Lucas, the Texas A&M transfer who generated as much buzz as any defensive player all month, spent the first half of camp at rush end (OLB) before moving to defensive end later in camp. From the sound of it, that is where he'll end up to start, but he's a versatile player who could man either spot. For those that aren't familiar, the RUSH spot is basically a pass-rushing outside linebacker type role that usually sets up a few yards off to the side of the rest of the linemen and has some coverage responsibilities (think Korey Foreman's interception vs. UCLA last year).

Ultimately, the Trojans want their four best available linemen/rush ends on the field, and moving to Lucas to defensive end opens up the RUSH spot for talented newcomer Jamil Muhammad.

That said, Sullivan has been a steady anchor for the unit since arriving in January from Purdue, and he's going to play a lot. He also has the ability to slide to an interior defensive line position as well, so it gives the coaches some mix-and-matching options.

The starting group should contain four of those six -- the five defensive linemen highlighted above and Muhammad -- in some combination, form or fashion, with Sullivan's versatility allowing the coaches to plug him wherever he's most needed.

Byrd was one of the standouts of fall camp and has settled in at defensive end after splitting time between DE and RUSH last year. He had 7 tackles for loss and 4 sacks last season, doing most of that damage early on before fading, but he seems determined to be a key cog in the machine this fall.

Note, before panic ensues, the omission of Foreman from the list above is not a reflection on his ability or potential -- it's merely because we have questions about his availability to play in the first game.

1. Jamil Muhammad, redshirt senior

2. Romello Height, redshirt junior

3. Braylan Shelby, freshman

Muhammad figures to be one of the biggest impact transfer additions on the defensive side. A one-time quarterback at Vanderbilt who found his way to edge rusher at Georgia State, he may have come in a little raw at the position, but he plays with the combination of power and quickness needed to excel at this spot. We take Lucas' shift over to defensive end late in camp as a reflection of Muhammad's performance and a way to get both on the field together.

Height is an interesting player on this defense. A year ago, he opened the season as the starter at RUSH and had created a lot of positive buzz through camp, but a shoulder injury ended his season in Week 2 and he's continued to battle physical setbacks, including missing a good chunk of camp. He was back at it this past week, though, and remains an intriguing talent who should get plenty of opportunity.

Shelby, meanwhile, was one of the most impressive freshmen in camp -- at least physically, speaking. The chiseled 6-foot-5, 245-pound pass rusher looks like he could be preparing for the NFL combine with his frame and build, but as a freshman he's still learning the nuances and techniques of the position.