The buzz surrounding junior defensive end Anthony Lucas this spring isn't new. He was one of the most hyped players a year ago by USC teammates and coaches alike, only to turn in an underwhelming season with just 10 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 0 sacks and a diminishing role late in the fall.

But that's also the reason why it may be worth buying back into the buzz and believing a delayed breakout could well be in the works for Lucas in 2024.

"He's really taking it to heart that he didn't do as well last year, which is great. He's a hungry beast over there," defensive line coach Shaun Nua said.

That's been the consistent feedback on Lucas, who added 10 pounds to his 6-foot-5 frame to bulk up to 275 over the offseason, while once again racking up the highlight plays on the practice field these last five weeks.

"Anthony Lucas is a dog, man. He's one of the people I'm [most] looking forward to this season," veteran linebacker Mason Cobb said. "Just him being young and him getting into his weight and his body, I'm looking forward to him. ... I think he's taking it a little more serious with the film and kind of turning himself into a vet. He just seems a little bit more -- what's the word, I don't know -- last year he'd be joking around all the time, so now he's more locked in."

Linebacker Eric Gentry echoed that assessment this week, as the Trojans wrapped up their final practice Thursday before the spring game Saturday.

"I think everybody's more focused -- I think Ant especially is becoming more focused. He didn't have a lot of opportunities that he felt like to display himself last year, or the snap count fell off. So he feels like he's got a lot to prove," Gentry said. "... He's got a lot to prove that he feels he needs to show, so he's doing it. He was doing it before, but he's doing it and doing the right things now so it's mattering a lot. The scheme don't really make us overthink or play slower, so it's just going out there to play football."