The calendar has turned to 2024 and, as is annual custom now, much of USC's football roster has turned over as well.

Seventeen scholarship players from the 2023 team have left through the transfer portal with another 15 either exhausting their eligibility or leaving early for the NFL draft. In their place is an intriguing 2024 recruiting class and 11 transfer additions (and counting).

Only one defensive coach from 2023 remains as of now -- defensive line coach Shaun Nua -- with a new staff setting a new culture for that maligned unit.

The Trojans are already into their winter conditioning program with the directive from head coach Lincoln Riley and new defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn that they need to be bigger along the defensive front.

The disappointment of the 8-5 finish last year has been somewhat mitigated by the fresh hope brought in by the defensive changes and, of course, by quarterback Miller Moss' performance in the Holiday Bowl.

There's a lot of compelling reasons to be excited and optimistic about USC football in 2024.

Our TrojanSports.com staff covers much of that in our traditional roundtable format, while also formally closing the book on 2023 with some final thoughts and superlatives for that team.

First, let's formally close the book on the 2023 Trojans with some final thoughts ...

We covered this a couple months ago, but in totality now, who was the offensive MVP in the non-Caleb Williams division?

Ryan Young: "I think it should have been MarShawn Lloyd. He was the most dynamic running back USC has had since Ronald Jones, but as was lamented many times during the season, the commitment to the running game simply wasn't there a lot of times. Lloyd should have been recognized as one of the top running backs in the country had he gotten the workload his talent merited. But now I'm just ranting ... So the actual answer to the question is, of course, Tahj Washington. What a career trajectory for the former two-star recruit and Memphis transfer. He was intriguing but inconsistent in his USC debut in 2021, then clearly worked hard that entire offseason to shore up his issues with drops, and despite USC loading up with WR transfers entering 2022 he emerged as one of the most reliable pass-catchers on the team. And then this fall, he just made his presence felt every single week, totaling career-highs of 59 catches for 1,062 yards and 8 touchdowns. He was a steady positive in disappointing season overall."

Tajwar Khandaker: "Definitely, Tahj Washington was the best and most consistent player on this offense over the course of this season. Washington did it all, serving as the team’s most complete receiving option as he made plays at all three levels of the field. Though he didn’t always see the most targets, Washington could be relied upon whenever given the opportunity as he caught most everything thrown his way. He dropped just a single pass over the duration of the entire season on his 74 targets, per PFF. Washington has always been a skilled separator thanks to his natural agility, and the further refinement of his strong route running this season helped him to break open at the best rate of any Trojan receiver against various types of defenders and coverages. His ability to produce with the ball in his hands remained a constant threat to opposing defenses no matter where on the field he caught the ball, with the diminutive receiver averaging a fantastic average of 8.6 yards after the catch per reception.

"Washington also took a significant leap forward as a deep-ball receiver, becoming the team’s best target on downfield shots as he found ways to leverage his speed and improved route-running skills to blow by defenders and stack them on deep opportunities. Aiding him in that department was the unprecedented leap he took as a contested catcher this year, as he hauled in a stunning 66.7% of his contested catch opportunities. Good for top 5 in the nation, that number is absolutely astonishing for a receiver who stands at 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds, denoting the focus and aggression with which Washington attacks the football and plays the game as a whole.

"His effort as a run blocker can’t be understated either -- rarely will you see a receiver of his stature fight to drive defenders downfield to open up lanes for his teammates the way Washington did all year. The senior took his game to the next level this season, delivering at a high level in every facet of play that could be asked of a receiver. On the season, USC’s quarterbacks had a passer rating of 149.2 when targeting Washington, a staggering figure when you consider that 158.3 is the maximum rating possible. I’m convinced that Washington could have been in statistical contention for the Biletnikoff had he been targeted more frequently, but nonetheless, the role he played was critical to buoying the team’s offensive success."

Ryan: "This is why I try not to let Tajwar go first ..."

Jeff McCulloch: "Exactly. Yes, it's Tahj Washington for all those reasons. If you told me at the beginning of the season that Washington would be the No. 1 wide receiver for USC, I would have thought Brenden Rice and Dorian Singer were out for the year. The way Washington was able to just be open almost every single time was extremely impressive. When Lincoln Riley came over from Oklahoma, I thought Washington had no spot on this roster and was going to end up transferring out. But that wasn’t the case as he bought in 100% and really reaped the rewards. He was the clear leader in that room. He was really able to show how shifty he was after the catch, a talent he has always showcased. he Trojans have a tough task of replacing him next year as he decided to declare for the draft, with his stock is at an all-time high. The legend of the most under-appreciated wide receiver has ended, and it ended on a high note."

Who was the defensive MVP? Hey, it's all relative ...

Ryan: "Actually, Tajwar can go first on this one after all ..."

Tajwar: "Thanks ... This one is obviously tough to answer, and I will say that no Trojan defender had a truly dominant season in 2023. Out of the available options, I think the biggest difference-maker was big Bear Alexander, the sole player on this roster capable of consistently knocking back blockers and creating penetration from the defensive interior. Although Alexander was far from a finished product this year, with plenty of silly mistakes and unwarranted errors to account for, just his presence raised the overall floor of this defense dramatically. Things would certainly have been far worse for this defense if he wasn’t around; and if that’s hard to believe, just look at the first half of the Cal game, when the Trojans sans Alexander gave up nearly 150 yards and 3 touchdowns on the ground. Opponents this year quickly learned that USC’s scheme left the big man in a vulnerable position, leading them to frequently double-team Alexander in order to limit his opportunities to make a noticeable splash. Those doubles should have opened up opportunities for others to make plays, and their inability to do so reflects on the defensive line talent surrounding Alexander and the scheme in which they were employed.

"For those who would point to his lack of counting stats accumulated over the season, it’s worth reminding that good play at the defensive tackle position often fails to register significant individual statistics, especially in the circumstances in which Alexander played. Make no mistake; Alexander’s God-given-strength and his remarkable blend of size and explosion make him the kind of game-changing presence on the interior that every defense in college football salivates after. His efforts led to much of the Trojans’ success in generating tackles for loss on the year -- one of the few metrics on which the Trojans fared passably this season. Things were certainly bad for this defensive front in 2023, but they would very likely have been considerably worse without Alexander in the middle.

"The junior’s continued development under Shaun Nua and role in D’Anton Lynn’s defensive system in 2024 should be among the biggest causes for optimism over the upcoming offseason."

Jeff: "I’d love to say no one due to how bad this group was last year, but hear me out. This is going to sound like a radical opinion, I acknowledge. But I think you could argue that the MVP of this defense this season was Mason Cobb. I know his 29 missed tackles are insane. That’s inexcusable. However, his impact off the field needs to be appreciated. He was the clear leader of this defense and really bought into the culture of the team. The problem is he bought into Alex Grinch’s terrible defensive scheme. Even though he missed all those tackles, he still led the team with 85 tackles despite missing two games. He was all over the field. Did he get juked out a bunch by running backs? Absolutely. He certainly needs to improve, and I think he certainly can improve under D’Anton Lynn. But his impact with the entire team truly embodies a leader and an MVP to this team."

Ryan: "Send all mail to Jeff McCulloch, c/o TrojanSports.com ... I kid. I know that's going to elicit some strong reactions, but I also agree Cobb can be a more efficient, impactful player in a better defensive scheme. Everyone on this defense was prone to breakdowns in the open field.

"I think Bear Alexander is the answer for all the reasons Tajwar outlined. I don't need to belabor those points, so I'll second his answer, but let me also highlight Jaylin Smith, who finished second on the team with 75 tackles, had 5.5 tackles for loss, had the game-saving pass breakup in the end zone on the two-point conversion vs. Cal and had a game-high 12 tackles in a strong defensive performance in the Holiday Bowl vs. Louisville."