After nearly four months of buildup, hype videos, exodus from the roster, influx of intriguing new talent to the roster, national radio interviews, a Good Morning America appearance by the new QB and amplified expectations in general, it's finally time for the Trojans to hit the practice field with Lincoln Riley and his coaching staff.
USC football starts spring practice Tuesday afternoon, the first of 15 sessions spread over five weeks, culminating in the April 23 spring game in the Coliseum.
Intrigue couldn't be higher for this new era of Trojans football, both from a fan base that has suffered through two losing seasons in the last four years and from a curious general college football audience that will put USC truly back in the national spotlight for the first time in quite a while.
Case in point, ESPN is sending a full broadcast crew, including top analyst Kirk Herbstreit, to Los Angeles to televise the spring game live -- the only school in the country getting that showcase from the sport's preeminent network.
That will truly be the fans' first glimpse at the 2022 Trojans, as USC has closed all spring practices to general spectators. And reporters are being permitted to view only the stretching and individual drills periods of practice on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so finding answers to all the questions that this team carries into the spring will take some time.
But that won't stop us from getting the discussion rolling.
The TrojanSports.com team of Ryan Young, Tajwar Khandaker and Jeff McCulloch shared their thoughts and perspective on eight key storylines entering the spring in our latest Roundtable discussion:
1. Although we won't get to see much of actual practice, what do you most hope to learn about the team this spring?
Ryan Young: "For me, two things stand out above the rest. I want to see how well new quarterback Caleb Williams can live up to the incredible hype that accompanied his transfer from Oklahoma. The potential is obvious, the talent not in dispute. There are enough Sooners highlights from last season to show why he is a special talent, but watching someone on the TV or through YouTube clips is different from seeing him in person. It may take until the spring game, when we actually get to see him in meaningful action, to truly gain that perspective, but in the meantime I'll be watching to see how his new teammates interact with him and whatever else can be gleaned from our limited practice viewing. The other thing is the defense. Ultimately, we can confidently assume the offense is going to be good under Lincoln Riley. But can the Trojans' now long-languishing defense start to take some tangible steps forward under new defensive coordinator Alex Grinch? There is going to be a lot of parsing comments from interviews this spring, deciding what to put stock in and what to regard as annual spring optimism. The secondary is going to look largely different, the linebacking corps will as well and plenty of questions remain about the defensive line and pass rush in general. We may not come away with clear answers on it all this spring, but we'll be looking to learn as much as we can nonetheless."
Tajwar Khandaker: "There’s no real way to quantify it, but I’m really curious to see if we see an improved level of intensity and energy from the team. In recent years, that’s often been lacking at practices (though there have certainly been moments) and in turn during games. The baseline requirement for fielding a championship-caliber football team is a communal passion and fire that brings the best out of everybody on the field, and that’s something USC certainly hasn’t had on the field in a long while. I’ll be honest, I don’t know yet if Lincoln Riley will be able to bring that to this team. It’ll be a long while before we’ll be able to tell, but the foundations for it will need to emerge starting this week."
Jeff McCulloch: "What I am looking forward to learning about this team this spring is what their plans are for the defensive line. Last season the depth was clearly an issue as Vic So’oto was frustrated answering the same question about it repeatedly. But with the additions of Earl Barquet from TCU and Tyrone Taleni from Kansas State, and the team having a full year to get healthy/conditioned ahead of this season, this should not be as big of a problem as it was last year. I am interested to see how defensive line coach Shaun Nua develops players like Korey Foreman and Tuli Tuipulotu. It is hard not to get excited to see how the edge rushers develop under Nua at Michigan, where he developed Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo, two potential first round picks in this upcoming NFL draft. With the former five-star in Foreman and the best defensive end on the team in Tuipulotu, Nua has a lot to work with."
2. What's the under-the-radar storyline that is not getting much buzz that intrigues you this spring?
Young: "Well, the fact that USC only has two healthy scholarship quarterbacks right now is something that probably deserves more attention. We'll certainly ask Riley if he expects Mo Hasan to return from his Achilles injury by the start of the season or if he now must find a way to add to the depth there. But that's more of a first-day question rather than a spring storyline. So I'll say the wide receivers. I don't think enough has been made about just how interesting this group of players is and how fierce the position battles should be there.
"It's my assumption that Oklahoma transfer Mario Williams, returning junior Gary Bryant Jr., and Colorado transfer Brenden Rice will end up as the top three targets, but where does Washington transfer Terrell Bynum fit in, as a guy who can play both inside and outside? Kyle Ford is too talented to be buried down the depth chart yet again, but what is his path to playing time? CJ Williams is as polished a freshman receiver as you'll find anywhere, but does he have a realistic chance to make an impact this year? Are the other holdovers like Michael Jackson III, Kyron Ware-Hudson, Tahj Washington, etc., able to impress the new staff -- which didn't recruit them -- enough to be a part of the future plans? Is Jake Smith still in the mix after missing all of last season due to injury? How many receivers can reasonably get involved come the fall? I don't have any doubts the receiving corps will be productive this year. I just have questions about who is going to be part of the plans and who isn't."
McCulloch: "The under-the-radar storyline I am paying attention to is the cornerbacks situation. With Chris Steele and Isaac Taylor-Stuart both declaring for the draft, the Trojans now must replace two starters. I am assuming transfer senior Mekhi Blackmon, who was an All-Pac-12 honorable mention last year, will take one of the starting cornerback positions, but the other spot seems completely up for grabs. One can assume Latrell McCutchin has an inside track for that second position as he transferred over from Oklahoma, so he is familiar with the scheme. But coach Donte Williams is the wildcard as he is the only returning coach for this USC team, so McCutchin is new to him. The question is can five-star Domani Jackson take the second starting spot when he gets healthy? It's not clear if he'll be active this spring. Or can a second-year player like Ceyair Wright or Prophet Brown take a leap forward and steal the second spot?"
Khandaker: "I’m fascinated what the team’s tight end usage looks like under the direction of Riley. The position has been routinely underutilized in the Trojans’ passing game for many years, but Riley’s Oklahoma offenses have featured tight ends heavily in the past. Over Riley’s tenure at Oklahoma, the tight end position accounted for over 500 receiving yards every year, a mark that the USC offense has seldom met. Most notably, Riley featured current Baltimore Raven Mark Andrews heavily in the offense from 2015-17, a period over which he amassed 1,765 receiving yards and 22 touchdowns. USC has a number of intriguing talents at the position, and Riley’s staff will no doubt look to ensure greater production from the group going forward. Jude Wolfe and Ethan Rae came in as highly-touted recruits but have yet to make much of an impact as pass catchers (Rae has yet to even play), but sophomore Lake McRee might be the name most worth watching heading into the season. In the limited playing time he received down the final stretch of his freshman season, McRee showcased the smooth hands, clean route running and impressive catch radius that Riley likes to deploy in his offense. I’ll be curious to see just how prominent of a role he and his position mates find in this passing game going forward."
Young: "That's a great point, Tajwar, and I almost went there myself. I broke it down in our tight end position preview, but Riley has also prominently utilized an H-back that has served as a frequent lead blocker in the running game as well as a receiving threat, and I don't know which of USC's tight ends fits that mold, or if Riley adjusts to his personnel."
3. What's the biggest question this team needs to answer over the next five weeks?
Young: "It's everything I mentioned earlier about the defense, broadly. You could talk about each position group here, but like Jeff said, there are going to be two new starting corners, as well as two new starters at safety and a new starting nickel. That's A LOT of players that need to not only grow comfortable in their own roles but need to find the necessary cohesion and communication as a functioning unit. That will be fascinating to track through spring and fall camp. And how do they fix the linebacker position? Is Alabama transfer Shane Lee the answer? Is former top-100 prospect Raesjon Davis ready for a bigger role? I could keep going, but you get the point. The defense is nothing but questions."
Khandaker: "Is this defense capable of playing tough up front? The Trojans' front 7 has been subpar in recent years, largely resulting from lackluster play at the linebacker position. The current group will be mainly made up of transfers and young guys who’ve hardly seen the field for USC thus far -- it remains to be seen whether this group will prove to be a step up. There’s certainly talent there to be worked with in players like Raesjon Davis and Shane Lee, but a lack of depth and a poor recent history at the position raise questions. On the defensive line, the Trojans have fared better but will still need to ramp up their aggression on the edge and stoutness on the interior. Spring camp won’t provide the answers to all these questions, but we will get a first look at how the personnel groupings work together and what the energy looks like from a physicality perspective."
McCulloch: "Yeah, the biggest question this team needs to answer over the next five weeks is what they are going to do with this linebacker group. The Trojans are expecting Shane Lee to be the leader and best linebacker in this group. He had a tough last year at Alabama, but his freshman season he stepped up and played extremely well after Dylan Moses was out for the year with an injury. Hopefully, linebackers coach Brian Odom can bring that kind of talent out of Lee. But after Lee, Grinch is counting on veteran Ralen Goforth and sophomore Raesjon Davis to step up. The two-year starter Goforth has the experience to be a strong contributing player in this defense, but the player I am excited to see perform is Davis. He was mis-utilized last year, but I expect his talent to breakthrough under this coaching staff and he will be a major contributor."
