The more time that has passed since last season, the fewer nose tackles USC has had available.

It's a truly unlikely set of circumstances that has befallen the middle of the Trojans' defensive front.

To recap ... Multi-year starter Marlon Tuipulotu chooses to leave early for the NFL. Projected replacement Brandon Pili tears his Achilles in April. Standout freshman Jay Toia, seemingly tailor-made to plug into that role immediately, transfers to UCLA after spring practice. Now, new favorite at the position Jamar Sekona has been out for at least a week due to "health and safety" reasons.

All the while, a very logical answer to the glaring question at that position remains on the roster, working his way back from leg surgery and hoping he can indeed make an impact this fall.

Ishmael Sopsher, the 6-foot-4, 330-pound Alabama transfer who arrived at USC over the winter, went through some individual drills Wednesday as he continues the long road back from compartment syndrome in his leg.

Most notably on this day, though, is that Sopsher was made available for interviews for the first time since joining the Trojans.

"I'm feeling really, really good," Sopsher said after practice. "You know, I've just got to keep pushing, just take bigger steps every day and hopefully I should be back out."

There is no timeline for his return, and until he is cleared for full-contact practices and work in live team drills, there won't be any clarity in that regard.

Back at the start of camp, head coach Clay Helton said of Sopsher, "We’ll take slow steps. The reality is he’s probably further down the line."

Meanwhile, back on Aug. 9, defensive line coach Vic So'oto was asked if he maintained hope of Sopsher playing this year.

"Absolutely. You see him walking around and the things that he can do, the kind of kid he is. He’s got a real laid back personality, but he wants to be out here as much as anybody does. For him, absolutely, and for us, absolutely. I want to see what he can do. ... So, yeah, absolutely holding out hope for Ish."

For his part, Sopsher also made it clear he hopes to play this season.

"I just want to go out there and prove that I'm a good guy and that I can play with the best of 'em and just help the team out in the best way I can," he said Wednesday.

As for his personal expectation, he added, "Just to get out there, play, play really hard and hopefully Lord willing win a championship."

At present, nose tackle is the only question on the Trojans defensive line but it might be the biggest question for the entire defense.

USC returns Drake Jackson, Nick Figueroa and Tuli Tuipulotu to its pass rush, but solidifying the interior -- in conjunction with a linebacker group that also has a ton to prove still -- is a different matter.

With Sekona out the last week-plus, redshirt sophomore Stanley Ta'ufo'ou has taken the first-team reps at nose tackle with redshirt freshman Kobe Pepe behind him. None of those three has any significant experience.

But then again, neither does Sopsher, who got limited action in one game back in 2019 at Alabama and didn't play at all last year for the Crimson Tide.

That was the main impetus for the former four-star, top-100 national prospect from Amite, La., entering the transfer portal back in the winter. "That's pretty much it," he confirmed.

"It really wasn't too hard. At the end of the day, it's business and I just love football. It wasn't really hard, you know," Sopsher said. "USC, they made the transition pretty easy for me and everybody helped out, looked out for me and I feel at home."

So'oto has been an aggressive recruiter in his time at USC, and he pounced quickly once Sopsher's name hit the transfer portal.

"USC actually probably was one of the first schools to hit me up. Coach So'oto, soon as I hopped in the portal, he was right on me," Sopsher said. "Me and him, we made a great relationship over the recruiting process and after that I needed to be here."

And USC needed him here. The Trojans still do, for that matter.

It's just unknown when he might become a potential contributor.

"Pretty much just really I've just got to get my cardio up, and then after that hopefully I should be back able to get in contact drills," he said.

Asked if he felt any physical limitation related to the leg surgery, he said no.

The compartment syndrome, which is loosely described as pressure buildup from internal bleeding or swelling of tissues, was diagnosed early upon his arrival to USC. Sopsher didn't give an exact timeline, only to say it was in the spring and "pretty much it was one of the first practices." But before actual spring practice, because he was already out by then.

"Compartmental syndrome, it's pretty much just tightness in the legs. That's it, you get checked out and that's when they found out I had it so I had to do the procedure," he said, noting it was a few months before he was back moving freely and feeling like himself again. "... USC, they've got a very good training staff, they've been helping me out, just helping me try to transition back out here on the field, and they've been doing a really good job with it and I'm feeling good about it."

While So'oto has downplayed any concerns about the nose tackle spot or the lack of experience or depth there, the coaching staff will surely feel good when Sopsher returns to the mix.

Again, that's his main goal, as well.

"I really didn't play a lot at my other school and it's been a couple years since I've actually played, so it's going to feel really, really good getting back out there on the field," he said.

There were plenty of other notes and nuggets to come out USC's 11th practice of fall camp Wednesday. Scroll down to read our in-depth practice report.