Even though freshman defensive end Korey Foreman has been working exclusively with the second-team defense thus far in camp, as he settles into the scheme and adjusts to college football, he remains squarely in the spotlight nonetheless.

On Monday, when USC's defensive coaches and players met with media, the first questions to both defensive coordinator Todd Orlando and D-line coach Vic So'oto were about Foreman. His veteran teammates were asked about the five-star freshman as well.

And on Tuesday, USC let Foreman speak for himself -- the first interview he's been made available for since arriving on campus in June.

For that matter, freshman quarterbacks Jaxson Dart and Miller Moss, freshman linebacker Raesjon Davis, freshman cornerback Ceyair Wright, and key transfer additions Keaontay Ingram and Tahj Washington all made their formal media debuts as Trojans. (See all those interviews in the link below.)

RELATED: Watch video interviews with some of USC's top freshmen and transfer additions, speaking for the first time as Trojans | USC defensive coaches say five-star freshman DE Korey Foreman is 'as advertised'

While all of those freshmen look like future foundational keystones for the Trojans and the transfer newcomers project to be immediate focal points for the offense, Foreman remains a story unto himself as the No. 3-ranked national prospect and the biggest recruiting battle USC has won since the vaunted 2018 class.

He discussed the transition to college, getting used to the speed of the game and settling into the defense.

Mostly, though, he projected a humble message that he's no longer the five-star recruit but rather a college football freshman playing his role.

"To be honest, all of that really doesn't matter to me no more. I had done that back in high school, but right now it's a new day and era and right now I'm in a college atmosphere," Foreman said. "It's what I do now and it's what's gonna happen the next day and the next day and the next day."

So, based on what he's seen and experienced through four practices, what is his confidence he can make an immediate impact this year (as many expect)?

Again, Foreman wasn't going to make this about those outside expectations or the hype that preceded his arrival with the Trojans.

"Well, right now I'm doing the best I can to just focus on my job and everything else around. Between the depth chart and everything else, you'll have to talk to Coach Helton about that," he said.

Orlando had talked a day earlier about managing what he puts on Foreman early, remembering that while he is the Trojans' highest-rated recruit he also didn't arrive on campus until June and will need time to learn the defense and find his footing.

Foreman acknowledged the move to college has been an adjustment for him, especially after not playing his senior season of high school due to the pandemic.

"The speed of the game has [been] a lot faster than I thought it would be. Being able to come out here and just train in the offseason, I thought I was able to prepare for it. But it's something you can't prepare for -- you step into it and it's just a new world," he said. "But that's okay because once you step into that world I feel like everything else is just what you can do after that. It goes day by day. For me, I'm taking it day by day, minute by minute, second by second."

Foreman did acknowledge that he knows a lot of people are watching him closely because of his national profile and that he finds motivation to keep pushing and striving with "all the little kids and everybody else that looks up to you."

Ultimately, he's right. The story will quickly transition from Foreman the mega prospect with unlimited potential to Foreman the freshman defensive end and how he's performing at USC. He scripted quite a story for himself to this point with all the national accolades, but his story is really only just beginning.

"A lot of things you just gotta push behind you. I'm here for one reason and that's to make myself better and to win a national championship with my team. And so everything else comes with that and my expectations, everything else that's already said, it is what it is," Foreman said. "But my own expectations of myself are just being able to work every single day, come to the facility every single day and just strive and give my best to every single rep."

As always, there are a ton of notes, observations, takeaways and highlights to recap from Trojans practice. We cover all the bases below ...

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Star outside linebacker Drake Jackson was not back yet, though his father was out there as it was the first day parents could attend practice. A large contingent of families took advantage of the long-awaited opportunity after everything had been closed off through last season and most of the spring (excluding the spring game). Jackson should be cleared soon from the "health and safety protocols" that have him away from camp, but if not tomorrow then Clay Helton will be asked about it when he meets with reporters after the next practice.

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The Trojans were in shoulder pads and helmets again, but there were referees out today for the first time.

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Freshman tight end Lake McRee was not involved in team periods or drills, instead working off to the side with the trainer. He was moving around fine, so it doesn't seem like anything serious.

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Nose tackle Ishmael Sopsher didn't go through warmups. I didn't really get to watch the defensive line much during individual drills, but I would assume he didn't do much of anything. He has not been very active since working individual periods that first practice.

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-Nickel Greg Johnson returned, but he wasn't immediately thrust back into first-team action during the team periods. He eventually was when freshman Calen Bullock had to leave with an undisclosed injury. Speaking of which, there were a lot of injuries today -- or at least bumps and bruises, as they say. ... I noticed Bullock off to the sideline late in practice holding his left hip or lower abdomen area. He went back in after that, but then came out again and was done. ... Running back Darwin Barlow walked off with a trainer during the middle of warmups, which raised some red flags, but then he returned as a full participant of practice. Then, after breaking what was probably the longest run of the day during team periods, he pulled up at the end of the run limping as if he had pulled a muscle or had cramps of something. That ended his day, but I saw him walking off the field at the end of practice and he didn't look to be in a lot of pain so hopefully it was nothing serious. ... Running back Keaontay Ingram injured his ankle or foot and got checked out on the trainers table, but he was later jogging on the sideline and we talked to him afterward. "Oh, I'm good, I'm good. It's just a little scare, but I'm jogging -- I was just over there jogging -- so I'm pretty good," he said. ... And then fellow running back Kenan Christon looked to be in pain after having linebacker Ralen Goforth punch the ball from his grasp for a fumble. He immediately went to the sideline and looked to have some issue, but it was hard to tell what. The way he was acting didn't seem to be a response to Goforth's forced fumble. We'll learn more tomorrow.