USC Football 2013 Spring Wrap Up

Spring Summary

Biggest takeaway: the secondary is awful right now and is going to give up a ton of points if nothing changes.

Look, Marqise Lee is going to get his. We all know that Kiffin isn’t going to name a starter until the fall. To that end, I don’t feel like it’s worth anybody’s time to speculate on things that won’t be decided for another 3-4 months.

That said, the secondary was a huge problem for USC in the Spring Game. There was a lot to like about the new defense—particularly the defensive front, which got to the quarterback quite frequently—but every, single USC QB hit a receiver over the top for a big play.

Kessler’s first play from scrimmage was a 70 yard bomb to Marqise Lee. Now, Lee is absolutely fantastic, but the reason that play was even there is because the secondary was caught napping.

Everybody knows that the Trojans are thin at cornerback & the rest of the secondary is fairly young. They’re going to need the upperclassmen (I’m looking right at you, Torin) to play like the veterans they are if the Trojans plan to even be in some of these ball games. It’s not like the Pac-12 is lacking for offense right now, particularly the South.

Name a few unknown players who could have breakout seasons

It’s awfully hard to be an unknown on the Trojans, particularly with practices being open to the media again, but I think there are a couple guys who will thrive in the new system and several new faces who can emerge as high-profile players.

Morgan Breslin: Moving to OLB in Pendergast’s new system, the former weakside DE should see an increase in the amount of time he spends with opposing teams’ QBs. If Leonard Williams continues to be the disruptive force he was last year, the addition of Devon Kennard on his side will likely draw most of the attention from offensive lines. This will free up Breslin, who is already a defensive terror, for even more shots at the quarterback.

Justin Davis: Davis is a tough runner and he will be called upon as the Trojans figure out what they have in the backfield. Tre Madden will continue to be protected by coaches, so we aren’t likely to see what he can do until it is closer to the home-opener. Given the amount of injuries the Trojans have taken at skill positions already, I can’t say that I blame them for this one.

The upside is that once Ty Isaac enrolls toward the middle of the year, the Trojans will have a variety of different backs that they can explore leading into the start of the regular season. Expect Davis to be among the names you hear more of as that time approaches.

USC QB Cody Kessler (Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photographer)

Grade each position group  

QB: B+   Each of these guys possesses a different set of skills. You’re not really going to know what you have at quarterback until a picture of where they sit begins to unfold. There is a lot to like about each one of these guys, but I honestly believe that Kessler looked the sharpest on Saturday. Wittek displayed the same interception tendencies he’s shown since high school and that has many Trojan fans worried. Browne looked excellent at some points, but clearly stood out as the youngest of the group, taking the majority of the sacks.

RB: B   Aside from the fact that there weren’t a ton of run plays called Saturday, the nature of the practice did not lend itself to gauging the running back situation. Tackles were not permitted and the vast majority of carries were whistled dead as soon as a back was touched by someone.

WR: A-   Seriously? Aside from the obvious, Nelson Agholor and Victor Blackwell looked sharp out there. The Trojans were hoping to have George Farmer, but there is plenty of hungry talent at the wide receiver position.

TE: N/A   They’re all injured. Jeremy Galten, a former USC OT/OG, exercised his right as a former player to come out and play tight end for the injury-depleted Trojans. Jalen Cope-Fitzpatrick was the only available, eligible-to-play Trojan out there Saturday. He looked good when the ball came his way.

OL: B-   While not nearly as bad as 2012, the offensive line will have some things to figure out as they approach opening day. The USC defensive line is quite stout, but the offensive line failed to hold up a number of times. Of course, USC was without any of their starting tight ends and this will obviously impact the offensive line. This is still very much a work in progress, but it looks much better under Mike Summers.

DL: A-   Much improved under the new scheme and I anticipate they will get better as each guys becomes more comfortable in his new role.

LB: B+   My favorite group of the bunch. New linebackers coach Mike Ekeler is going to quickly become a favorite on campus. Lamar Dawson has looked outstanding in Spring. Kennard & Breslin will be used as hybrid DE/OLB in the new 5-2 defense. As long as these guys remain at home in their assignments, I expect this group, combined with the defensive front, to be the anchor of this Trojan defense.

CB/S: D  Between the mix of young talent, NFL departures, injuries, and seasoned veterans failing to live up to their potential, this is an area of concern for the Trojans. With Dion Bailey officially being moved back to strong safety, there will probably be even more moves by the coaching staff as fall approaches. This grade is going to improve as younger players learn the playbook and others return from injuries. The Trojans will need this to improve if they hope to have any chance of competing for a title in the pass-happy Pac-12 South.

Are there any “surprises” we can expect from this team?

I don’t think there will be any ‘surprises’ because there are far too many unknowns. USC is the biggest mystery in the Pac-12 South. They have the talent to compete for the BCS, no doubt.

Can that talent come together to create a new era of Trojan football? Can the Trojans have a healthier 2013 than they did in 2012? Can the Trojans defense turn around an abysmal 2012? Can one of the new QBs continue the trend of underclassmen performing at high levels?

The pundits dismissing USC because they don’t have “an established leader” at quarterback are absurd. The college landscape is littered with underclassmen who have stolen the spotlight. Any of these QB’s could be that next guy. The talent is there for all three.

There are a number of explosive players in USC’s backfield and we already know what that receiving corps can do. There is enough fresh blood across the board to help USC shed the sins of 2012. The new coaches are seeing immediate results and improvements.

Of course, this is just spring and we all know how pre-season forecasts work out in college sports. I think the biggest surprise this Trojan team may have in-store for 2012 is that they wouldn’t surprise me at all.

This team could win double-digit games in 2013 and I would not be surprised. They avoid Oregon this year & get a new-look Stanford team at the Coliseum. They also get the Bruins at the Coliseum, where the Trojans have generally fared much better against UCLA.

I really wouldn’t be surprised if the Trojans went the opposite direction either, but I think a middle-of-the-pack result is what USC fans should expect.  While the Trojans get many of their tougher games at home, the Trojans are no longer unbeatable at home like they were during the Carroll era.

It’s likely that Stanford and UCLA will be USC’s two toughest opponents in 2013. I realize that the pundits are high on Notre Dame, but I think it’s extremely unlikely that the Irish benefit from the same bounces they got in 2012. A colleague of mine refers to this stat as “fumble luck” and I think it certainly applies to Notre Dame in 2013. That doesn’t mean they won’t be a tough team, I just think that Stanford and UCLA will pose the biggest challenges to USC. Remember, this is a USC team that still had a chance to beat Notre Dame in 2012, it’s not like the Irish marched around the nation beating teams handily.

Expect the unexpected. That’s all I can really tell you about USC in 2013. It’s not like you would picture a Lane Kiffin season going any differently, right?

For more USC analysis and commentary, follow Josh on Twitter @FightOnTwist.