Can USC Get Big Anthony Lucas Back On Track?

Transfer DL Anthony Lucas ready for fresh start at USC

After a tumultuous freshman year at Texas A&M, Lucas is grateful for a fresh start and Trojans coach Lincoln Riley is happy to have an intriguing athlete with a high ceiling

Adam Grosbard (OC Register)  —  LOS ANGELES — Even from across the practice field, it’s not hard to spot new USC defensive lineman Anthony Lucas (#6). At 6-foot-5 and 295 pounds, he towers over his teammates, even at a position known for its size.

But Lucas has always been characterized as “can’t miss.” It’s why he was a five-star recruit out of Chaparral (Ariz.) High when he committed to Texas A&M.

After a tumultuous freshman year in College Station, though, Lucas entered the transfer portal and committed in January to USC, a school he was familiar with from high school recruiting. And as spring practices have progressed, he’s grateful for the fresh start.

“I saw the opportunity and I took it,” Lucas said. “Seeing the environment and culture that they had, I just wanted to come and be a part of it.”

All told as a freshman, he played in seven games and had seven tackles.

“The situation that went down over there, I didn’t feel like I fit in at the culture over there,” Lucas said. “I chose to remove myself from the situation. … Why am I going to elongate a stay at somewhere I’m obviously not wanted?”

Still, when Lucas hit the transfer portal, he was a natural fit for USC. From the West Coast footprint and a high-ceiling prospect, he filled a need for the Trojans after Coach Lincoln Riley was unable to add many high schoolers in his first recruiting cycle at USC.

Riley said the vetting process for Lucas did not look significantly different than any other recruit, but it helped to have offensive line coach Josh Henson familiar with Lucas from his time recruiting him to A&M.

“We felt good early on about the kind of guy that we were bringing in, the kind of player,” Riley said. “To this point, everything he’s showed us has backed that up.”

Lucas was impressed with USC’s 11-3 campaign in Riley’s first season at the helm, and he liked the connection he had with defensive line coach Shaun Nua from his original recruitment, describing the coach as a surrogate father. With the Trojans close to his Arizona home, it felt like a good match.

“It’s USC. Regardless of what football ends up being,” Lucas said, “a degree here means everything. You get your foot in the door anywhere.”

But the Trojan coaching staff is pretty bullish on what Lucas will be able to do on the football field.

“He’s intriguing, he’s exciting. He’s a unique athlete for his size. Just not many body types like that walking around and to have the athleticism behind it has been great,” Riley said of Lucas, who also plans on playing baseball for USC next spring. “His work ethic has been great, he’s really bought into everything we’re doing.”

And he arrives at USC a little wiser after his learning experience at Texas A&M.

“Just make sure you just surround yourself and make sure you’re always in a good place at the right time,” Lucas said. “Just make sure that you have a clear conversation with all of the coaches around and make sure I keep my head on a straight line.”

ocregister.com

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Steveg
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March 26, 2023 6:55 pm

USC flashing the fight on sign on twitter. Duce? Raiola?

Steveg
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PN4SC
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March 26, 2023 7:11 pm
Reply to  Allen Wallace

Today, SC won, and the bruins lost to UDUB.It is very early in conference play, but the Trojans are 7-2, and in first place!

SanClemente
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March 25, 2023 4:51 pm
Reply to  Allen Wallace

Always Liked Travis Udall (his fake ID name). Saw the Mexican mouthpiece absolutely OWN the french whores of Notre Dame in person. Still makes me smile. It’s hard to say who is better, Leinart or Sanchez as a football commentator. Both are bright, articulate, and know their stuff.

Golden Trojan
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March 24, 2023 7:25 pm

S……D……S……U…..S.D.S.U., FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT. Who’s the best team in SoCal? There is a team in Southern California that can beat Alabama!

Steveg
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March 24, 2023 7:27 pm
Reply to  Golden Trojan

That was really a good win, SDSU all the way.

Steveg
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March 24, 2023 7:29 pm
Reply to  Allen Wallace

Those #5 seeds rocked it today.

RialtoTrojan
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March 24, 2023 5:55 pm

It’s hype season again. I love reading about new names on the roster. The caveat is that in the recent past hype was just that. We’d read about players and maybe see them at the glorified spring practice, then they’d be gone or limited.
With Riley the hype is less hype and more of a preview. There’s more of a spring game and some real surprises.
I can’t wait to see if the defense steps up. We need to get Caleb his Championship trophy before he becomes the next first pick in the draft.

Chris
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March 24, 2023 7:21 pm
Reply to  Allen Wallace

Agreed with everything but Gonzaga is every bit of a Goliath or more than the gutties these days.

Chris
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March 25, 2023 8:39 am
Reply to  Allen Wallace

I am hoping they get it done as well. I live I Spokane. This town goes crazy this time of year for the Zags. I also coach basketball and run into the the players and coaches, even though they are worshipped here they are great about stopping to say hi or sign stuff for the little kids. Mark Few will never have to buy a meal or Dri k in this city again.

Golden Trojan
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March 25, 2023 10:14 am
Reply to  Chris

Sorry guys, Zags lose to Aztecs in the final!👹🏀👺
Defense wins championships.

Golden Trojan
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March 24, 2023 4:52 pm

I would be curious to know what was it about the culture at A&M he didn’t like and what is different about USC for him? LR wants team players first and foremost. Is A&M all about me and my NIL?

Golden Trojan
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March 24, 2023 6:16 pm
Reply to  Allen Wallace

Nice Allen, says it all about A&M. Should be a breath of fresh air for Lucas. Other players around the country should be taking notice. Big NIL deals do not make a NC team.

Steveg
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March 24, 2023 4:29 pm

He sounds like he has already had some serious education, learning some lessons and getting into a better environment.

rleeholder1
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March 25, 2023 5:41 am
Reply to  Allen Wallace

After Foreman’s interception late in the UCLA game this past year, I’m still holding out some hope that he will live up to the hype when he came to USC. The only other guy I remember with that much pre-enrollment hype was Bru McCoy. What a disappointment he was! Ended up transferring to TEN as I recall.

rleeholder1
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March 27, 2023 9:19 am
Reply to  Allen Wallace

It was great seeing DTR cry as he had predicted UCLA would drop 60 on us like 2021. I don’t know who will be the little gutties QB this coming season, but I’m sure glad Caleb Williams is back for USC.

TrojanRJJ
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March 27, 2023 11:51 am
Reply to  Allen Wallace

If Bohn had returned Clay in 2022, we would have lucky to win 2 games. We would not have had the talent infusion we got and what talent was there would have transferred out.

rleeholder1
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March 30, 2023 7:41 am
Reply to  Allen Wallace

I couldn’t imagine. I always felt Clay was a nice guy who was in way over his head at USC. He’s always say the team would be more disciplined and the opposite happened in my opinion. I’m glad he found success at Georgia Southern. His brother is a good OC.

TrojanRJJ
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March 30, 2023 9:23 am
Reply to  rleeholder1

rlee, Based on the reports coming out of Spring Training, Foreman appears to be improving significantly. Both LR and Caleb each mentioned him as a D player who is really playing well. Remember, last year he played OLB and candidly, as Allen reports below, stunk at the position. He was consistently out of position or simply unable to make the play (except for one against UCLA). This Spring, he was moved to DL and that appears to be his natural position. Foreman had several issues coming in: first, he missed his senior year due to CA shutting down for Covid;… Read more »

Rock2112
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March 30, 2023 11:22 am
Reply to  Allen Wallace

Oh yeah! And now we know for certain that, but for that INT, we were headed for heartbreak. Actually, I knew that at the time, which made it all the sweeter.

Rock2112
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March 30, 2023 12:17 pm
Reply to  Allen Wallace

Yeah, especially since they poured it on the year before when they had a freebie facing Wounded Clay.

rleeholder1
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March 31, 2023 4:30 am
Reply to  TrojanRJJ

Thank you for the update TrojanRJJ!. I don’t live in LA anymore where I was used to getting some information from the LA Times Sports section (it was the only section I read). I like this blog because it gives me some good information and everyone on here seems to be cool and supportive of USC Athletics.

TrojanRJJ
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March 30, 2023 9:30 am
Reply to  Allen Wallace

Agreed. Based on reports from Spring Practice, Lucas is just a beast. Caleb said his play has been fantastic and used the example of a goal line play Caleb where Caleb called an audible and “it should have worked”, but Lucas correctly diagnosed it and completely blew it up. Caleb said it was an amazing play. Caleb only mentioned one other DL in his comments (it was Foreman, who is evidently hugely upped his game). Caleb also commented on both the ILBs (Cox and Tackett) being real studs. I fully expect that Shane Lee will be a back up next… Read more »