Jaxson Dart Settles In As #2

Final scrimmage provides some clarity for USC football

Adam Grosbard (OC Register)  —  LOS ANGELES — USC wrapped up its last of two full scrimmages of fall camp on Saturday, with some answers about the Trojans’ depth chart coming into clearer focus.

The competition that’s come under the most intense scrutiny this camp has been at the two offensive tackle spots. But throughout this past week, it’s appeared that USC has been settling on those spots. Saturday’s scrimmage provided further confirmation, with redshirt freshmen Courtland Ford and Jonah Monheim getting the majority of first-team reps at left and right tackle, respectively.

Head coach Clay Helton wouldn’t go so far as to confirm this outcome, with last year’s starting right tackle Jalen McKenzie moving to a reserve role, but acknowledged the tea leaves have been there to read this week.

“We’ve kind of settled in on right and left,” Helton said after Saturday’s scrimmage. “You’ve probably seen that for yourselves.”

Likewise, Helton did not name a backup quarterback on Saturday, but true freshman Jaxson Dart got the majority of second-team reps during the scrimmage.

Dart (2) was again a strong performer in the scrimmage setting. He made some nice throws, notably finding tight end Michael Trigg in the middle of the field for a big game. And Dart again thrived in the two-minute drill, though he was picked off on the final play of the day as Prophet Brown made a diving catch on the goal line.

One position group that will need more time to suss out is the wide receiver rotation. It’s the group that underwent the most churn this off-season between the departures of Amon-Ra St. Brown and Tyler Vaughns to the NFL and the suspension of Bru McCoy.

Drake London, of course, is settled in as USC’s top receiver. But there are still questions about how the Trojans fill out the rest of the rotation. On Saturday, redshirt freshman Michael Jackson III started opposite London on the outside while first-year player Joseph Manjack IV started in the slot.

Memphis transfer Tahj Washington began the scrimmage on the second unit but had one of the best days of any player Saturday. On one long, aired-out pass from Dart, Washington slipped back in front of cornerback Dorian Hewett to make an off-balance catch in front of the goal line.

“I thought Tahj really stepped forward and did that for us and really showed himself as a guy that can be an every-down guy and made some great plays and made great yards after catch,” Helton said.

Helton was also pleased with the performance of Kyle Ford, but wants to slow play the decision-making process at receiver. Kyron Ware-Hudson returned from injury on Saturday, while Gary Bryant is nearing a full return from a hamstring issue.

But Helton does expect a more robust rotation at receiver this season compared to a year ago, when four receivers took up the vast majority of reps.

“Drake will probably be the high rep count guy and we’ll see where they go as guys gain confidence and are producing, then they’ll garner maybe a larger role,” Helton said. “But I see us using a multitude of guys early as we settle in.”

INJURY REPORT

Running backs Keaontay Ingram (ankle) and Darwin Barlow (hamstring) were non-participants on Saturday, but Helton said both were healthy enough to play.

“Because of lack of practice, I wasn’t going to throw them out there in the scrimmage,” he explained.

The plan in practice this week, Helton said, is to give starting running back Vavae Malepeai some rest and let Ingram and Barlow to get a heavier allotment of snaps to get their feet back under them.

ocregister.com

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TrojanRJJ
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August 22, 2021 12:30 pm

If the tackle choices hold, it signals to me that Clay is deferring personnel to his coordinators. In the past, a redshirt frosh would never have beaten out a returning upper classman, even if the redshirt frosh was better.

Golden Trojan
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August 22, 2021 7:00 pm
Reply to  TrojanRJJ

We can only hope that someone has got to him that this is not the United Auto Workers, to hell with seniority, play the best man!

Chris
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Chris
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August 22, 2021 12:16 pm

Dart looks like the real deal. I’ll always take a playmaker at the collegiate level. If a guy can beat you with his arm and athleticism he’s a tough task for most college defenses.

TrojanRJJ
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August 22, 2021 12:28 pm
Reply to  Chris

Chris, My guess is this means Miller Moss transfers. Moss looks like a quality QB. A quality QB who is starting can simply make too much money in the NIL era. Look at JT; he will make a fortune this year at GA. It really has nothing to do with liking SC or the staff; it is “nothing personal; it is business” (Michael Corleone).

Chris
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August 22, 2021 12:58 pm
Reply to  TrojanRJJ

i agree with you. I also don’t blame the kid, go somewhere you can play.

Golden Trojan
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August 22, 2021 10:48 am
Reply to  Allen Wallace

Don’t forget, “How High Can I Snap It”, Toa Lobendahn. The classic Helton personel decision.

rleeholder1
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August 22, 2021 12:19 pm
Reply to  Golden Trojan

Helton continuing to play Lobendahn is very similar to LA Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts continuing to put Kenly Jansen in the closing role. Dumb, dumb and dumber!

TrojanRJJ
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August 22, 2021 1:50 pm
Reply to  Allen Wallace

Clay did not point out that one of the major reasons on many true frosh will be playing this year is because of the horrific recruiting year that Clay had in 2019. We have only maybe four players of that class who will see the field off that year: Pepe and Jamar S (the NTs) and the two OTs with the only reason the NTs are playing is because Pili and the kid from AL got hurt. Effectively, Clay got probably two functional players out of that year.

Chris
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Chris
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August 22, 2021 2:45 pm
Reply to  TrojanRJJ

It’s actually turning out to be a much better class than initially thought. Tuli will be all league. Bryant will have a big role and most likely will start. Throw is parker Lewis and There will be 7 guys from that class that will start or play major snaps.

UtahTrojan
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August 22, 2021 9:18 am

Always figured that Dart would be the number 2. I hope there isn’t a rush to the transfer portal.

danielmcd1
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August 22, 2021 9:50 am
Reply to  Allen Wallace

Hi Allen, This seems to work in our favor after all. I am assuming that what we will see soon is a schedule of non conference games in all or most sports with ACC and Big Ten teams and dropping the San Jose State’s of the world. USC vs FSU, for example in football and basketball and baseball, etc. The USC vs Ohio State and Wisconsin’s Etc. This will certainly draw countrywide interest in these matchups all over the country as it has in the past. This will be successful immediately IMHO. Thank you for bringing this to the forefront.… Read more »

rleeholder1
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August 22, 2021 12:30 pm
Reply to  danielmcd1

I remember back in the day when USC played the likes of Ohio State in pre-conference games. When I was at SC we played Alabama and Oklahoma in pre-conference games. Check out the U-Tube videos of the 1989 and 1990 OSU games, the first one in The Coliseum and the second in The Horseshoe, when Todd Marinovich and Ricky Ervins carved up the Buckeyes and our Defense shut them down.

TrojanRJJ
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August 22, 2021 12:14 pm
Reply to  Allen Wallace

Interesting approach – the Pac, the B10 and the ACC form a super-conference for football only. Not certain how it would work out, but it is a great idea. The issue is going to revenue sharing. My guess is the low value teams in each conference will play each other and the high value teams will play each other with the high value teams taking a larger share. It he pulls this off, the new Commissioner was a genius hire. Can you imagine having Limousine Larry still in charge?

Jalenbuck1
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August 22, 2021 12:51 pm
Reply to  Allen Wallace

BIGPACC 20

Jamaica
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Jamaica
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August 22, 2021 12:55 pm
Reply to  Allen Wallace

Your line “the PAC-12 was never going to conquer the Universe on its own” is a slight exaggeration however it hits on the fact this conference needed help in grabbing a coattail into a position of strength aligning with others still friendly to them. But eventually USC and Oregon will have to make a Texas-Oklahoma move of their own escaping the slow death associating with more losers than winners in this conference in football. In addition, this new alignment happening will eventually force Notre Dame to join a conference as the schedules will no doubt tighten up with inter conference/alignment… Read more »