Jaxson Dart’s Already Pushing Kedon Slovis

USC’s freshman QBs Make Their Case

Adam Grosbard (OC Register)  —  With USC’s spring football camp coming to a close Friday, the Trojans are no closer to declaring a backup quarterback. That’s by design, though.

Head coach Clay Helton doesn’t want to make any declarations on a depth chart until the Friday before the Sept. 4 season opener against San Jose State. That way, the Trojans will have the full fall camp to try to earn their spot in the starting lineup or, in the quarterback’s case, behind Kedon Slovis.

Following senior Mo Hasan’s season-ending ACL tear in the spring game, USC is left with two true freshmen competing for the backup quarterback gig. Helton feels Jaxson Dart and Miller Moss embraced the right mindset during the spring.

“I thought they took the right approach, is every time I go out there I’m not competing against the other guy; I’m trying to be the best version of myself,” Helton said. “That’s the same mindset I want them to take early in camp as we start to evaluating and competing.”

Dart (2) appeared the more confident of the two early in the spring. He shook off mistakes and made plays with his feet that no other quarterback on the roster can do. Of the two freshmen, it was clear Dart was the one who played a senior season of high school and had some momentum coming into college.

For Moss’ part, after he shook off the rust from a football-less fall, he grew more and more consistent. His confidence was clearly growing when he completed a deep pass last Saturday and finished off the touchdown drive.

“For Jaxson, you can see his creativity, you can see his deep ball accuracy, his ability to create on the move,” Helton said. “And in Miller’s (6) case, man, it’s just been precision and being able to make his reads, going through progressions, delivering accurate balls time after time, getting the ball out.”

INJURY REPORT

Offensive lineman Liam Jimmons missed the last week of spring camp with a high ankle sprain, Helton said, the same injury that kept receiver Michael Jackson off the field the past week. Neither injury is expected to linger into the fall. Helton added that Jackson likely would have practiced next week if camp weren’t coming to an end.

Wide receiver Bru McCoy missed the last week after aggravating a hamstring injury, Helton said, while outside linebacker Drake Jackson was put in concussion protocol as a precaution after being involved in a car accident.

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