DE Korey Foreman could easily see expanded role against Stanford
If starter Nick Figueroa is limited by an AC joint sprain in his shoulder, Foreman should receive more playing time
Adam Grosbard (OC Register) — USC freshman defensive end Korey Foreman (0) did not show up in the stats sheet in the Trojans’ season-opening win over San Jose State. But that did not stop the fans at the Coliseum for showing love to the former No. 1 overall prospect in the country following his first game in cardinal and gold.
As Foreman walked up the tunnel to the locker room, chants of “Ko-rey” serenaded the true freshman.
“It was crazy. It was a shocker, too, especially hearing all the fans chant my name, knowing my mom and dad were in the stands and my two brothers,” Foreman said. “It was an experience I was meant to be put in front of, you don’t see many more of them. I love the experience, and I love what’s to come.”
What might come this week against Stanford is an expanded role in face of injuries on the USC defensive line.
Starting defensive end Nick Figueroa, who has an AC joint sprain in his shoulder, will be a game-time decision to play against the Cardinal, head coach Clay Helton said Thursday. He went through conditioning Wednesday and will go through his first individual drills Thursday since leaving the opener with the injury and wearing a sling on the sideline in the second half.
Despite the game-time designation, defensive line coach Vic So’oto expects Figueroa to play, noting, “He played through a torn labrum last year, all six games, so I fully expect him to be out there on Saturday.”
If Figueroa is limited, it would likely mean more opportunities for Foreman, who was mostly entrusted with third-down, passing situations in the opener.
That’s largely due to USC trying to hold Foreman back in early downs, where he still learning his role. But the former Corona Centennial High star feels like he is picking up more and more daily in defensive line meetings and will be ready if called upon.
“Every single day I wake up, go into that meeting room and I learn something new,” Foreman said. “If it is that circumstance, and god forbid, I feel like we’ll all be ready. We’ll be able to adapt in the best way possible. God forbid anything like that, though.”
Added defensive coordinator Todd Orlando, “I’ve got confidence in that kid all the way. He’s come a mile. … He’s got an elite skill level and we’re not going to slow him down as a coach, so I’m not going to be the guy that blocks him with calls.”
Another defensive lineman who could be up for an extended run Saturday is junior Jacob Lichtenstein. After missing each of the past two seasons, first due to injury in 2019 and then after opting out of the first four games of 2020, Lichtenstein got his first action against San Jose State, recording two tackles, both on run plays.
Lichtenstein left practice Tuesday due to an AC sprain but was back Wednesday and is expected to play against Stanford.
“He’s showing what he did in practice,” So’oto said. “What he’s done is showed up every day and got after it.”
ocregister.com
_________
TrojanDailyBlog members — Always feel free to add information or topics to the TDB which don’t necessarily pertain to any particular moderator post or member comment.
TROJANS PLAYING IN THE NFL THIS WEEKEND
Click here to see which Trojans are on which roster
Foreman is a formidable player no doubt and I cannot see the soundness of reason to hold him back to playing part time. Cut him loose and see what happens. If he makes to many mistakes then educate him and put him back out there.
Maybe USC is now into Baby Steps (What About Bob?). The Trojans have been mediocre for so long it seems they have forgotten what it takes to compete at the higher levels.
Beating low-to-mid-level Pac-12 teams has become a sad replacement for winning against the best, wherever, whenever. As Trojan fans have learned the hard way since the amazing Pete Carroll days, there’s a massive world of difference.
You hit the nail on the head, the USC program is taking baby steps everywhere. Pete didn’t, he just went leaping out there putting everything on the table and see where it ended up. That was an exciting time for sure. This program today is boring in comparison.
George Kliavkoff politely, but pointedly disses the Pac-12 North —
“I was there for the UCLA-LSU game. I probably chose the right game this weekend. It was unfortunate how the North (Division) performed. I think we’ll do better. We were coming off a Covid year. There are teams in our league that played three or four games over the last 20 months, playing against teams that have played as recently as April. Still, inexcusable to lose some of those games.”
Are you listening David Shaw?
Bruce Feldman (The Athletic) — “After Connecticut’s second ugly loss in two weeks — this weekend’s to FCS Holy Cross — Randy Edsall announced that he will be retiring at the end of this season. The Huskies football program, which definitely had some strong moments under Edsall in his first run in Storrs, has been abysmal of late and further marginalized in conference realignment. Just how viable this football program is going forward is a tricky question. “Todd Orlando: USC defensive coordinator Todd Orlando spent a decade as a Huskies assistant and also could get serious consideration. The Pittsburgh native has been in the mix… Read more »
Helton(?) has definitely put an interesting staff together.
It will be interesting to see if USC can survive replacing assistant coaches with equal or better assistant coaches before they replace the head coach.
Big 12 unanimously votes to add BYU, Cincinnati, Houston, UCF to conference.
espn.com
Hey the Big 12 will finally have 12 teams! What a concept. Guess BYU found it lonely as an independent.
I would say the Big 12 has done well for itself in view of the TEXAS/OU desertion disaster.
Nothing’s gonna come close to adequately replacing the loss of those two bluebloods, but the Big 12 has prevented itself from falling off the map completely. The school that’s totally bummed it got left out is MEM, which got left behind in the now largely depleted American Conference.
I think we give the Big12 time, let the new teams recruit now based on their affiliation and see who the big dog ends up to be. Memphis should have been invited also, why not have 13 teams in the big 12, it’s only a name anyway.