USC’s Drake London missed an elite run in basketball to continue his rise in football
Ryan Kartje (LA Times) — As USC charged to the Elite Eight last month, Drake London watched from afar, warding off pangs of nostalgia. He hadn’t played much basketball lately. Not since devoting himself full time to football in December. But now the sophomore wideout and former wing was feeling the weight of that bittersweet breakup with basketball, his first love. It was hard not to wonder what might’ve been.
“There’s a part of me that, I wouldn’t say regrets, but definitely misses it,” London said. “But I think I made the right decision.”
No one is doubting that as spring football settles in at USC. With Amon-ra St. Brown and Tyler Vaughns off to the NFL, London is now the undisputed leader of USC’s receiving corps, a fact that should’ve been abundantly clear, even before receivers coach Keary Colbert reiterated it multiple times Tuesday.
“He’s had a great two seasons and really excited about his third year and his growth,” Colbert said ahead of USC’s fourth spring practice. “Honestly, this is the first time he’s had a true offseason, strictly football. You can kind of tell. I feel like his body is changing. With continued reps and time, he’s going to continue to dominate at the position and just become a force in college football.”
Even with St. Brown and Vaughns ahead of him in the pecking order, London caught 33 passes for 502 yards and three touchdowns last season, earning a place on the All-Pac-12 second team. In their absence, those opportunities should increase exponentially.
They won’t solely come in the slot, either. After two seasons of lining up primarily on the inside to cater to USC’s other top receivers, London has shifted outside at times during spring practice, “so he can check all the boxes for a complete wide receiver,” Colbert said.
London may still slide back inside this fall, Colbert clarified. But the point is to put USC’s top receiver in the best possible position to make plays and exploit matchups, wherever that may be. And there’s no disputing who the top dog is at this point.
“His first couple years, he played a lot on the inside because of [Michael] Pittman [Jr.] and Amon-ra and Tyler Vaughns,” Colbert said. “That’s just the way it worked out, trying to get our best four on the field, that he was on the inside. And Drake owned it. He was head and shoulders better on the inside. But we’ve talked about it more this season, just wanting to get him experience on the outside as well.
“Honestly, he’s just as good inside or outside. He can do it all.”
Where the rest of USC’s receivers might fit alongside London is uncertain. Redshirt freshman Bru McCoy has been slowed this spring by a nagging hamstring injury, but is expected to slot into the other outside receiver spot. After that, it’s anyone’s guess who will emerge from an especially deep rotation.
K.D. Nixon transferred to USC in the offseason after four years at Colorado, and his experience should help him earn an early role. The 5-foot-8, 190-pound wideout has played at both inside and outside receiver through one week of spring, endearing himself quickly to the rest of USC’s offense.
“Aside from just his playing experience, he brings an energy,” Colbert said. “Everybody loves him on the team and in the room. He’s a vet, man.”
Gary Bryant Jr. doesn’t bring the same experience — he had just seven catches as a freshman last season — but his progress, with a full offseason under his belt, has been encouraging to Colbert.
“He was a great player coming in, but with any freshman, there’s a slight transition from learning the plays to playing fast to having that confidence,” Colbert said. “He knows what he’s doing and what’s expected of him.”
Plenty of question marks remain beyond that. Kyle Ford is still working his way back from a second season-ending knee injury. Munir McClain is still suspended. And Memphis transfer Tahj Washington won’t arrive until the fall, along with first-year wideouts Kyron Ware-Hudson and Joseph Manjack.
One incoming freshman has already turned heads. Michael Jackson III, an early enrollee, was earning early plaudits from USC coaches during winter workouts before he announced his arrival to everyone else with a one-handed, highlight-reel grab in tight coverage last Thursday.
“I’m excited about him and what he brings to the room,” Colbert said of Jackson III. “Honestly, I think he’s had one of the better offseason conditioning programs. Just seeing that kid work, from running and lifting, he’s very serious. He’s doing well for himself, and I think it’s great he’s here early.”
__________
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.
How to succeed as a head coach in CFB?
Stewart Mandel (The Athletic) — The coaches that rise to the top of the profession are often the best of the best when it comes to the following:
Interpersonal skills and leadership traits
Ability to articulate and implement a clear vision and culture
Teaching and connecting with players
Hiring and managing a staff
Organizational and planning abilities
Emotional intelligence
Stewart Mandel (The Athletic) — “How many years of mediocrity does it take for voters/pundits to stop being influenced by what a program did in the ancient past? “For example, there was a good decade or so after Miami peaked circa 2003 that people just kept assuming The U would return to prominence at any moment. Now it’s the opposite — we’ll be skeptical until proven otherwise. “And last season was the first in a long, long time where it seemed like USC got zero benefit of the doubt. Ohio State and USC were both 5-0 heading into their conference… Read more »
Thanks for posting this. Having the worst HC in Power 5 does matter. I agree with the post below that Oregon (not SC) is the most talented team in the Pac. Oregon also has a far superior HC. Clay was given the most talented team in the Pac with the greatest legacy and he managed to drive it into the ground. I think the 2018 Trojans were the most talented team in the Pac, but ended up with a losing record and probably was the worst team in SC history. The coaching staff that pulled that off is now all… Read more »
Ya, that 5-7 2018 Trojan team was really one for the ages. When punchless CAL beat us 15-14 in the Coliseum, my regard for Helton and his staff reached a new low, if that was possible.
Hopefully, if any new imposters start trying to field punts, take jacuzzis, and eat meals with the Trojans, Clay won’t end up offering him a scholarship. You’ve gotta laugh.
brobible.com
You look at the athletic programs that still have its administrations in full support and you wonder why it isn’t here at USC currently. Is it due to the belief major college sports have evolved to where there is no longer a true connection to an education of higher learning in the classroom where a student was given a scholarship due to his ability to catch a football rather than his ability to handle a full load of units? Excellence in the classroom & on the playing field no longer ideologically supported? That supporting a flagship sports program has become… Read more »
In the meantime, Clay Helton’s out there looking for a running back who can carry the ball 22-25 times a game. Spring practice imposters need not apply.
😄-funny Allen
Jamaica, You ask a great question. Alan and I have split on it. There is no question that a large number of very influential academics are very much opposed to the “American culture” in which most of us grew up. They view it oppressive of many groups or people, particularly women who do not want to be stay at home wives and mothers. They like to call themselves “feminists” but I think that is not truly descriptive of them. This group is ideologically opposed to football on the grounds that it extols what they view as “toxic masculinity.” Another very… Read more »
Very well said TrojanRJJ. Mao Foltie is a real piece of work! The disbanding of the local Alumni Club structure and replacement with a regional model really pisses me off. I now live in Northwest Arizona and the Las Vegas Club was closer than Phoenix. Between the two clubs, there were over 100 members. The Southwest Regional group which now includes Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico has ONLY 11 members and I am one of them. I’ve messaged my displeasure to Folt on Instagram and received no response. I asked her to reconsider the change and go back to the… Read more »
I’ll still never buy for one second that the world-famous USC football program is headed to Ivy League football. Folt would be run out of town on a rail long before that would ever be allowed. JMHO. ✌
Also, the thought of Gentleman Clay being some type of ambassador for USC football makes me ill. Nothing like a weak-kneed, lowly-regarded failed coach to promote your cause!
Can you imagine what would happen to alumni donations if that happened? I don’t see it happening at all. On-the-other-hand, the current leadership doesn’t seem to have a clue as to what a full coliseum/winning football program means to the USC bank account either (thus, Clay’s current safety net). When I was an MBA student, I attended a meeting with then Dean Dockson, who at the time told us that nearly 55% of our Alumni live with 250 miles of downtown Los Angeles — and more than 20% of them attended games consistently. With so many competing outdoor things to… Read more »
All true. Makes perfect sense for the USC admin and BOT leaders of today. Somehow attach Gentleman Clay to the USC football program, but let’s make it forever! 😏
The mire thought of an administration toning down the competitive ability of its football program by keeping a Clay Helton as HC and hiring a crew of assistants to do most all his job for him is just window dressing to appease as many of the fanbase as possible but still keep the program just good enough to compete against a down football conference and little else, should be enough to cause an eruption from alumni, big money supporters as well as the fanbase. But beside the fanbase, where is the outcry? With the exception of a Texas businessman supporter… Read more »
USC football has always been in a mediocre, mid-major-like holding pattern under Gentleman Clay (with 2018 being the downright bad team). The Trojans can beat middling and bad teams, even though they often look inept “winning ugly”. But when the big guns roll into Trojan Land, USC stops being favored and loses those games. Under McKay, Robinson I, and Carroll, USC was always trademarked notably for winning the big games. Under Gentleman Clay, I never expect USC to beat the higher ranked teams — because they don’t, and they often lose badly. In 2019 for instance, USC lost to ORE,… Read more »
Andy Staples (The Athletic): Question — The Pac-12 was underrated in basketball. Is it the same for football? Can they get a team to the Playoff? — Russell “I don’t think the Pac-12 has been underrated in football relative to College Football Playoff contention. The problem for the league is that it has been pretty accurately rated. When your eventual champ loses to the third-place team in the SEC West (as Oregon did to Auburn in 2019) or to the fifth-place team in the SEC West (as Washington did to Auburn in 2018), it’s tough to make a case that… Read more »
I like this article for what it says and it’s all true you must beat the better teams from the other Power 5 conferences to get any respect. Of the five non-conference games mentioned in this coming season, how many of them can the PAC-12 win? I wish I could give Oregon a vote of confidence but at OSU, a very physical buckeye team would have to play pretty poorly. As for USC at Notre Dame, against your archrival and they know you can’t win the big games, you better have a HC that tells his team, you follow my… Read more »
“I like his toughness,” Panthers GM Scott Fitterer said about Sam Darnold. “He can move in the pocket and make plays down the field with his arm. All of those really stood out about him. I think in this offense with Matt Rhule and Joe Brady, that he can really take that next step.”
After one season as a Trojan, Tahj Eaddy is turning pro. USC’s senior guard, who earned second-team All-Pac-12 honors this year after transferring from Santa Clara, declared for the NBA draft Thursday, announcing his decision via Instagram. Eaddy, 24, forgoes the extra year of eligibility the NCAA provided to all participants in the 2020-21 men’s basketball season. “I would like to thank the Trojans fans. From Day One, you guys have welcomed into the family with open arms and I couldn’t be more appreciative,” Eaddy wrote. “Although we are in the midst of a pandemic and fans weren’t allowed at… Read more »
I wish Tahj well in the NBA and thank him for his contribution to one of the best seasons SC Basketball has had in many years. His last-second shot against UCLA will be remembered for a long time. Fight On Tahj!
Tahj’s winning long toss against the little gutties from the corner was very simply a thing of fantastic beauty to watch.
He had to do a lot in an incredibly short period of time to make that happen. Even just getting open to receive the ball in time to get a shot off was a work of chaotic art!
I also wish Tahj well, but based on the little I saw (understanding even less) it appears at the collegiate level, Tahj was a second tier guard. For example, both UCLA guards appeared to me to be better as were CO guards. He shot against UCLA was one for the ages. Not to take away from his fantastic shot to beat UCLA, the reason his shot counted was two UCLA players missed the front end of a 1-1 and Pearson (the other USC guard who I suspect will return to SC) made two 3s. But, I do not follow the… Read more »
USC DL coach Vic So’oto asked soph DL Tuli Tuipulotu, “What’s your job on the defensive line?”:
Responded Tuli — “To establish the violent, physical nature of football through relentless effort. Both immovable and unstoppable, we do not chase. We hunt.”
Ah, the quotes of spring football, always designed to hype up our expectations to levels usually far surpassing any hope we had just three months prior under Clay Helton.
Hope springs eternal! My only silver lining is listening to Harvey Hyde. He doesn’t like Clay or the pass heavy nature of our offense, but even he is saying this spring so far is different. Let’s hope so.
again, I’m an admitted kool aid drinker.
What’s he saying is different about this Trojan spring?
Nothing revolutionary, just more urgency and physical. Also seeing 2 back sets with more straight ahead run blocking. We shall see.
early look seems like Ford will be our left tackle. That’s a big ask for young guy. He got starts at guard last year, but left tackle is whole other animal.
I don’t think USC has much of a choice other than playing Ford. It’s not like the Trojans are stacked with superior O-liners. Not in this era of Trojan football.
I still remember our debates on Clancy – we were told repeated by Clay and Clancy that Clancy was going to play more players and simplify his schemes. I argued it was not happening and would never happen. You countered by asking if I was accusing both Clancy and Clay of lying about it. My response was that what we were hearing was rhetoric and nothing would change. We both know how that one turned out. So, what to make of this? I really do not know and simply am now ignoring it as rhetoric. I really doubt that the… Read more »
CB Olaijah Griffin’s (5-11.5, 176) re-scheduled Pro Day Results:
40: 4.53
3-Cone Drill: 7.04
Broad Jump: 9’11”
Vertical: 34″
Shuttle: 4.38
In three years, Griffin played in 25 games (67 total tackles, one pick, 15 pass deflections).
Just read a 2014 article on CB measurables by Gil Brandt. He uses three of them. Per Gil, the three most telling are 40 time; then 3 cone, then broad jump. 40 time needs to be 4.4, 3 Cone needs to be 7.1 and broad jump needs to be 10’2′. Adoree’s combine were 40 time of 4.42 and a broad jump of 10’2”. He did not do the cone drill. Brandt said the most important time was the 40, as there are many receivers who go in the 4.2-4.3 range. His point was having a kid who is a mid… Read more »
Great info RJJ.
Griffin doesn’t stand out to me as anyone who was particularly good at USC. Just decent, not a weakness.
Would you agree he’s about an average player, who will be drafted late? Or am I off base IYO.
I’d be very surprised if he could play CB in the NFL. He’s gonna have to learn how to manage and hit from the safety position IMO. Or become a special teams demon.
For me, the only player that stood out on D last year was Hufunga. Griffin did not. Good player but far from dominant. Does not have great size or speed. You can be a 5’11” CB, but best have blazing speed and quickness ala Deon. I am far from an expert, but I always thought 4.5 speed and good quickness and football IQ was a safety. My guess is Hufunga is at least as fast and as quick, and he is 35 lbs heavier. 6’1” and 210 with a 4.5 makes for a great safety prospect. 5’11’ and 175 with… Read more »
Ya, Adoree robbed the Giants, at least based on his previous NFL achievements. But I love Adoree, and am very happy to see him land richly in New York.
Sounds like you still think Griffin will be a CB in the NFL. Good luck in coverage Oliajah.
Grabby was often very poor at coverage while at USC. I have no idea how he’s done in the NFL. Frankly, I don’t think I’ve heard his name mentioned since he left the Trojans.
I have the same view of Adoree. Good for him. My guess is Griffin does not have the size to play safety in the NFL, so your take of a backup and special teams seems to make sense.
My memory is Grabby was hurt all last year and never played a down.
BREAKING: The speculation is over. ARIZ has finally parted ways with Sean Miller, who spent 12 years at ARIZ and had one year left on his contract.
Miller was charged with head coach responsibility for failure to promote atmosphere of compliance. Administration stuck by Miller for 4 years.
ARIZ is rumored to be looking at GONZAGA asst Tommy Lloyd or ARK coach Eric Musselman.
Lloyd will be a hard get. He’s the successor at Gonzaga and has been pressed many times in the last few years for other openings.
Don’t you think he might not like sitting behind Few for several more years? Any realistic press reports about that?
Few, only 58, doesn’t seem like he wants to step down soon.
And ARIZ is a pretty darn good job. I hope ARIZ lands a strong replacement. The Pac-12 can’t afford to lose another notch in the prominent team category.
I think London took a calculated risk sticking with football, but it could pay off in the long run. I love seeing him push for extra yards, thus far protecting the ball as he goes. He also has not dropped many catchable passes, so he is an asset to the team. Because Bru McCoy is a stud (when healthy) I see the two receivers bookending the line this year. The only minus to all of this is the lack of mention of any running game. I hope someday we see that USC knows more than one trick on offense.
Still a lot of question marks both on offense and defense. This is the season of hype all about what could be, what may be. Of course these guys are working hard, we hear it every spring. It is nice to hear from a position coach instead of the worn out platitudes from CH which he has run into the dirt. O line? RB? Linebackers? Pass rush? Still a lot of things hanging but glad we have football to talk about now.
I hear you Steveg. So glad we are talking football. I think the passing offense may be a little different with beasts like London and McCoy replacing Vaughns and St. Brown. I see shorter patterns, letting the receivers go for YAC rather than throwing a lot of deep balls. As a former HS QB, that’s what I’d do. Hopefully, we can put some semblance of a running game going to be more balanced on offense. Looking forward to the upcoming season!