Five players who will likely decide the fate of USC’s 2020 football season
Ryan Kartje (LA Times) — All summer, they waited patiently, with little idea what the fall might hold. They trained in parks and backyards and garages, ate pre-packaged meals sent by team nutritionists, and spent hours learning schemes over Zoom, all for the slim hope of seizing the top spot atop a rebuilding Pac-12.
That long wait will finally end for the USC Trojans on Friday, when training camp kicks off, full-contact practices are restored, and a pandemic-shortened football season begins.
A long offseason — the longest in program history — has a way of washing away the bitter taste from last season’s frustrating 8-5 finish. While players have anxiously awaited a chance to start anew, the Trojans hype train has already left the station ahead of this season. Along with Oregon, many view them as the class of the Pac-12.
It’s not hard to see why with a Heisman Trophy contender at quarterback, a fleet of playmakers surrounding him, and a revamped defense. There’s still plenty left to prove, especially on defense, where the Trojans haven’t seen coordinator Todd Orlando’s new scheme in full swing since the spring. But the talent is there to pave a path to the Pac-12 title game.
Here are five players who could decide the fate of USC’s season as the Trojans prepare for their season opener against Arizona State on Nov. 7:
Kedon Slovis
For the first time in four seasons, there is no doubt ahead of camp who will be under center for USC.
The former three-star quarterback now holds the keys to the kingdom. The Trojans’ high-powered offense will go as Slovis goes, and considering his sparkling efficiency as a freshman, expectations should be sky-high.
Slovis completed 71.9% of his passes in his first season at USC, the highest percentage for any freshman in NCAA history, and threw for 30 touchdowns, despite not playing most of two games and all of another. All along, offensive coordinator Graham Harrell promised that he’d look even better in Year 2.
That second season has finally arrived, and Harrell’s promise will soon be tested. Slovis said that he’s significantly strengthened his arm in the offseason, but the most noticeable difference in his game should stem from his comfort in Harrell’s offense.
Alijah Vera-Tucker
When Vera-Tucker first explained to Clay Helton his reasons for opting back in to play this season, the USC coach said it gave him goosebumps.
Offensive line coach Tim Drevno probably had a more visceral reaction. With Vera-Tucker back to anchor the line at left tackle, Drevno can breathe much easier. He now only has two starting spots to fill over the next month.
The prospect of replacing one of the Pac-12’s top linemen from last season with either an inexperienced backup or a freshman might’ve been enough to keep Drevno up at night. Instead, Vera-Tucker returns with the chance to cement his stock as one of the top available linemen in the upcoming draft. Vera-Tucker hasn’t seen any game action at left tackle, after playing every game at left guard last season. But compared to the alternative, the Trojans will take it.
Amon-ra St. Brown
The Trojans’ top wideout briefly weighed opting out of this season. But after a 1,000-yard campaign as a sophomore, St. Brown apparently didn’t wait on the Pac-12’s decision to push himself this offseason.
Helton was effusive in his praise of the junior wideout earlier this week, reiterating that St. Brown was now “in by far the best shape I have ever seen him in.”
“He put himself in a great position, I think, to have a great third season,” Helton said.
St. Brown may have more competition than ever in that regard. While the offense lost its No. 1 wideout in Michael Pittman Jr., it returns every other receiving weapon, including senior Tyler Vaughns and sophomore Drake London. Redshirt freshmen Bru McCoy and Munir McClain are primed for breakouts, and speedy freshman Gary Bryant Jr. had coaches buzzing in the spring.
But St. Brown will enter the season as the undisputed leader of the pack, and it’s not a stretch to think he could finish as the best in the Pac-12 too.
Drake Jackson
It’s easy to forget that Jackson was just a freshman last season, considering how quickly he ascended as a force on USC’s defense. Among Pac-12 freshmen, only Oregon’s Kayvon Thibodeaux had more sacks (nine) than Jackson (51/2).
A new scheme should manufacture even more opportunities for Jackson to wreak havoc as a sophomore. Jackson is expected to have his hands in the dirt on fewer plays this season, as he takes on more of an outside linebacker role on the edge. With defensive tackle Jay Tufele no longer rushing from the interior, it’ll be on Jackson to carry USC’s pass rush.
That fit should put Jackson’s athleticism on full display. It may also go a long way in convincing another top edge rusher from Corona Centennial, No. 1 overall recruit Korey Foreman, to join USC’s defense next season.
Talanoa Hufanga
The box safety position is the hinge point in Orlando’s aggressive defensive scheme, and in Hufanga, the new coordinator may have found a perfect fit.
A potential first-round pick next spring, Hufanga missed three games last season and still led all Pac-12 defensive backs in tackles (90) while ranking in the top-10 regardless of position. Now in a scheme that places more responsibility on the safety, Hufanga should thrive in his third season.
How exactly he’ll be used remains a mystery, but there’s no mistaking that Hufanga will be the heart of the Trojans defense, assuming he can stay healthy this season.
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With Fox and ESPN carrying all of the Pac-12 football games, the Pac-12 Network won’t be showing any live games this season. I’m starting to wonder if the Pac-12 is even viable anymore, let along worth a dime.
Any thoughts on the Pac-12 Network — if we should even have it, or how it could be made successful?
Pac-12 and Dodger networks totally useless. Without DirecTV, they are not viable, even in these streaming times.
When Larry Scott failed to get DirecTV to take the PAC-12 games, it was never going to become a success. PAC-12 sports doesn’t have the audience pull to warrant a DTV contract anyway, especially playing games late at night.
Nothing on Pac12 network. An occasional football game, oh ya, and womens beach volleyball.
Stat of the Day —
Tom Herman, a member of Mensa International and the man many wanted to coach USC, is 18-12 in the Big 12 since taking over for the Longhorns in 2017 even though he’s got a heckuva SR QB in Sam Ehlinger, who was also phenomenal in Saturday’s loss to OU. But Herman’s defense is brutally bad and his conference finishes are 2, T-3 and T-4. He’s now 1-2 in 2020.
The buzzards are circling Herman’s job. The Longhorns have next weekend off, extending the misery in Austin.
The Seattle comeback to beat Minnesota tonight is definitely one of the more unlikely I have EVER seen. Go Russell Wilson!
My favorite qb in the pros. So smart, so intuitive, and fits into Pete’s system and mindset so well.
Interesting he and Cousins both in same draft class, both doing quite well, yet so different.
Wish Seahawks had a real running threat as another place for RW to create options.
Per SI.com — Michael Trigg (6-4, 225) recently told SI All-American he has long been sure about leaving the state of Florida for his college football. On Sunday, the Tampa (Fla.) Carrollwood Day School senior confirmed those plans with a verbal commitment across the country to the USC Trojans he made at a local event center with the decision streamed via social media. The SI99 prospect, also ranked as the No. 3 Tight End-H prospect in the entire class of 2021, chose USC over finalists LSU and South Carolina. He visited each campus this year, but spent time at LSU in September and USC just… Read more »
have you seen the film on jaxson dart? i really like his mobility, moving around in the pocket, firing darts as easily on the run as in the pocket. that could be a real good snag for SC. i would love to see how a mobile QB opened up opportunities for the offense. maybe similar to a Trevor Lawrence. i cant see how he stays a 3 star rating by the end of this year. looks like a top 100 player to me. graham harrell could teach him some quick release timing stuff, but he could open up a whole… Read more »
I haven’t seen too much of Dart’s tape but he’s having a heckuva season, that’s for sure: superior arm talent, mobility in the pocket, and downfield accuracy. In-state BYU has been all over this youngster for a while and is seemingly the clear team USC will have to beat.
Looks USC got another 4 star commit for 2021, receiving TE from Florida, Michael Trigg
I must again eat an earlier post. I posted two weeks ago that I thought Leach was a better coach than Kiffin. Turns out, based on the MS/AL game, that I was wrong. Whatever I think of Kiffin (and I cannot stand him), he can coach offense. That was not a good showing; it was a great showing. It was one of the better coaching jobs I have seen this year. The Pirate (Leach) is fading fast; he has lost his last two and looked awful on O in doing so.
Me too. I thought Leach would have his way with Kentucky. He looked horrible. Kiffen put up more points on Alabama than any unranked team since 1936.
Kiffin’s a superior offensive coach and play caller. Overall, he’s better than Sark IMO. A little smarter. The question is, will Sark ever get another HCing shot at a fairly big-time school?
Leach, is, well, I don’t understand him at all. I really enjoyed his book, Swing Your Sword. But he’s simply too inconsistent and always has been. But every once in awhile, he comes up with a shocking win.
Bleacher Report’s latest Top 25 Texas A&M stunned Florida, Missouri clipped LSU and the Red River Rivalry needed four overtimes to find a winner. And that all happened in the noon window alone. It was a wild Saturday across college football in Week 6, which featured a top-10 clash between No. 1 Clemson and No. 7 Miami. Alabama survived a fight with Ole Miss in prime time, as well. The panel of B/R experts—David Kenyon, Adam Kramer, Kerry Miller and Brad Shepard—each submitted a ballot for Week 6. A first-place vote is worth 25 points, followed by 24 points for… Read more »
JT Daniels, even though cleared to play, hasn’t played a lick at GA and it doesn’t look like he will all year unless starter Stetson Bennett (“Mailman”), goes down. Wonder how Daniels is feeling about his move now? Bennett now has the full-on respect of his 3-0 team and the Bulldog fanbase, something Daniels never got at USC. Following his sterling career at Mater Dei, Daniels must be wondering what the heck happened to his life. GA plays at ALA next weekend. I won’t be missing that one. Finally ALA has a tough schedule. Great to see! OLE MISS and… Read more »
Allen, Funny how life works out. Assuming Bennett (a junior) does not get hurt, JT will probably not see the field for two years. I watched Bennett and IMO he is not a first round NFL pick. Hence, absent injury, JT is in the same place at GA that he would have been at SC. JT was correct about one thing – that GA OL is the real deal. If he wanted a place with a great OL, elite coaches, strong football tradition, and a shot at the NC, he chose the right school. Problem was he got beat out.… Read more »
JT is a victim of circumstances he had no control. He made the right decision to get away from Helton as Darnold did. If JT gets an opportunity to play for the Georgia “balanced” offense, whenever that may happen, he will already in a better position to showcase his talents. The USC OL will still be pathetic until it proves it can keep the QB on his feet and as a bonus, show it can open a hole or two for a RB to run through. I’ll believe it when I see it.
For every Doug Flutie, there are a thousand vertically challenged excellent high school QB’s who hit the wall (ceiling?) when it comes to the next level of competition at College. A Few can get a good college career going because they have footspeed. But when it comes to pro football–Fran Tarkenton was it as far as small/average height QB’s who made it work because they could move around. JT has absolutely inferior footspeed, and it is probably worse since he injured his knee. Plus, no matter what game Kirby Smart talked to Daniels, if it was ever even slightly close… Read more »
that is the achilles heel for this USC team that people have not factored in. the offensive line recruiting has not been turned around at all, still 3 star athletes. drevno has complained that in the harrell offense he has 4 plays to teach his o-line. i dont think all the problems with the o-line are drevno’s. i think there is a basic lack of schematic blocking that pervades the offensive philosophy at USC. so basically, they view those big guys in the front as just needing to take up space for a few seconds, while the skill players run… Read more »
My opinion of JT drastically changed when he mentored Slovis last year instead of feeling sorry for himself. I’m not aware of the timing of JT’s being cleared to play at GA and whether Stetson Bennett had already won the job. Regardless, if and when JT gets a chance to play, he will be behind a far superior OL and playing for a HC that is heads and tails above Helton. Remember, it was Tee Martin and Helton that chose JT over Sears and Fink season before last. As I recall, JT should have been playing his Senior year at… Read more »
JT left a year early at Mater Dei, but he had also stayed behind earlier in school, so he was the same age as your average freshmen. I’ve always felt he experienced such a bad situation at USC because, as you point out, his offensive line couldn’t block and his OC literally couldn’t snap the ball consistently anywhere. Just for him to get the snap, he had to always be worried and on guard about where the heck the ball would be delivered. But Clay Helton literally said that “most of the snaps were good”, as if any other winning… Read more »
Thank you Allen for the very kind comment and your sage words. I’m not that familiar with transfer rules and whether he could transfer again to a school where he could start and shine. Carson Wentz came from North Dakota State and Joe Flacco from Delaware, so maybe there is a glimmer of hope for JT. I just thought he got a raw deal at SC and did the best he could under the circumstances. I was a QB in High School and our line couldn’t pass protect worth beans. I took snaps under center and we rarely used the… Read more »
Kiff putting up some points on the boss. This could be an exciting ending.
If Kiffin hires a top notch DC who brings in his proven position coaches, watch out.
My brothers favorite team….Boston College is 3-1 (and 1 or 2 plays from being 4-0)……On the ACC broadcast of their game today the ACC Network game announcers put the words Boston College and Conference Championship game in the same sentence <<<<<<< Their words not mine .
Man at the Alabama-Ole Miss game large groups fan standing together …..Not seeing many masks.(There are towns in my area that give a fine for that now ).
Lane Kiffin14……Nick Saban 7 !
I don’t know how it is going to end. But ya gotta love Lane Frickin Kiffin.
Maybe but the USC Trojan fan base at one time did not like him much .
I wasn’t a Lane guy. But he can call plays. Plus he has had a great deal of experience since he left SC. Not saying I want him back, but the man can coach.
He does have a knack of annoying Saban a little.
Steve, I think he has a knack of annoying everyone! His family nicknamed him “Lane the Pain.” Even his wife (who is stunning) could not put up with him and divorced him after they had four kids together.
He instills in his players the “can do” confidence Kiffin has always had. And his players believe he will help them win, given enough time.
Could LSU drop out of top 25 ?
It should. They have lost to 2 un ranked teams & gave up about 1000 yards in those losses. I like Coach O and wish him well. But I am concerned that last year was less about him and more about those around him. I fear he may fall back to his norm—an average to good coach. Average to good will get him fired in the SEC.
He lost great assistants and a once in a generation QB. Plus 14 others who started, no way to have any sort of expectations of being great this year. Next year will be his litmus test.
Agree. He can recruit and LSU is “easy” to recruit to. He should have access to top talent every year and win 8-10 games on talent alone. But that doesn’t cut it in the SEC. I don’t think he is the coach/CEO that Saban or Mullens is probably a small step behind Smart and Malian. I hope I am wrong , but I think it is 50/50 if he is still at LSU in 5 years.
Malzan, not Malian.
An old saying is that a great leader is only as good as those under him.
Not drop, plummet.
The TX/OK game was a classic. Extremely entertaining. For those who did not watch it, OK won in the 4th OT 53-48 on an interception in the endzone. The TX QB Sam Ehlinger is a monster. I love it that OK won. The announcers said TX has fifty-three (53) 5 and 4 stars on the roster (I think that is as good as anybody – TX can go two deep on both sides of the ball with 4 and 5 star players). TX has an All American level QB (a 4 year starter) and tons of returning experienced talent. And,… Read more »
Sitting there in Frisco rooting for Oklahoma. Did you feel a little isolated?😁
Steve, not at all. At this point it is painful, but I am an SC football fan (even though I have disassociated myself from SC in general and the Law School in particular). Hence, I am an SC football fan in TX. And, I really like TX getting it handed to them based on the loss in the Rose Bowl. I have had SC football in my blood for over 60 years; having been a season ticket holder for over 25 years and some great memories, I simply cannot walk away.. A bit hard to stop now, enough though it… Read more »
That would have been a miserable experience, even though I had planned on going to that game. The upside is it may have been enough to end this pain and suffering we are all going through.
Oklahoma!!!!
Who was worse, Texas or Oklahoma????
Texas just isn’t that good and Oklahoma cannot finish. They should have won in regulation.
TEXAS just looks horrible vs OU, which is ahead 10-0 early. Herman wasn’t the answer for the Longhorns and whoever their new def coord is should be looking for another job soon.
Normally I really don’t care about TX or OK. But I have to admit I want to see TX get blown out. If they do Tom Herman will race to the top of the Coaches Hotseat list. And it will be volcanic hot. I have a question for you. Who is QB who committed to SC, went to Ohio State and then flamed out at Miami? I have had a brain cramp for 2 days trying to remember. Oh yeah, 1 last thing about Texas. Todd Orlando wasn’t the problem.
For the life of me, I can’t come up with this kid. Does anyone else have a clue here? If so, please chime in.
Tate Martell
He is now opted out of 2020, was low on qb roster at Miami, and is expected to transfer again.
I think we picked up a winner in Orlando. Herman is looking worse and worse.
Thanks
What a game! The Longhorns come back to go ahead 38-31 in OV. What a game by the QB Ehlinger. The egg you see is on my face, regardless of who wins. 😀
I posted above about the game. Your view that Herman was the problem, not Orlando, turns out to be right on the money! The TX D has not played well at all.
I can’t wait to see Orlando’s D. Just imagine if we were still stuck with Pendergast and Baxter! OMG. There would be no hope for any success in 2020. Now, at least we have some.
Maybe we’ll get to face ND in a bowl. I would love to see that.
I would temper the effusiveness about Orlando until after we see his defense here at SC. Actually, SC’s schedule is so easy that other than ASU, the defense might never get a real test until the Pac-12 title game and a bowl game. But I do like the coaches Orlando brought in. Still dont like the offense under Graham Harrell. The beat-down we took against Iowa and Oregon last season tells the whole tale. This air raid offense can work against lesser teams, but when we go up against a well prepared defense with talented players, the thing breaks down.… Read more »
BREAKING: USC lands WR commit Josh Moore, who flips from Stanford pledge Ryan Young • TrojanSports, Publisher As USC expanded its search for 2021 wide receivers over the last month, it moved aggressively and ultimately successfully. The Trojans offered 3-star Atlanta, Ga., prospect Josh Moore back on Sept. 9, and on Friday landed a commitment from Moore as he announced he was flipping from Stanford after committing to the Cardinal back in May. Moore was recruited by Stanford as a DB, but the Trojans wanted him as a WR and that helped entice him to change his mind. “I had to think… Read more »
where i see SC missing in WR receiver recruiting is with speed. moore’s recruiting notes question his ability to get separation based on a lack of elite level speed.
the latest recruits we have signed point to a lack of confidence that we will sign the top remaining recruits on our board (foreman, tuimoloau, calvert, wright, armitage, thornton, cardwell, simmons.)
Nothing’s over until it’s over, especially in recruiting. I’m not gonna dump all over USC until I see the final results. USC has been the best, or near the best, at recruiting WRs for quite some time now. That’s one position I’m absolutely not worried about.
As far as the rest of the positions, who knows? There’s a season to play, which should have a big affect on how the class of 2020 really shakes out.
I see three more guys opted out of the 2020 season, Shirmir, Lichtenstein, and Martin. 2 O line and 1 D line.
Surprised to hear this. Nothing I counted on, that’s for sure. The frenzy for schools to somehow establish some kind of equilibrium is fascinating.
Interesting Football Game This Week: Nick Saban takes Alabama to Mississippi to play Lane Kiffin and ‘Ole Miss’. The game is being played at 430pm on ESPN. Alabama is favored by 24 points. Lane took a shot at Nick Saban by saying that the coach was an elderly man and would not be able to cover him if they were playing football.
Here is Nick Saban’s response:
Saban would jam him at the line so hard that Lane wouldn’t be able to get up.
I am watching to see who is worse, Texas or Oklahoma. K St/TCU could be a good game and then we will see what Leach can do with Kentucky. Alabama is for real, Kiffen should behave himself and be humble.
Go Sooners! Beat TEXAS. I love to see the Longhorns lose. Gee! I wonder why?
Now we are getting started, is there anyone not ready or injured and cannot practice?
Trojan linebackers Jordan Iosefa and Solomon Tuliaupupu had knee surgery and are out for the season. This will make 3 straight season that Tuliaupupa has missed do to injuries.
Two more Trojans have opted out this season; defensive lineman Jacob Lichtenstein and offensive linemen Frank Martin and Bernard Schirmer.
Lastly, Munir McClain has been suspended from the team but no reason has been given.
That really hurts us on defense. Tuli may just need to hang it up.
Solo is the one that is a real bummer.
I have to wonder if the three line players that opted out were pushed out due to a lack of intensity and seriousness about the program. Seems like those are 3 players that have been on the team forever, but haven’t contributed. The timing of the opt-out is pretty late, so I wonder if the coaches are trying to push out any slackers, so they can increase the level of intensity?? That is what I am hoping.
I agree with the list in that I believe they will be our 5 best players. But our real big 5 is our OLine, we will go as they do. Possibly the next big 5 will be wearing headsets and not named Clay. The assistants will have to run the show, and I believe that they are. Mike Bohn executed a plan, let’s see how it works out.
If CH gets in the way it will show immediately. I am sure the assistants are prepared to let CH be the mouthpiece, but I sure hope between them and Bohn there is a line that CH cannot cross. That O line was helped immensely with AVT coming back.
Chris, Odd, isn’t it? I think this Board is uniform in its opinion. SC is simply loaded this year as compared to the rest of the Pac South. There may be as many as seven first rounders on this team (the five above, plus one of the WRs (Ford, McCoy, or London) and one of the CBs). We return 9 on O and 8 on D. We have a solid coaching staff (only Drevno is at best mediocre; the rest are outstanding) and a solid S&C program. SC should dominate the weak South. But, we have an incompetent HC. So,… Read more »
Rjj, we have no word or idea what the scenario is behind the scenes in what Helton is allowed to do in running USC football today. We can only hope or imagine Bohn has informed Helton to back away from day to day managing what the position coaches want to accomplish. If Helton is still free to navigate his authority, would he just stay in his office and leave practices to his coordinators? As long as Bohn keeps his directives to Helton private, Helton can play both sides of the fence to the press on what happens gametime.
Hopefully he takes the high road and resigns. Or else he gets promoted to somewhere in the athletic department, Director of Hugs.
Keeping Clay at any position in the athletic department would send a bad message. If a new head coach comes in, he wont want Clay hanging around.
@gametv Totally agree. Get Helton out completely. The last thing I want to hear from any department of USC is him ranting about USC this, or USC that, or “his kids”, or how he coached for 50 years and is a QB Whisperer. Ugh!
Maybe he’s an offensive center whisperer too. 😂
Curious on your thought regarding timing of a Clay departure. My guess is that Bohn realizes SC must be a national contender in time to negotiate media rights ahead of 2023 (not sure how far ahead they hold negotiations). So he needs a CFP level team by 2022. So if a new coach needs 2 seasons to get the team up to CFP level, then doesnt a decision on Clay need to be made after this season? I say that Bohn would have been allowed to fire Clay if they knew the outcome of the 2020 recruiting class and Iowa… Read more »
Even if USC raises it’s football profile big-time by the end of 2022, I’m not sure how much that helps the Pac-12 overall in TV rights negotiations. Everyone else, except ORE, could very well still be marginal, or plain bad. We’ll never know what Bohn really was prepared to do re Helton when he had the chance to fire him the first time. I always try to give Bohn the benefit of the doubt, but there’s always been a lot of speculation about Bohn, Helton and Folt. All pretty mysterious if you ask me, except for the fact that Folt… Read more »
Why of course just USC & Oregon playing legit CFB won’t be enough to win a big TV contract for the PAC-12. Who on the East Coast would want to stay up at 10PM and watch CAL play Oregon St, or Arizona play UCLA, etc.etc.etc. PAC-12 isn’t making the playoffs and their stadiums are rarely ever full.
I still want to see USC leave the Pac-12 and create its own “rivals” schedule. Play teams across the nation that are rivals from the past – Michigan, Notre Dame, Texas – play the california teams – UCLA, Berkeley, Stanford – journey up to Washington (but not Oregon) and to one of the Arizona teams – and then create some new rivalries in top media markets on the East Coast – mabye Syracuse or Boston College, and then maybe one big game with the ACC or SEC to top it all off. Just put together the football schedule that gives… Read more »
@gametv Without USC, the Pac-12 is absolute crap, at least from a nationally-ranked historical perspective. At least that’s my honest perception — unfortunately. If you were a Pac-12 school, and USC deserted the conference, would you welcome USC back to the conference so it could just pick and choose a few California Pac-12 members it wanted to keep on its new schedule? I sure wouldn’t. It sounds like a great arrangement for USC, but very poor for most of the rest of the Pac-12. Were I the suddenly-left-behind Pac-12, I’d say to USC: “You’re on your own. Forget about your… Read more »
My remark about CH was purely in jest.