Where the USC defense stands as spring practice winds down
New defensive coordinator Alex Grinch has been tasked with returning the unit to some semblance of competence this season — but depth remains a big concern
Adam Grosbard (OC Register) — LOS ANGELES — Last season was a disheartening one for the USC defense. A unit many expected to take the next step under then-defensive coordinator Todd Orlando instead regressed in confounding areas. Even the pass rush, expected to be the strength of the entire USC team, was confoundingly ineffective as the Trojans struggled with the basics of angles to the ball and tackling.
But with new head coach Lincoln Riley has come a fresh start for the unit. Orlando has been replaced by Alex Grinch, who has been tasked with returning the defense to some semblance of competence this season.
Spring football was the first opportunity for Grinch and his assistants to install their system on the field at USC. Here’s a progress report ahead of Saturday’s spring game:
Where the defense is now:
Grinch: “We got a lot of it in and we take a lot pride in that. We’ve always taken the approach of putting really all of it in as fast as we possibly can, which gives you a chance to continue to rep it. We really try to stress these guys mentally before we get to the grass and then when spring ball comes around, now all of a sudden you have the added element of both the mental and the physical and try to stress them again that way. We don’t ever hit the pause button or ever slow down.”
Edge rush coach Roy Manning: “In the beginning, you’re telling them, here’s the plan. You’re teaching them the defense, but they haven’t done it, they haven’t reaped any benefits from it on a day-to-day level. So now, 14 practices in, these guys got a better feel for it. They can see, ‘Oh, OK, this is what it’s supposed to feel like when we do X, Y and Z.’ So I think they are grasping it and embracing it more and more, so it’s a cool thing to see.”
What the players think:
DB Prophet Brown: “It’s been fun, challenging with the new staff of course. They work at a high level and everything is very up-paced. I’ve been liking it so far.”
DB Lattrell McCutchin: “I think from an effort standpoint, they’re pretty good as a team. I feel like all the other stuff will come together once we get there from an effort standpoint, get everybody on board.”
What still needs to be installed for the fall:
Grinch: “From an install standpoint, they’re very comfortable with what we’ve gotten in. Now, an ability to execute it, it’s hard to find two plays in a row of 11 guys doing the right thing. So that’s the reality of it but we’re also a little bit accepting of it. We’ve got a lot of time to correct that piece of it. Guys are running around playing hard.”
Areas of Need:
USC has already made some additions at linebacker in the form of Alabama transfer Shane Lee. But the Trojans could stand to add more bodies to the position to compete. Honestly, the same could be said for just about every position on the defense except for safety. This is especially true for cornerback, which currently has four healthy scholarship players for Saturday’s spring game.
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There was a time in HS football and in college ball where the best players were put on defense to mainly keep the other team’s scoring down. Today the quality of your defense compares your team to the top teams in winning games. Yeah, you can outscore most of your conference opponents. But that is about as far as that goes when your offense goes up against a really good defense and the scoring becomes limited. You need to have the better defense in those games to have the best chances of winning. A solid physical defense is going to… Read more »
It’s Riley era eve and I’m thinking we will hear much about what goes wrong tomorrow, but also raves about goes right. The only problem being that the bar has been set so low that a well coached high school team could put up big numbers on USC’s Defense. I cannot decide if I want to see a high scoring or low scoring effort tomorrow while realizing that from where I sit in front of the keyboard I cannot change anything, I guess I will settle for an entertaining event. I hear Art Bartner will be on campus signing his… Read more »
Listening to a pac 12 report today on the ESPN Sirius station and the reporter basically said ASU football is an absolute mess. He went on and I about what’s gone wrong. I don’t think Herm is long for that job.
Chris, I think the portal totally changed coaching. Think of what would have happened at SC if the Cat had not been fired. All the talent would have transferred out. ASU now has that problem. Their starting QB left and, based on the spring game, the O is in serious trouble. The D lost its coordinator and their frosh AA LB is now in the process of transferring. Look for a lot of talent to leave. SC is lucky to have hired LR. Our transfers are simply kids who got asked to leave the program or did not want part… Read more »
How can that be when espn, the clown network, regards them so highly? smdh