USC Blitz.com - A Blitz of Everything USC Trojans Football

Starting Lineup (April 24, 2009)

Offense

LT	Charles Brown	#71
LG	Jeff Byers	#53	OR
LG	Zack Heberer	#74
C	Kristofer O'Dowd	#61	OR
C	Jeff Byers	#53
RG	Alex Parsons	#56	OR
RT	Nick Howell	#76
RT	Tyron Smith	#70
TE	Anthony McCoy	#86
SE	Ronald Johnson	#8
FL	Damian Williams	#18
TB	Joe McKnight	#4	OR
TB	CJ Gable	#2	OR
TB	Stafon Johnson	#13	OR
TB	Allen Bradford	#21
FB	Stanley Havili	#31
QB	Aaron Corp	#15

Defense

LE	Armond Armstead	#75
NT	Jurrell Casey	#91	OR
NT	Christian Tupou	#44
DT	Averell Spicer	#99
RE	Everson Griffen	#93
OLB	Michael Morgan	#17
MLB	Chris Galippo	#54
OLB	Malcolm Smith	#6
CB	Shareece Wright	#24
CB	Kevin Thomas	#15
SS	Will Harris	#26	OR
SS	Josh Pinkard	#36
FS	Taylor Mays	#2

Special Teams

PR	Joe McKnight	#4	OR
PR	Stafon Johnson	#13	OR
PR	Joe McKnight	#4	OR
PR	Brandon Carswell	#80
KOR	Ronald Johnson	#8	OR
KOR	CJ Gable	#2
K	Jordan Congdon	#37	OR
K	Joe Houston	#30
P	Billy O'Malley	#25
LS	Chris Pousson	#62
LS	Cooper Stephenson	#85

The Rankings Blitz

USC Blitz Preseason Top 10:
2009

#1	Texas
#2	Florida
#3	Southern California
#4	Oklahoma State
#5	Ole Miss
#6	Oklahoma
#7	Virginia Tech
#8	California
#9	Ohio State
#10	South Florida

Other Polls:
ESPN
Rivals
Scout
CBS Sports
Sporting News
SI
Athlon
Lindy

The Schedule Blitz

View 2008 Results

2009

1/1	BCS Rose Bowl:
	vs. Penn State (W 38-24)
2/4	National Signing Day
3/28- 4/25	Spring Practice

9/5	San Jose State
9/12	@ Ohio State
9/19	@ Washington
9/26	Washington State
10/3	@ California
10/17	@ Notre Dame
10/24	Oregon State
10/31	@ Oregon
11/7	@ Arizona State
11/14	Stanford
11/28	UCLA
12/5	Arizona

<< View previous articles

The News Blitz - Recommended Reading (RSS Feed)

- "2010 Draft Spotlight: An "aMaysing" One" (ScoutNFLNetwork.com)
- "USC's Mitch Mustain cleared to play" (Varsity Times Insider)
- "Running up to intermission" (USCRipsIt)
- "USC's brainy Byers leads line that ranks among nation's best" (ESPN Pac-10 Blog)
- "Deja vu all over again: USC's loaded backfield a hot topic" (ESPN Pac-10 Blog)
- "Football: Carroll likes what he sees at USC camp" (Varsity Times Insider)
- "George's Potpourri 6/24 - Quarterback Debate" (WeAreSC)
- "RSC Video: Day 2 Highlights" (WeAreSC)
- "Rising Stars Camp Day 1 highlights" (WeAreSC)
- "Photo of the Day: Sean Parker Sporting SC Gear at Rising Stars" (TrojanNYC)
(...More)

Thoughts on Matt Barkley: SC's Future at Quarterback
2009-05-13 18:15:50

Matt Barkley probably won't get the start in USC's first game vs. San Jose State this season. Most of you seem to agree with that, according to the Trojan Poll. It's just not the way Pete Carroll has historically dealt with quarterbacks. Matt Leinart and Mark Sanchez sat a combined five seasons before they got to take the full reigns, and both of them, like Barkley, were immensely talented Orange County quarterbacks. However, after watching, reading, and following the Corp/Mustain/Barkley/Green competition all spring, I think it's clear that Matt is going to be a special player for the Trojans in the years to come.

He's got the rocket arm, he's not afraid to be a leader, he works hard, he loves the game, he loves winning, and he's got the "it" factor that all great athletes are born with. I thought Taylor Mays had some pretty telling words when asked recently about his new teammate:

"I think Matt Barkley throws the ball really well. He throws the ball better than anybody I've seen, especially when he rolls out and sets his feet and fires it. I think he makes dumb mistakes, but he's supposed to make dumb mistakes. I think he'll only learn and get better. He has the potential to be the next really, really, real big name. He's starting to develop into that player."

NFL draft guru, Mel Kiper Jr., went even further in his preseason praise:

"I'm going on record now to say ... three years Matt Barkley -- who will be a true freshman this year -- will be the No. 1 pick in the draft. Three years from now."

Photo Credit: USCFootball.com

Hello! Talk about putting some unnecessary weight on this kid's shoulders. Mel made the same prediction about Matthew Stafford when he was coming out of high school. The 3-year starter at Georgia apparently didn't succumb to the pressure and earned himself the No. 1 overall pick in this year's NFL draft.

Barkley and Stafford are similar in playing style, in that both of them have unmatched arm strength, but both are also questionable decision makers, which isn't all that uncommon in developing gunslingers. I see the same potential in Barkley that I think Kiper sees, so I agree...Barkley will probably be drafted top-5 overall when he leaves school.

But who knows when he'll leave school. People were shocked when Mark Sanchez left early, and he was at USC for four years. I think that Mel's prediction about how long Barkley will stay is an even bigger stretch than the prediction about him going No. 1 overall. Obviously much will depend on whether or not Matt chooses to redshirt this year.

One thing I can guarantee is that Aaron Corp, Garrett Green, and Mitch Mustain will put up a fight before any position is reliquinished on the depth chart. The three veteran quarterbacks possess a serious competitive advantage over Barkley in their knowledge of SC's offense, in their experience, and in their chemistry with the team. As always, this is going to be fun to watch!

FIGHT ON TROJAN FANS!

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College Football's Best: Rounding Out the Top 10
2009-05-12 06:54:02

My apologies for the..."delayed" blitz

#6

Oklahoma Sooners - Sam Bradford (QB, 6-4/218, Jr*) was efficient in leading his team to the national championship game last season. That efficiency convinced Heisman voters to give him the nod over Tebow and McCoy, but the Sooners fell 10 points shy in their two biggest showdowns of the year (vs. Texas [45-35], and vs. Florida [24-14]). In 2009, I suspect they'll still have the firepower to be a top-caliber college football team. Nonetheless, I put the Sooners at #6 because I think that, along with atleast one loss vs. Texas or vs. Oklahoma State, they'll also falter against a lesser opponenent, perhaps @ Miami or @ Nebraska. Brent Venebles defense will be the "X factor". If they can force 34 turnovers again, the sky's the limit.

Non-conference opponents: vs. BYU, vs. Idaho State, vs. Tulsa, @ Miami (FL)

Photo Credit: InsideCarolina.com/Jim Hawkins

Virginia Tech Hokies - I still think the ACC is in a bit of a recovery stage but someone has to win the conference, right? The Hokie defense is perenially good and they return over half their starters this year. On offense, they'll stay on the ground with the thunder and lightning duo of Darren Evans (TB, 6-0/210, So*) and Tyrod Tayor (QB, 6-1/206, Jr). The Hokies open their season with a neutral field game vs. Alabama, which should be a tough battle, but the rest of their schedule looks favorable enough to run the table.

Non-conference opponents: vs. Alabama, vs. Marshall, vs. Nebraska

#8

California Golden Bears - Jahvid Best (TB, 5-10/193, Jr) is the primary reason for the Bears high rank here. He's electric, versatile, and improving. Their defensive group, led by eight returning starters from last year, must also be counted on for them to take the big leap back into college football's upper echelon.

Non-conference opponents: vs. Maryland, vs. Eastern Washngton, @ Minnesota

#9

Ohio State Buckeyes - Terrelle Pryor (QB, 6-6/235, So) was impressive in his freshman campaign and most are predicting bigger and better things for him this season. Maybe so, but I think he'll have to do it with a worse off supporting cast. Hartline, gone. Robiskie, gone. Boone, gone. Beanie Wells, gone. Jenkins, gone. Laurinaitis, gone. Freeman, gone. With that in mind, I still think they've got the best talent and coaching in that conference. And like last year, their schedule is laughable except the big one against Southern California.

Non-conference opponents: vs. Navy, vs. Southern California, @ Toledo, vs. New Mexico State

Photo Credit: NJ.com

#10

South Florida Bulls - Matt Grothe (QB, 6-0/205, Sr) has had an up and down career for the Bulls but I've always loved the athleticism and tenacity that he's played with. George Selvie (DE, 6-4/245, Sr) is their star on defense. He has all the potential in the world and will no doubt be looking to impress NFL scouts this season. I think the Bulls will emerge as Big East champions and given their schedule, they may even escape with a perfect regular season if they can get by Bobby Bowden's Seminoles on September 26th.

Non-conference opponents: vs. Wofford, @ Western Kentucky, vs. Charleston Southern, @ Florida State

Others considered for top 10: Oregon, Alabama, Utah, Florida State, Penn State, Georgia

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College Football's Top 5: It's Never Too Early For Preseason Polls
2009-03-16 14:38:35

#1

Texas Longhorns - With most of their offense returning, including roommates Colt McCoy (QB, 6-3/210, Sr) and Jordan Shipley (WR, 6-0/190, Sr**), Texas should have no problem getting on the scoreboard against a mediocre set of Big-12 defenses. More importantly in my mind, Mack Brown will field the best secondary in a pass happy conference. Besides the shootout in Dallas against Oklahoma on October 17th, Texas fans should circle Halloween Saturday at Oklahoma State as the other key matchup in a relatively soft regular season schedule.

Non-conference opponents: vs. Louisiana-Monroe, @ Wyoming, vs. UTEP, vs. UCF

Photo Credit: Orlando Sentinel

Florida Gators - The defending national champs look as strong as ever behind Tim Tebow and a speedy group of athletes on both sides of the ball. I think players like Brandon James (RB, 5-7/186, Sr) and Aaron Herandez (TE, 6-3/255, Jr) are due for breakout years in Meyer's spread offense. Beyond their menu of talent, the Gators' schedule looks as enticing as an SEC schedule can look. They don't play Alabama or Ole Miss and all of their non-conference games are at home. A perfect regular season could be at their fingertips.

Non-conference opponents: vs. Charleston Southern, vs. Troy, vs. Florida International, vs. Florida State

#3

Southern California Trojans - USC will be looking to reload most of their front seven with a lot of inexperienced but talented young football players in 2009. To counter their youth up front, they will field as good a secondary as there is the country. On offense, much of the attention will focus around three quarterbacks; Mitch Mustain (QB, 6-3/205, Jr*), Aaron Corp (QB, 6-3/185, So*) and Matt Barkley (QB, 6-4/220, Fr). Whoever wins that starting job will be surrounded by a solid offensive line, which is something of critical importance during the early stages of a quarterback's developement. As well, the Trojans have an abundance of playmakers at the skill positions in Joe McKnight (TB, 6-0/200, Jr), CJ Gable (TB, 6-1/185, Jr*), Damian Williams (SE, 6-1/190, Jr*), Ronald Johnson (WR, 6-1/190, Jr), and Stanley Havili (FB, 6-1/225, Jr*) to only name a few.

Nonetheless, their schedule has some bite to it, mostly in this nasty five game stretch: @ California, @ Notre Dame, vs. Oregon State, @ Oregon, @ Arizona State.

Non-conference opponents: vs. San Jose State, @ Ohio State, @ Notre Dame

Photo Credit: SI

Oklahoma State Cowboys - Zac Robinson (QB, 6-3/210, Sr) and Dez Bryant (WR, 6-2/210, Jr) are the key returnees on offense, but the Cowboys lost receiver Adarius Bowman and tight end Brandon Pettigrew to the NFL. Some new faces must emerge so as to relieve pressure on the aforementioned duo. As an early prediction, I think their only loss in the regular season will come vs. Texas on Halloween Saturday. I suspect the Cowboys will struggle for national respect and will only get that respect if they can pick up key wins vs. Georgia in their first game, and @ Oklahoma in their final game.

Non-conference opponents: vs. Georgia, vs. Houston, vs. Rice, vs. Grambling State

#5

Ole Miss Rebels - This might be another bold prediction but I love the look of Mississippi's passing attack behind strong-armed QB Jevan Snead. I also think Houston Nutt's defense will be a formidable bunch this season, which is a perennial necessity for success in the SEC. Some quick stats from last year's Rebel defense to give you an idea of their potential: 1st nationally in tackles for a loss, 4th nationally in rush defense, and 4th nationally in sacks. The headliner will be Greg Hardy, a top notch defensive end who bypassed the NFL and came back for his senior season. Their non-conferencers should be a breeze and their hardest SEC games will be played at home (vs. Alabama, vs. Arkansas, vs. Tennessee, vs. LSU).

Non-conference opponents: @ Memphis, vs. Southeastern Louisiana, vs. UAB

#6-10 up next...FIGHT ON!

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3 Under-the-Radar Trojans to Watch Out For in 2009 (Defense)
2009-03-03 14:08:52

1. Luthur Brown (Middle Linebacker, 6-3/230, Sr*) - Replacing Rey Maualuga in the middle of the Trojans defense seems like a near impossible task, but it's not. There's always another future first-rounder waiting to get their chance at USC. While I've predicted that Chris Galippo will earn Rey's old starting job, Luthur Brown is another under-the-radar name who could play a significant role for the Trojans in 2009. Back and shoulder injuries have limited his ability to prepare for and play in the last two seasons. If he can cure up those health concerns, Pete has himself another big, mean, thumping linebacker to use in contrast with the speedier Galippo.

2. Drew McAllister (Strong Safety, 6-1/200, So) - In 2008, Drew made the most of his limited freshman opportunities, picking off a team-best three interceptions. That ball-hawking ability should get him some more time on the field in 2009. Will Harris seems a lock to land the starting job, though. Harris was admirable in relief of Kevin Ellison last season and his experience should give him the inside edge. Either way, I imagine that Drew will help in taking the competition to a higher level this offseason. Keep an eye out for #19.

3. Nick Perry (Defensive End, 6-3/240, Fr*) - With only five total defensive ends currently on the roster (none of them seniors), the Trojans will be counting on youngsters like Nick Perry to pick up where Kyle Moore and Clay Matthews left off in 2008. We didn't get to see much of Nick in his freshman campaign because he redshirted, but all signs indicate that he's a Cushing/Matthews breed, with the ability to stand up and play the outside backer position. Incoming freshman Devon Kennard appears poised to make an early impact as well, so look out for these two to compete for a spot behind Everson Griffen on the weakside.

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USC's Finalized Recruiting Class For 2009
2009-02-24 21:06:44

The dust has somewhat settled on this year's crop of recruits, but Pete is still working hard to land a top notch out-of-state tight end. Therefore with the possible exception of Orson Charles, I present to you all of the Trojans' freshest faces in 2009:

Matt Barkley (QB, 6-3/226, Santa Ana)	Devon Kennard (DE, 6-3/257, Phoenix [AZ])
Patrick Hall (ATH, 6-1/181, Ventura)	TJ McDonald (DB, 6-2/200, Fresno)
Jarvis Jones (ILB/DE, 6-3/226, Columbus [GA])	Jawanza Starling (S, 6-2/195, Tallahassee [FL])
Frankie Telfort (OLB, 5-11/197, Miami [FL])	Byron Moore (DB, 6-1/188, Harbor City)
Torin Harris (DB, 6-0/175, Las Vegas [NV])	De'Von Flournoy (WR, 6-0/178, Van Nuys)
Marquis Simmons (OLB, 6-2/215, Compton)	John Martinez (OG, 6-2/264, Salt Lake City [UT])
Hebron Fangupo (DT, 6-2/330, Walnut)	Kevin Graf (OT, 6-6/301, Agoura)
James Boyd (ATH, 6-4/211, Los Angeles)	Kevin Greene (DE, 6-3/230, San Francisco)
Chris Metcalf (OLB, 6-2/183, Compton)*	Jake Harfman (K, 5-11/205, Walnut)
Simione Vehikite (FB, 6-1/243, Kapolei [HI])

*Committed but unsigned.

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3 Under-the-Radar Trojans to Watch Out For in 2009 (Offense)
2009-02-22 08:41:43

1. Curtis McNeal (Tailback, 5-8/180, Fr*) - Like all the names on this list, Curtis hasn't been picked up on the media radar, but don't underestimate his potential to embarrass defenders with knee-buckling jukes and blazing-fast speed. He is relatively undersized, so I expect that he'll settle into a specialized scatback role this year.

2. Tyron Smith (Offensive Tackle, 6-6/270, So) - Tyron is a monstrous looking sophomore who will challenge Charles Brown for the starting left tackle position this season. This man has only gone under-the-radar because of the position he plays. Smith was a Rivals 5-star recruit from Pete's 2008 recruiting class, and he saw some significant game action during his freshman campaign. Left tackle will be an interesting position battle to watch throughout the year.

3. David Ausberry (Wide Receiver, 6-4/225, Jr*) - A fresh offensive scheme may have been exactly what the doctor ordered for Ausberry. Despite his obvious talent and ideal size, David hasn't been able to land himself a consistent spot among the wide receivers during the last two seasons. I see that changing quickly thanks to Jeremy Bates coming in as assistant head coach to the offense/quarterbacks coach/play caller. Many people don't know that Bates was also a wide receivers coach with the Broncos in 2007. His coaching allowed Brandon Marshall (similar build, 6-4/230) to catch over two hundred balls during the last two seasons. There is still time for a Patrick Turner'esque resurrection.

What about you, do you have any "under-the-radar" players that you're looking out for?

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The USC Blitz National Signing Day Lists
2009-02-03 11:00:06

The "California kids that were once committed to USC, but will probably end up elsewhere" list:

Byron Moore (DB, 6-1/188, Harbor City)

Randall Carroll (ATH, 5-11/175, Los Angeles)

Vontaze Burfict (ILB, 6-2/244, Corona)

The "Wow, look at all the out-of-state talent that we have a serious shot at" list:

Manti Te'o (ILB, 6-2/225, Honolulu [HI])

Jarvis Jones (ILB/DE, 6-3/226, Columbus [GA])

Jawanza Starling (S, 6-2/195, Tallahassee [FL])

Frankie Telfort (OLB, 5-11/197, Miami [FL])

Xavier Su'a Filo (OT, 6-4/285, Provo [UT])

Alshon Jeffery (WR, 6-3/214, St. Matthews [SC])

Bryce Brown* (RB, 6-0/215, Wichita [KS])

Orson Charles* (TE, 6-3/230, Tampa [FL])

The "Solid verbal commits that should be faxing Pete their LOI soon" list:

Devon Kennard (DE, 6-3/257, Phoenix [AZ])

Patrick Hall (ATH, 6-1/181, Ventura)

TJ McDonald (DB, 6-2/200, Fresno)

Torin Harris (DB, 6-0/175, Las Vegas [NV])

De'Von Flournoy (WR, 6-0/178, Van Nuys)

Marquis Simmons (OLB, 6-2/215, Compton)

John Martinez (OG, 6-2/264, Salt Lake City [UT])

Hebron Fangupo (DT, 6-2/330, Walnut)

Kevin Graf (OT, 6-6/301, Agoura)

James Boyd (ATH, 6-4/211, Los Angeles)

Kevin Greene (DE, 6-3/230, San Francisco)

Chris Metcalf (OLB, 6-2/183, Compton)

Jake Harfman (K, 5-11/205, Walnut)

Simione Vehikite (FB, 6-1/243, Kapolei [HI])

The "Already enrolled and taking classes at USC" list:

Matt Barkley (QB, 6-3/226, Santa Ana)

Credit: Player information via Rivals.com Recruiting Database

* expected to announce decision after signing day (recruits have until April 1st to accept scholarships)

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Devon Kennard, Welcome to USC!
2009-01-27 08:53:44

Devon Kennard, a 5 star super recruit from Arizona, announced his commitment to the University of Southern California this morning during a news conference at his high school. What a job by Pete, Jethro Franklin, and Rocky Seto to win this kid over California, Arizona State, and Texas! Despite an early season knee injury in his senior season, Kennard has long been considered one of the gems of 2009's recruiting class. He is the 8th rated player in the nation by Rivals, and 1st overall at his position.

The Trojans saw a lot of departures in their front seven this offseason. I would in no way be surprised if he competed for a starting defensive end spot, possibly spelling or playing opposite of Everson Griffen.

"I have decided to attend college at the University of Southern California. It came down to the fact that USC is a winning program and I felt very comfortable staying close to home to play in the Pac-10. I had a good comfort level with the school after attending camps there for the past two summers and I look forward to the opportunity to play for Coach Pete Carroll. I also had a very good meeting last week with my d-line coach Jethro Franklin and that was very important to me"

Here's some high school scouting film on him:

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Winter Workouts Begin Amidst Change at SC
2009-01-21 09:18:25

Photo/USCRipsIt

The Trojans kicked off their offseason workout schedule on Tuesday. The team differs significantly from the one that demolished Penn State at the Rose Bowl on New Years Day. Mark Sanchez's decision to forego his senior season was both disappointing and surprising from the perspective of a fan. Pete didn't like it much either.

But life goes on, and we have three very capable quarterbacks in Mitch Mustain, Aaron Corp, and Matt Barkley (who is already enrolled in classes at SC). Corp holds the current lead because of his pre-Rose Bowl promotion over Mustain.

When I watched the quarterback battle last year, I thought Mustain had the best footwork of the bunch, closely followed by Sanchez, while Corp was "a distant 4th". But I also thought that Corp had the strongest arm, a great throwing motion, and despite the quarterback footwork issue, Aaron was clearly the best scrambler. It'll be another fun competition to watch this year, especially with Barkley already enrolled. Many thought this was an obvious redshirt year for Matt. Maybe not, because Sanchez's departure leaves a void that the freshman might be able to fill.

In case you haven't heard, the man who will be coaching these quarterbacks is not Carl Smith. He's working to land a job in the NFL. So we went to the NFL ourselves and hired the Broncos young offensive coordinator, Jerermy Bates. He'll be on the sidelines calling plays next year, while serving as the quarterbacks coach and assistant head coach on offense. Read what Jay Cutler had to say about his former coach (via USC):

"Jeremy is one of the best offensive minds in football. He was extremely innovative with our offense and took our playbook to the next level with some of the things he did, keeping defenses off balance and changing our look but at the same time keeping it simple for us players. Some of the things he did were amazing to watch. He was always watching other teams and coming up with new ideas for our offense. He helped me grow into my third NFL season and helped me reach the Pro Bowl along with some of the other goals I set for myself. As a unit, our offense became one of the most productive in the league with Jeremy calling plays. He brought a lot of excitement to the meeting room and on the field. He made me want to come to work every day and get better. Jeremy will do great things in his new role, and USC couldn't have picked a better guy."

Better yet, I think this hire represents Pete and USC adapting to the new NFL. The Trojans have prided themselves in running a "pro-style" offense. Well the fact of the matter is that the NFL has changed in recent years, and Bates sounds like the fresh mind we needed.

Defensively, the Trojans look like the might have the best secondary in the country right now. Taylor Mays and Josh Pinkard (granted 6th year of eligibility) return to a group that includes Kevin Thomas, Will Harris, and Shareece Wright. All of them are seniors. Meanwhile, I'll be watching out for some of the young kids to emerge as well. TJ Bryant, TJ McDonald (incoming freshman), and Adam Hall (incoming freshman) are probably the Trojans' best bet in that regard.

I'll empty my notebook on recruiting next. But for now, I got to leave you with this from the USCRipsIt blog...

"It's 88 degrees, sun is drenching the campus and students are in shorts and T-shirts today - and the calendar reads Jan. 12. Then throw in that the Trojans are just 11 days removed from a third straight Rose Bowl championship, and it's a beautiful time to be at USC."

Fight On!

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Quibbles, Coaching Carousels, NFL Decisions, and High School Recruits
2009-01-12 09:11:44

The Trojans made a case for No. 1 in the country thanks to their Rose Bowl romp over Penn State on New Years day. Pete Carroll, after the game, was famously quoted as saying "I don't think anybody can beat the Trojans!" While he may right, none of us will ever know if this USC team could have beaten Florida, Utah, Oklahoma, or Texas. After this season, the dominant defensive that was, will be broken up into a myriad of lucractive NFL contracts. The system failed its viewers once again.

A "plus one" system, at the very least, needs to be implemented. The expiration of a large number of bowl contracts in 2009, 10, and 11, combined with Obama's large mouth on the issue may accelerate the system change to coincide with ESPN's BCS takeover in January of 2011. A side note related to Obama's latest BCS comments, it's comforting to know that our "quibbles" are President-elect approved.

In case you missed it, the Trojans finished No. 2 in the USA Today coaches poll and No. 3 in the final Associated Press poll (nabbing 1 first place vote). So if you take a look at the final AP polls from the previous seven seasons, you can see that USC finished 4th in 2002, 1st in 2003, 1st in 2004, 2nd in 2005, 4th in 2006, 3rd in 2007, and 3rd in 2008. Whoa.

The Coaching Carousel

Nick Holt took me by surprise when it was announced that he'll be joining Sarkisian at UW. It sounds like Holt wanted to make a name for himself and he felt that wasn't possible with Pete Carroll as the face of SC's defense.

Rocky Seto and Ken Norton were the natural candidates that emerged for the newly vacant position. Pete decided both of them were worthy of promotion. Norton is now our asssistant head coach on defense, and Seto takes over for Holt at defensive coordinator. Play calling on defense will stay with Pete, though. Also on defense, Jethro Franklin has returned to the Trojans as our new defensive line coach. He held the same position in 2005.

Franklin wasn't alone in making a return to USC. Carl Smith, one of the masterminds behind Matt Leinart's developement, has been hired as our QB coach with the additional title of assistant offensive head coach. And although John Morton is our new offensive coordinator, the plan is for Smith to call the plays.

Matt Capurro, who has worked the NFL for the past six years, replaces Dennis Slutak (stolen by Sark) as our head of football operations. And finishing up the carousel, Mark Jackson makes his return to USC (former HOFO) under the new position of senior associate athletic director in charge of football. It's great to see PC reaching out to some of the names that started this dynasty, at a time when we're losing ones who helped us maintain it.

NFL Decisions of Mark Sanchez and Taylor Mays

The latest from the inner circles of both juniors is that they are undecided about their futures (Taylor and Mark are slated to announce their intentions at the same time). The question of whether or not to turn pro is one that has faced a lot of Trojan players through the years. USC was recently named as the #1 football factory by the NFL Network. In my opinion, that status has as much to do with the high number of Trojan underclassmen who have chosen to return for their senior seasons, as it has to do with any other factor (like talent or coaching). Last summer I wrote about about the $50 million in guaranteed contract money that Ellis, Rivers, and Bakers collected as a result of their decision to return for their senior seasons. Anybody could guess, then, what I think both of these guys should do.

I heard rumblings earlier this week that Mays told friends he was NFL-bound, and I wouldn't be the least bit surprised were that true. Nonetheless, I still think there is a strong case to be made for Taylor coming back. He could mentor the Trojan safeties of the future, while serving as the center piece for a young but talented defense in 2009. Don't get me wrong, I see all the reasons for him to turn pro. He is the most athletic player the NFL has seen in a very long time, and he just so happens to have played for a defense that some called the "best ever". He does have room for improvement, however. For example, he only has 4 interceptions in 3 years starting at free safety and his monstrous hits (some of them late, some of them "illegal") have generated a fair number of personal foul flags..

Are any of these problems unfixable? Of course not, and I think he can improve upon these things in one of two ways 1) Stay in school, get his degree, gain some maturity, have some fun, and make offseason adjustments to develop better ball skills, as well as discipline. Or 2) He could try to make those adjustments as a young NFL starter. Mario Williams, the athlete of all athletes, transformed his raw talent (incredibly impressive at the NFL combine, 4.5 sacks as a rookie) into the skills he needed to be an All-Pro defensive end (26.0 sacks in his 2nd and 3rd seasons combined).

Mark Sanchez is in a difficult situation too. One year ago, he didn't even know if he would be the starting quarterback for the Trojans. Then, about six months ago, after he had worked so hard to ensure his job security, Mark had the scare of his life when a harmless warmup exercise resulted in a dislocated kneecap. And now, there are millions of dollars available for the taking. If Sanchez takes a pessimistic look at the other hand (returning for his senior season), six months from now, he could again have to worry about job security. Capable backups Matt Barkley, Aaron Corp, and Mitch Mustain await their chance to become the Trojans' next big quarterback.

For Mays and Sanchez, they both have reasons to stay, and both have very reasons to go, and we will all have to wait at least a few more days to hear their announcements. The NFL declaration deadline is January 15th. Good luck with your decisions, gentlemen. (While not forgetting that others on the team, like CJ Gable, are contemplating decisions as well)

The Recruiting World

I call it a "world", because it truly is. There is so much information out there, you can just get lost in all the names, stats, fake stats, commits, decommits, half commits, moms, dads, coaches, stars, ratings, recruiters, hirings, firings, websites, unreliable reports, transfers, videos, academics, you name it. But, I digress...

Orange County quarterback, Matt Barkley, earned MVP honors at the Under Armour All-America game last week. He remains a virtual lock to join the Trojans this year. USC garnered the commitment of OG John Martinez, joining OT Kevin Graf (USC commit) at the game, as part of the offensive line that will be protecting Barkley in the years to come.

Meanwhile in San Antonio at the Army All-American Bowl, outside backer Vontaze Burfict, continued to impress everyone that he came in contact with. That's not a good sign for the Trojans, who despite posessing his verbal commitment, have had to watch while other schools try to wrestle him away. If you talk to a lot of HS recruiting experts, I think they'd tell you that Vontaze has risen to the top of the charts in terms of OLB prospects in the 2009 class.

If you move inside and look at middle linebacker prospects, Manti Te'o is still very much "the guy". Tom Luginbill of Scouts Inc called Manti a "man among boys" after watching him practice at the Under Armour All-America week. And he is now ranked 2nd nationally on the ESPNU150 list of best players, only behind Barkley. With Rey leaving, and Gallipo's status somewhat uncertain due to his lingering back issue, the pressure is on to land this kid. The folks at SuperPrep.com said the following [of where they think Manti will end up]:

I've never wavered in my thoughts on this one once I found out who Manti's childhood favorite was - and that's USC...

The Trojans will be hosting Te'o later in the month for one of his four or five official visits. Stanford, UCLA, Notre Dame, and BYU are the other contenders. Whatever decision he makes, Manti has made it clear that the announcement won't come until signing day.

It appears that the Trojans recruitment of the No. 1 defensive end in the country, Devon Kennard, was both positively and negatively affected by the latest coaching carousel. Nick Holt was the coach recruiting Devon at USC and the two developed a good friendship. Obviously then, the chance the USC landing his commitment took a pretty serious hit when Holt left. According to Rivals, Pete used an in-home visit immediately following Holt's departure to reassure Devon of the Trojans stability. The Texas Longhorns are presumed to be the only remaining contender in DK's recruitment. While noting the recent hire of defensive line coach Jethro Franklin, reporter Scott Wolf presents this interesting tidbit of information:

Franklin is a friend of former New Orleans Saints offensive lineman Derrick Kennard, the father of highly regarded prep prospect Devon Kennard, ranked by some recruiting services as the top defensive end in the country.

Maybe it's coincidence, maybe it means nothing, or maybe it's total BS, but that's part of the fun here in the high school recruiting world...It's all speculation, speculation, speculation.

That's all for now, fight on Trojan fans!

Update: The LA Times reports that CJ Gable will be returning to the Trojans next year.

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