Updating the progress of USC's new arrivals as fall camp ends
Kedon Slovis. Drake London. Drake Jackson. Isaiah Pola-Mao.
Many of the players who will set the tone and ultimately decide the success of this version of the USC Trojans are familiar faces to USC fans and have played plenty of games in the cardinal and gold. But there are 30 scholarship players, true freshmen and transfers, beginning their first seasons as Trojans. As USC preps to turn the page from fall camp to true 2021 season prep, we take a look at where those newcomers stand and how they’ve progressed since arriving at USC.
No. 0 – Defensive end Korey Foreman – True freshman
Foreman is going to play this season and he might wind up playing a lot. There wasn’t a clear starting spot for him to step into, considering Drake Jackson returned at outside linebacker and both Tuli Tuipulotu and Nick Figueroa were back as defensive ends. But Foreman was the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2021 class and he’s played like it this fall. His motor runs non-stop and he brings a veteran’s array of pass rushing moves. The Trojans have some unique pieces along that front line and defensive coordinator Todd Orlando will figure out how best to use them all. Foreman likely won’t play every snap right off the bat, but there will be a role carved out for him and he’ll have a chance to keep expanding it throughout the season.
No. 2 – Quarterback Jaxson Dart – True freshman
This is the one spot where the Trojans hope one of their most talented newcomers won’t play any significant snaps this season. Dart wasn’t ever going to beat out Kedon Slovis for the starting spot, but he had every chance to earn the backup job and at this point it looks like he’ll do that. No announcement is expected until much closer to the season opener, but Dart has been terrific since arriving at USC for spring ball. The 6-foot-3, 215-pounder can make plays Slovis can’t and he’s been electric at times. He isn’t ready yet and there are still the occasional freshman mistakes when it comes to reads or trying to do too much with the ball. But when it’s good, it’s really good.
No. 2 – Cornerback Ceyair Wright – True freshman
Wright finished fall camp taking some reps with the second team due to some injuries ahead of him. He’s part of a clear theme with these newcomers: The young defensive backs can play. Wright got picked on at times during camp, but he was impressive in his ability to fight back. He had an athletic interception late in camp and looks like a guy who could be in the mix for playing time as early as next season.
No. 7 – Quarterback Miller Moss – True freshman
Moss was good during fall camp after a slow start to the spring. There have been days where he’s been the clear headliner over Dart and it was evident that his spring performance had a lot to do with shaking off the rust that had accumulated from not playing a senior high school season. He doesn’t have the athleticism Dart does, but he throws a nice ball and he’s already shown that with some continued development he can be a solid quarterback at this level.
No. 8 – Tight end Michael Trigg – True freshman
Trigg admitted partway through camp that he’s struggled getting the playbook down since it’s such a departure from what he was asked to understand in high school. Defensive backs would have to admit that they struggled getting Trigg down when he was on the field catching passes. The 6-foot-4, 245-pound Trigg is an offensive weapon who could be called upon in certain situations this season. The USC coaches are unlikely to ask him to do too much as a true freshman, but they’ll find ways to get him involved. And based on what he did during fall camp, Trigg will find a way to get his hands on the ball.
No. 9 – Inside linebacker Raesjon Davis – True freshman
Orlando is clearly comfortable with the trio of Kana’i Mauga, Raymond Scott and Ralen Goforth as sort of co-starters at the two inside linebacker positions. Everything was done this season to hurry Davis along so he could contribute as quickly as possible. When he’s able to read and react and knife to the ballcarrier, he packs a punch and arrives in a big way. His instincts to the ball are tremendous and his speed at the position stands out. But at 6-foot-1, 215 pounds, the physical demands of taking on linemen in the box is something he’ll need to deal with. The future is bright for Davis, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him out there at times this season, especially against some faster teams that like to spread it out.
No. 10 – Wide receiver Kyron Ware-Hudson – True freshman
Ware-Hudson was dealing with an injury for most of camp and was only able to start doing some one-on-one, non-contact work towards the very tail end. He’s a talented receiver and the highest-ranked of the three freshmen, but it’s tough to tell anything about his potential production this season until he gets fully involved in practices.
No. 13 – Wide receiver Michael Jackson III – True freshman
Jackson had one of the best spring balls of any freshman early enrollee. His fall camp didn’t make the same impact, but much of that was because he’d already raised the bar for what was expected of him. Jackson has made some impressive catches deep down the field and has already shown himself to be a very good all-around receiver. Jackson said throughout the recruiting process that the USC coaches compared him to Amon-Ra St. Brown and that comparison, despite the differences in their recruiting rankings, doesn’t seem too much of a stretch. Jackson was taking some reps with the starters late in camp and he should have an opportunity to play his way onto the field this season.
No. 14 – Wide receiver Joseph Manjack IV – True freshman
Manjack is similar to Jackson in that he was an under-recruited prospect who hit the ground running as soon as he got on campus. Manjack had one practice during camp where he had a couple drops, but that stood out so much because he caught virtually everything else thrown his way. He’s a big target and good route runner at 6-foot-3 and the ability to get in and out of breaks. He and Jackson will both have opportunities to play this season as the Trojans look for receivers to step up alongside Drake London. At this point it looks unlikely that a huge majority of the targets will go to the top three options as has happened the past two years. Head coach Clay Helton has said there will likely be more rotation outside, so those guys at Nos. 4, 5 and 6 on the depth chart could make a bit more of an impact this year.
No. 15 – Safety Anthony Beavers Jr. – True freshman
Beavers is part of a great group of young safeties and he really came on with a nice performance in the second fall camp scrimmage. There doesn’t appear to be a spot for him in the two-deep at this point, but he’s a guy who could push for some special teams work and has shown nice progress since arriving in the spring.
No. 16 – Wide receiver Tahj Washington – Redshirt sophomore transfer from Memphis
Washington is a sneaky choice as the guy who could mean the most to USC’s season in 2021. Kedon Slovis and Drake London are known commodities, provided Slovis bounces back from his sometimes-shaky 2020 season. But USC is without a proven No. 2 option in the passing game right now and if that continues, London will get an overwhelming amount of attention from defenses. Washington has shown more than a few flashes of being that No. 2 and a guy who can stretch the field both directions. He brings a speed element that USC hasn’t had the last couple seasons from a guy who might have his hands on the ball on a consistent basis.
No. 16 – Cornerback Prophet Brown – True freshman
Like Wright, Brown came into fall camp and got picked on a bit as a true freshman and also showed that he’s more than capable of playing at this level. He left fall camp with a huge game in the second scrimmage, making several nice plays on the ball, a few tackles and one of the highlight interceptions of the entire camp. If Isaac Taylor-Stuart and Josh Jackson Jr. are fully healthy at cornerback, the Trojans have a nice two-deep there with Chris Steele and Jayden Williams. But Brown is going to play corner at some point in his USC career and he could be another guy to watch in terms of a special teams impact before that.
No. 19 – Safety Jaylin Smith – True freshman
Smith was the lowest ranked recruit of the four freshmen safeties, but he was every bit as impressive. It was thought that maybe his size could be an issue, but he measured in at 5-foot-11, 180 pounds and has held up physically, even dishing out a few big hits throughout camp. He’s a redshirt candidate this season, but nickel Greg Johnson is a redshirt senior and Smith will be ready to compete for that spot next spring.
No. 19 – Tight end Malcolm Epps – Redshirt junior transfer from Texas
Epps missed much of fall camp due to turf toe but made a good impression early on. He’s huge, at 6-foot-6, 245 pounds and has great speed at that size. The Trojans have interesting options at tight end this season and it will be interesting to see how often they send two at a time out, and whether they rotate through or try to settle on one or two. Epps has played outside receiver in his career and could be a guy who moves around the formation a bit. He and London anywhere close to each other presents a difficult situation for defenses.
No. 21 – Wide receiver K.D. Nixon – Redshirt senior transfer from Colorado
Nixon hasn’t had a huge impact at receiver, but he’s definitely another experienced option who can produce if called upon. Nixon could have a bigger impact on special teams. He looks like a solid punt return option and could be sent back deep for kick return as well. He’ll likely find his way into the receiver rotation this season.
No. 22 – Running back Darwin Barlow – Redshirt sophomore transfer from TCU
Barlow made a quick impression and looked like he might be on his way to forcing position coach Mike Jinks to make a really difficult decision as to the top two backs before a hamstring injury sidelined him for the second half of fall camp. Helton said Barlow will be back this week and if he’s really back to full health before the San Jose State game, that running back depth chart will be fascinating to watch. Barlow can do everything as a back, with good speed and power at 5-foot-11, 205 pounds. USC has three really good full-time options and Jinks has said he wants to limit it to a top two who will get a majority of the carries.That battle between Barlow, Vavae Malepeai and Keaontay Ingram is one of the remaining things to be settled this offseason.
No. 24 – Inside linebacker Julien Simon – True freshman
Simon played a lot in the secondary in high school and he is continuing his adjustment closer to the line of scrimmage at inside linebacker. He’s coming along, but it unlikely to make an impact as a true freshman.
No. 25 – Running back Brandon Campbell – True freshman
Without the two running back transfers, Campbell would be in line for playing time as a true freshman. It would be tough to expect any more out of him than what he showed during the spring and fall. He’s physical gifted, runs hard and can help in the passing game. But it’s a lot to ask a true freshman to make a dent in the depth chart USC has at the position right now. Hopefully the Trojans can put together some early leads this season and Campbell can get a handful of carries in four games while using his redshirt year. He’s a fun one to watch and should have a good USC career.
No. 27 – Safety Calen Bullock – True freshman
Of the true freshmen safeties, Bullock is the one who will play this season. He has ball skills that can’t be taught, according to Orlando, and he made plays early and often after showing up as an early enrollee. He’s a solid part of the two-deep in the secondary and can play nickel and free safety. His weight is the only issue, at 6-foot-3 and 180 pounds, but Bullock said he’s put on about 30 pounds since arriving at USC and will continue to add more.
No. 28 – Safety Xamarion Gordon – True freshman
Gordon is a big hitter and has shown that ability since getting to USC. He’s another young defensive back who could carve out a special teams role while continuing to position himself to battle for a starting spot down the line.
No. 28 – Running back Keaontay Ingram – Senior transfer from Texas
Ingram has been dealing with an ankle injury that kept him out most of the spring. If he’s back healthy enough to put some practices together before San Jose State, it won’t be surprising at all to hear him announced as the starting running back. He brings size, speed and catching ability to the spot and could be a focal point of the running game this season.
No. 29 – Safety Xavion Alford – Redshirt freshman transfer from Texas
Alford will be a valuable backup at safety this fall and could also contribute on special teams. He’s been great in coverage over the past week and looks to be getting comfortable. He’s ran with the first team during the spring after Max Williams went down and Isaiah Pola-Mao shifted to nickel with Greg Johnson sidelined. This fall, Alford has come in at times with the first-team defense as the coaches are looking to speed the progression of those reserve safeties in order to potentially call on them this season to provide some different looks in the secondary.
No. 30 – Safety Chris Thompson Jr. – Sophomore transfer from Auburn
Thompson has been thrown into the mix since arriving over the summer. He and Alford are working together as the No. 2 pair of safeties. Thompson is a big hitter and very comfortable close to the line of scrimmage. At 6-foot-1, 210 pounds, he’s almost an extra outside linebacker and offers another kind of player at safety the coaches can get creative with this season.
No. 42 – Defensive tackle Ishmael Sopsher – Redshirt sophomore transfer from Alabama
Sopsher might be a major key to the defensive line this season. After offseason surgery kept him out of spring ball completely, Sopsher is slowly making his way back this fall. He’s only participated in some individual drills to this point, but he definitely looks the part at 6-foot-4, 330 pounds. USC has to find an answer at defensive tackle this year and it would be nice if Sopsher was part of that equation. The Trojans aren’t going to rush him back and he still has multiple years of eligibility remaining, but if he can get back to full health and make a positive impact at some point this year, he has the potential to take the entire USC defense up a level.
No. 60 – Offensive guard Maximus Gibbs – True freshman
Gibbs is absolutely massive, listed on the roster at 6-foot-7, 390 pounds. It’ll take him a bit of time to get to a point where he can play an entire game at whatever weight he eventually gets to, but he hasn’t been limited by that to this point. He’s made enough of an early impact that he’s getting some second-team reps at right guard. He won’t push for a starting spot and is unlikely to play any significant snaps this year, but it’s been a really positive start to his career and that trajectory is already set for him to make an impact at guard perhaps in the near future.
No. 75 – Offensive tackle Ty Buchanan – True freshman
Buchanan is working at right tackle with the No. 3 offense and could be a scout team guy as a true freshman. He brings good size and toughness to the position and hasn’t been afraid to mix it up a bit during camp. He’ll be a developmental prospect, although he seems to have jumped some of the 2020 offensive linemen and will probably get a shot at that No. 2 right tackle spot in the spring.
No. 76 – Offensive tackle Mason Murphy – True freshman
With Casey Collier missing so much time this fall, Mason Murphy slid into the No. 2 spot at left tackle. He did well enough there that the coaches were able to leave him with the second team while Jonah Monheim and Jalen McKenzie rotated at right tackle with the first and second team. It’s still likely that one a more experienced linemen would head out to left tackle if something were to happen with Courtland Ford, but Murphy is another guy who seems as though he’ll outplay his recruiting ranking.
No. 82 – Wide receiver Jake Smith – Junior transfer from Texas
Smith will sit out this season while undergoing treatment for a broken foot suffered this past spring while at Texas.
No. 87 – Tight end Lake McRee – True freshman
Michael Trigg has gotten most of the attention among tight ends this fall, but McRee is another freshman tight end who has consistently made plays since his arrival in the spring. He’ll need to add some weight to become more of a presence along the line of scrimmage, but he’s already a weapon in the passing game and should have some special teams ability in him as well. It’s tough to expect much of him as a true freshman in a loaded position group, but when those older guys are off the roster, McRee could be ready to make an impact.
No. 90 – Defensive lineman Colin Mobley – True freshman
Mobley is likely going to be a key member of this defensive line down the road, but likely not this season. He has impressive size for a true freshman at 6-foot-4, 275 pounds and will likely find his way to the interior of the defensive line, though he has defensive end abilities and that frame that can play anywhere along the line.
