Football in pads for the first time this spring


On a hot Saturday afternoon that reached into the upper 80s, the USC football team took over Cromwell Field for their third practice of the spring, though,  this was the first time the Trojans were able to practice with shoulder pads.

Practice centered on position- specific drills, 11-on-11, as well as one-on-one’s with wide receivers against cornerbacks. Competition was extremely high and the energy was electric with players getting hyped after every big play.

One of the main focuses during practice was getting the quarterbacks in rhythm with their wide receivers. Both seniors Cody Kessler and Max Browne threw some great balls to receivers who were running double moves. Even Ricky Town showed what he was capable of during the 11-on-11 drill.

With a depleted wide receiver core, sophomore JuJu Smith has taken control and has started to prove to be a leader. Smith was very consistent at practice making most of the catches in his vicinity as well as running crisp routes. Wide receivers to watch are junior college transfer Isaac Whitney and sophomore Darreus Rogers.

Whitney on the football field looks like a man among boys. He is 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds, and he uses his body extremely well to shield defenders from intercepting the pass. Rogers, who is known for his vertical jump and high point ability will have more the opportunity for repetitions with the first team offense. On Saturday, he showed that he has soft hands but, also the ability to secure the ball. A highlight for him at practice was leaping over senior cornerback Ryan Dillard to make an unbelievable catch.

On the defensive side of the ball, they were extremely active and energized. Last season the weakest position for the Trojans was their secondary but on this day they were outstanding, led by senior cornerback Kevon Seymour. Seymour had one interception and several other pass break up while being mainly lined up opposite of Smith.

“I look at myself as a shutdown corner and we got other guys that can do the same,” Seymour said. “We got a lot of great receivers and they are making us better.”

Both defensive and offensive lines were going at it, doing several different drills together working on technique and speed. Being in shoulder pads for the first time, the defense had to some adjusting to do on their pass rushes.

“Our pad play needs to improve right away. You get used to being in helmets and jerseys and you can stay high,” head coach Steve Sarkisian said. “This showed up today when lines were getting pushed around a little bit but the defense front improved as the practice went on.”

In one of the last few plays of practice, redshirt sophomore tight end Connor Spears scored a touchdown after beating junior linebacker Su’a Cravens. Spears has been seeing more action recently because of  the absence of sophomore tight end Bryce Dixon.

Missing at practice on Saturday was Pac-12 Defensive Freshman of the Year Adoree’ Jackson as he was attending a funeral. Also absent was Dixon, who is still suspended from the team. The next practice is on Tuesday, and Sarkisian stated that there’s  a good chance it will once again be in full pads.

2 replies
  1. Steve B.
    Steve B. says:

    Both seniors Cody Kessler and Max Browne. Browne is only a red-shirt sophomore. Get with it and proof read your article or know who is who in athletic eligibility.

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