Football prepares for upcoming season with impact freshmen

Football season never sleeps for USC and with a new season on the horizon, a new team will step onto the field in the Coliseum for the first time. According to 24-7 Sports, USC landed the eighth strongest recruiting class of 2016. USC signed two five-star recruits, 12 four-star recruits and six three-star recruits. There are a few freshman in particular who are expected to not only compete for starting spots, but also make significant contributions to the team as soon as the season begins.

Five-star recruit Oluwole Betiku is a local of Gardena. The Junipero Serra graduate is coming into a defensive line that needs immediate improvement, and Betiku is expected to help.

With the Pac-12’s overall depth at the quarterback position, USC’s pass rush was a large focus for head coach Clay Helton and defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast during the recruiting season.

“In our league, a passing league, you have to be able to get to the quarterback and Wole has been able to do that in his career,” Helton said in his national signing day press conference. “If I were quarterbacks in our league right now, I’d be scared. He scares me just walking up. He looks like he’s about 26 years old.”

Betiku is one of seven freshmen who enrolled at USC a semester early in order to participate in spring practice.

Another defensive end who has the build to compete immediately is 6’7”, 250-pound Connor Murphy. Murphy was the top-rated defensive end in Arizona.

“We really felt that these men were elite about putting pressure when we evaluated on film,” Helton said. “Getting to the quarterback is something we dearly needed.”

Joining Betiku and Murphy on the defensive side of the ball is five-star athlete Jack Jones. Jones has characteristics reminiscent of current cornerback, wide receiver and kick returner Adoree’ Jackson.

“He is the most dynamic athlete. He reminds you of several guys that have been here before. We’ve got this guy named Adoree’ Jackson that does a great job for us,” Helton said. “He is in that similar mode of being able to not only play defensive back, but being greedy on offense too. You love to be able to put him over there and have the chance to be able to throw him a ball or two. He’s so dynamic with the ball in his hands and as a returner. Just the ultimate weapon.”

On the offensive side, the recruiting class is highlighted by offensive tackle Nathan Smith and wide receiver Josh Imatorbhebhe.

Smith and the offensive line will be the root of the Trojan offense.

“Not only are they big men, but they can move,” Helton said of the 6’7” Smith. “We do a lot of zone schemes and pulling with our run schemes. Each one of these guys are ultra athletic. It’s kind of been a staple for us here at USC.”

Josh Imatorbhebhe joins his brother and fellow wide receiver redshirt freshman Daniel Imatorbhebhe as part of an increasingly deep receiving corps.

“I think sometimes as a head football coach and a staff you have to look not only for the season coming up, but you also have to see what’s going on in the future and with the dynamic of us possibly losing several young man after this season and how special a group this class was, we really felt that we needed to load up,” Helton said.

The Imatorbhebhe brothers as well as the other freshman will be leaned upon heavily as the season continues. Helton is a proponent of playing the best available player, and if these freshmen impress him and his coaching staff, they won’t hold back from putting freshmen on the field.