Experience proves king in early position battles
Starting spots are still up for grabs as the Trojans head into their second game.
By THOMAS JOHNSON
With multiple transfers and high-level freshmen joining USC football, speculation and rumors ran amuck in the off-season about who would contribute the most on both sides of the ball. While there is still no clear-cut starter in some position groups, USC’s 56-28 victory over the San Jose State Spartans gave a small glimpse into who will be the best players for USC this season.
Here is a look at the different position groups and how they performed against the Spartans:
Quarterbacks
This is one of the few position groups where there is a definitive starter, and it is, of course, the reigning Heisman winner. Junior quarterback Caleb Williams cemented his starting role further, if that was even possible, by throwing for 278 yards and four touchdowns. This was his 10th game as a Trojan where he was responsible for four or more touchdowns.
But with over 10 minutes left in the game and the win firmly in hand for USC, both backup signal callers got time under center. Redshirt sophomore Miller Moss, who earned the No. 2 QB spot on the depth chart after fall camp, and freshman Malachi Nelson battled it out on the field for that spot behind Williams. Moss again showed that his experience currently outweighs Nelson’s undeniable talent after going 5-for-7 for 63 yards and a running one in for a score.
Running Backs
The tailback position is another spot where experience under Head Coach Lincoln Riley’s system outweighs apparent talent. Redshirt senior running back Austin Jones got the start for the Trojans and made the most out of the opportunity, rushing for 54 yards and two scores on only six carries.
Redshirt junior MarShawn Lloyd, a 4-star transfer from South Carolina, is still on Jones’ tail, as Lloyd ended the game with more carries than Jones, but Lloyd only averaged 4.7 yards per rush, while Jones nearly doubled that with 9.0 yards per carry.
As of right now, Jones is still the starting tailback for USC.
Wide Receivers
The Trojans opened up their first offensive drive with four receivers in the formation, with freshman Zachariah Branch, junior Mario Williams, junior Dorian Singer and redshirt sophomore Kyron Hudson on the field for the first USC snap.
However, this position might be the most unclear of them all, as 10 different Trojan receivers caught a pass against the Spartans. Redshirt senior Tahj Washington led USC with 85 receiving yards, a stat he was second on the team in last year after hauling in 785 yards.
Branch, Williams, Singer, Washington and senior wide receiver Brenden Rice all have a chance to lead the team in receiving yards by the end of the year, which shows how talented this position group is and how much depth it has. As such, expect a lot of rotating wideouts during games, especially early in the season.
Offensive Line
The largest, and frankly, the only position battle in the offensive line room is at left guard. While many expected junior Emmanuel Pregnon, a 4-star transfer from Wyoming, to run away with the position, freshman Alani Noa has come on strong in his first season at USC and earned himself a start this past Saturday.
This does not necessarily mean Noa will start every game for the rest of the season, but even if Pregnon does cement his spot at left guard, the fact Noa was even considered for a starting spot this early in his career is a good sign for the future of the USC offensive line.
Overall, the offensive line only allowed two sacks and kept Caleb Williams protected in the pocket for extended periods. Heading into this season, PFF ranked the USC offensive line as No. 5 in college football, and the Trojans showed why they received that ranking in their first game.
Tight ends
All three tight ends on the depth chart saw action in the game, but redshirt sophomore Lake McCree was the only who showed up on the stat sheet with three receptions for 36 yards. McCree played in 13 of USC’s 14 games last season and brings a lot of game experience, as he is the only tight end on the depth chart with more than 100 receiving yards in his career.
Riley confirmed Thursday that McCree remains the No. 1 tight end for the Trojans.
Senior wide receiver Brenden Rice caught a touchdown in the Trojans’ opening win and is looking to make headway in the crowded receiver room. (Brooks Taylor / Daily Trojan)
Defensive Line
While the offensive position battles are undoubtedly important, the offense will always be fine whenever Riley is the coach. The defensive position battles will determine whether the Trojans can earn a spot in the College Football Playoff.
Seven different players were listed as potential starters for three open spots on the defense line before the first game, but it was redshirt senior Kyon Barrs and sophomores Anthony Lucas and Bear Alexander, all transfers, who ended up on the line at the beginning of the game for USC.
While the USC defense only recorded one sack, with Alexander getting an assist on the sack, Lucas recorded two tackles for loss to likely secure his place as a starter. Alexander also played well, but much of what he did does not show up on the stat sheet, such as forcing SJSU junior quarterback Chevan Cordeiro out of the pocket on multiple occasions.
Redshirt senior Solomon Byrd earned the start at defensive end, getting the other half of the sack along with Alexander. In doing so, Byrd extended the gap between him and the two other defensive ends on the depth chart.
Linebackers
Of all the issues the USC defense had last year, tackling was the preeminent problem. Redshirt senior Mason Cobb and freshman Tackett Curtis opened up the game in the middle of the USC defense to rectify that problem, but the corps played at its best when junior Eric Gentry was in the game.
While getting Curtis some experience in a lower-leverage game will pay dividends towards the end of the season, Gentry and Cobb proved against the Spartans they should be the starting linebackers. Cobb totaled six tackles (two for a loss) and Gentry added two of his own.
Cornerbacks
Heading into the game, the starting cornerbacks were already announced as sophomore Domani Jackson and redshirt sophomore Ceyair Wright. Both had bright moments — Jackson had a pass breakup, which was close to an interception, and Wright had a tackle for loss.
Jackson, who had more tackles against San Jose State than he had all of last year, did let his inexperience show at points. He was in the area for two of the Spartans’ passing touchdowns, but should continue to grow as the season progresses. Wright, who also gave up a touchdown while in coverage, should also grow as he gets more experience in a starting role.
While Jackson and Wright gave up all three San Jose State touchdown passes, the duo should remain the starting corners heading into Week 2.
Safeties
Junior safety Calen Bullock, a preseason second-team All-American, was always going to be the starting strong safety, but it was the free safety slot up for grabs. Redshirt senior Max Williams got the starting nod in the first game, but this is another position that is likely to fluctuate between a few players as the season goes on.
Williams, at 5 feet 9 inches and 185 pounds, is the smallest of the three options at free safety, with redshirt freshman Zion Branch, the brother of Zachariah, coming in at 6 feet 2 inches and 210 pounds, while redshirt senior Bryson Shaw stands at 6 feet 0 inches and weighs 190 pounds.
Although Williams and Shaw have more experience than Branch, Branch’s size might push him over the edge and get him more playing time this season.
Many players saw action against San Jose State — 70 different Trojans played in the game compared to only 53 Spartans. This trend will likely continue this weekend when USC takes on the Nevada Wolf Pack, a team that finished last season 2-10.
Riley and the rest of the coaching staff will continue to rotate players in and out of the game in the early part of the season to find the best combination of players for when USC gets into the thick of the schedule. These position battles will still be going on for a good portion of the season and might not be fully won until USC plays at Colorado Sept. 30, if not later than that.
