Receiver talent abounds at USC
No one can deny that USC has earned its reputation as a running back factory. “Tailback U,” as our school is historically known, has produced five Heisman trophy winners at the position — four, if NCAA president Mark Emmert is reading this over your shoulder — along with many other NFL backs. Marcus Allen and O.J. Simpson, whose trophies still rest in Heritage Hall, went on to become two of the greatest NFL running backs of all-time. As recently as 2005, when R—-e B–h and his backfield mate LenDale White terrorized the college football world, this tradition was alive and well. Since then, however, things have changed.
The last decade of Trojan football has by no means been free of capable tailbacks. This year’s main ground threat, redshirt junior Javorius “Buck” Allen, certainly looks like he could join former Trojan and current Washington Redskin Silas Redd in the NFL soon. But even Allen and Redd have been exceptions to the norm in the post-B–h era, the top two names among a laundry list of highly touted, injury-prone, scandal-ridden and ultimately disappointing tailbacks.
Stafon Johnson and Emmanuel Moody were the all-world recruits expected to replace the two-headed monster of B–h and White, realistically an impossible job. A year later Moody had transferred and Johnson had been replaced by yet another freshman, C.J. Gable. Gable struggled before eventually being replaced by Marc Tyler, who was replaced by Curtis McNeal, and on the story goes.
Why Allen and Redd — along with McNeal at times — have been the only memorable starting tailbacks over the last 10 years of Trojan football is an interesting question. Clearly the sanctions stemming from the misdeeds of the last truly great USC back (curse anyone?) have not helped. Fewer scholarships create a smaller squad, shrinking the pool of capable players and multiplying practice and game reps for starters and backups. At a punishing position like running back, this can be a major problem. Redd and current redshirt junior Tre Madden, who both logged significant injury time during their careers, can attest to that. Still, another trend intrigues me even more. As USC has failed to live up to its historical title of “Tailback U” in the last decade, it has arguably gained another one: “Wide Receiver U.”
Along with a truly remarkable stable of running backs, Trojan fans have always been able to look back at a memorable group of wideouts. Lynn Swann and Keyshawn Johnson both went on to All-Pro and Super Bowl-winning NFL careers. Often regarded as the best USC receiver of all-time, Dwayne Jarrett set just about every school and conference record that existed before his own pro career was cut short by off-the-field issues. But, at least until the last decade, these guys were few and far between. After Swann’s departure, twenty years came and went before Johnson stepped on the scene. Yet another decade separated Johnson and Jarrett. Now, however, it seems that Trojan fans can’t even go a single year without witnessing a potential NFL great suiting up at receiver.
It all started with Robert Woods. The current Buffalo Bills standout teamed up with Matt Barkley to make 2011 one of the most exciting seasons in USC history, recording nearly 1,300 yards and setting a school record with 15 touchdowns.
Playing second fiddle to Woods that season was a freshman named Marqise Lee, who followed up a 1,143-yard debut campaign with the greatest season by a wideout in school history. Lee led the nation with 118 receptions in 2012, racking up a preposterous 1,721 yards and setting USC records in both categories. In a road loss to Arizona, Lee did his best to keep the Trojans’ national title hopes alive by himself with a positively insane 345 receiving yards. That number is, you guessed it, a school record. The only record Lee couldn’t break that season, it seemed, was the touchdown mark set by his teammate Woods the year before. Lee would struggle with a knee injury in 2013, a loss that would force most programs to completely revamp their offense. Not USC, however, as the team had yet another spectacular pass-catcher waiting in the wings.
Though he suffered through Lane Kiffin’s disturbingly conservative play-calling and the growing pains of a first-year quarterback last year, junior Nelson Agholor has been one of “Wide Receiver U’s” better students. Agholor picked up 918 receiving yards and eight total touchdowns in 2013, numbers made more impressive when you realize Lee was still on the team. This year, Agholor officially takes the mantle as the Trojans’ No. 1 receiver, and is primed for a breakout year with seasoned redshirt junior Cody Kessler at quarterback.
Even the question of Agholor’s eventual replacement, a scary one through the spring and summer, has seemingly been answered. True freshmen Adoree’ Jackson and JuJu Smith looked every bit the college-ready two-way players they had been advertised to be in Saturday’s pantsing of Fresno State. If the pair continues to impress, their offensive reps will only go up.
As the transition from “Tailback U” to “Wide Receiver U” has become more apparent, the question of what exactly started the trend should be considered. College football teams are passing more across the board, to be sure, but until this season USC had resisted the up-tempo, pass-happy offense that has inspired that change. As much as we all hate to say it, the transition from Pete Carroll to Lane Kiffin at head coach could be part of the answer; all of these players reached their primes under Kiffin. You could even say blind luck played a role: Jackson, Lee and Woods all happened to attend the same high school, just down the street at USC-pipeline Junipero Serra in Gardena, California.
Whatever the real reason, I’m not too concerned. All I know is that I’ll be watching this bunch catch passes on Saturdays — and Sundays — for a very long time.
Will Hanley is a junior majoring in political science and communication. He is also the sports editor of the Daily Trojan. His column, “Sports Willustrated,” runs Thursdays.