USC Looking To Replace Offensive Pieces
USC head coach Clay Helton has been here before. The Trojans lost significant pieces from a team that went 11-3 in 2017, including quarterback Sam Darnold and running back Ronald Jones.
Last fall, Darnold threw for 4,143 yards and 26 touchdowns while Jones ran for 1,550 yards and 19 touchdowns.
Helton believes they have young guys that are waiting to be stars and by the end of the year, the Trojans will have replaced the star power they lost.
“That's the opportunity of SC,” explained Helton at Pac-12 Media Day. “I remember losing Robert Woods and going, ‘okay, what's going to happen?’ There is Marqise Lee, then you lose him, and there is Nelson Agholor; you lose him, and there is JuJu Smith. So you acquire the talent that you believe in and the men that you believe in.
“Now it's their opportunity to compete. The guy that is the best player for the moment is going to walk out there. There are going to be several young players that have that opportunity. It's a great mix on this team. I think about the two young men here today in Cam Smith and Porter Gustin, they're kind of what we have right now on the defensive side of the ball. Great experience, great leadership, great talent, and really believe in team success over their own individual success.”
The USC season will go as far as the quarterback can take them. The Trojans will hold a competitive quarterback battle between redshirt sophomore Matt Fink, redshirt freshman Jack Sears and true freshman JT Daniels.
Helton had a quarterback battle to manage two years ago between Max Browne and Sam Darnold, and while he can pull lessons from it, he also made sure to state the situations are very different.
“With Max and Sam, you had a red-shirt junior that played a lot of ball, so you knew there," stated Helton. "This situation you have some guys that don't have a lot of experience. Matt has the only experience in games. It's extremely limited. It's going to be about who the best player is in the moment. It doesn't matter his age to me, because not any of them have a great experience. Who is going to be able to move our football team, move our offense and put the ball in the end zone in training camp?'"
When it comes to a timeline, Helton hasn’t set a target date to make the decision.
“We've got 25 practices,” said Helton. “I'll name somebody before the opening game. I don't have a crystal ball because I'm going to have to have time enough to allow the kids to compete and make the best decision for the football team. So I think it will be later than sooner, I just don't have a crystal ball to when that is.
“When I feel confident enough in it to make that decision, I'll let everybody know. I won't go out there Saturday with nobody knowing who the quarterback is. I'm not going to do that. I want our team to know that.”
USC will have help for the first-time starter at quarterback as receivers Michael Pittman Jr. and Tyler Vaughns have Helton’s attention and could be in for big seasons.
Vaughns, a redshirt sophomore, made 57 catches for 809 yards and five scores in his first year of action last fall. However, it could be Pittman that takes the biggest step forward. The junior receiver caught 23 balls for 404 yards and two scores but really came on at the end of the year, including seven catches for 146 yards and one touchdown against Stanford in the PAC-12 Championship Game.
“ was very proud of Michael, especially him and Tyler, how they finished down the stretch really led our football team. Then what he did in the bowl game, the guy had a broken thumb, and he's out there competing and playing and making plays. Just a really special talent. Had a great off-season, great spring. A 6'4.5", 220-pounds physical receiver that has little man skills. I expect huge things from him this year.”
Another receiver to watch is true freshman Amon-Ra St. Brown, who has impressed Helton and the USC staff over the course of summer workouts.
“You get to watch summer workouts and summer conditioning,” explained Helton. “It is open to coaches. You can't be out there for the player-run practices. But you do get to see them move around and see their work ethic. You know both Amon-Ra and Devon Williams have provided a great sense of maturity from a physical standpoint and mental standpoint. I've been very impressed. Usually, that equals the ability to contribute.
“I know a lot of the kids have been bragging on Amon-Ra and what he's been doing, and he's had that shut-up-and-work mentality this summer and is earning a lot of respect with our older guys.”
When it comes to the schedule, USC needs to start fast in 2018. The Trojans open with UNLV, but then face back-to-back road games at Stanford and Texas before playing Washington State and then heading to Arizona to face Heisman Trophy candidate Khalil Tate.
“One of the things we've learned is every game counts,” Helton said. “When you're trying to win a national title and present a resumé to that playoff football committee, every game counts and leaving no doubt is very, very important.
“Our opening schedule with UNLV, going to Stanford, to Texas, coming back for a Friday night game after Texas against Washington State and then going to Arizona against Khalil Tate, that's a challenging opening schedule, but it also creates a great opportunity to start fast and create a great resumé.
“That's the way we look at things, is the ability to get out of the gate, play quality football teams that can create a great resumé for you and hopefully put you where you want to be come late November.”