USC Trojans

Lane Kiffin has said all along that he has a plan to navigate the rough waters of NCAA sanctions, including roster limitations. Evidence continues to mount.

When quarterback Matt Barkley and safety T.J. McDonald announced they would be returning for their senior seasons, and USC coaches seemed adamant about taking a full allotment of 15 players in the most recent recruiting class, panic spread as it appeared the Trojans would be well above the NCAA-mandated limit of 75 scholarship players for each of the next three seasons. There were questions as to how the Trojans would be able to trim the roster to fit within that number. But as was the case on the field for the Trojans last year, things have had a way of working out with Kiffin at the helm.

The spring ball roster revealed that fullback Simi Vehikite is no longer part of the team and that, in addition to the losses of Brice Butler, Dillon Baxter, Kyle Prater, Armond Armstead and Patrick Hall, leaves the Trojans with just 64 scholarship players. The addition of 12 freshmen this fall would put USC at 76 total, meaning there must be one additional defection between now and the start of fall camp for the Trojans to head into the reductions at the magic number of 75.

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After rushing for 1,300 yards and 17 touchdowns last fall, running back Alvin Kamara (Norcross, Ga./Norcross) was invited to participate in the weeklong Rising Seniors program in December in Atlanta. After impressing in practice all week at receiver, Kamara shined during the Georgia Junior Bowl, making a game-high eight catches for 117 yards.

His versatility and explosiveness have made the 5-foot-10, 190-pound Kamara one of the most coveted running backs in the Southeast, with double-digit offers from programs including Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia and USC. The Georgia Bulldogs were lucky enough to get Kamara on campus last weekend, and although they invited him to return Saturday for VID Day, he had made plans weeks ago to be elsewhere this weekend.

Then things changed.

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The Trojans added another piece to their backcourt, receiving a verbal commitment from Los Angeles Fairfax High School combo guard Brendyn Taylor.

Taylor, capable of playing both point guard and shooting guard, missed much of his junior and senior seasons after having his eligibility revoked by CIF due to a transfer situation. He was reinstated this past January and helped the Lions close strong before a second-round playoff defeat against Los Angeles Dorsey.

Taylor was under-recruited due to his eligibility situation, but will have a chance to quickly move into the rotation at USC.

His father, Brian Taylor, played at Princeton before moving onto the NBA. And USC fans will certainly remember his older brother, Bryce Taylor, who lit up the Trojans for 32 points on 11-for-11 shooting in the 2007 Pac-10 Tournament championship game for Oregon.

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The USC Trojans baseball team dropped their second game in a row against North Carolina on Saturday in a 1-0 loss despite seven scoreless innings from starting pitcher Ben Mount.

Mount (1-1) didn’t allow a runner past second base in the game, but he was removed with one out in the eighth and a runner on first base. North Carolina quickly got two hits against two different Trojans relief pitchers and the Tar Heels were able to push across the only score of the game.

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The USC coaching staff hasn't been shy about looking out of state for outside linebacker in this class, and Friday the Trojans reached out to Alex Anzalone (Wyomissing, Pa./Wyomissing Area).

The USC offer marks the 29th school to jump into the mix for Anzalone, and all of them have come since February 1. He said the recruiting process has become a combination of being slightly systematic -- simply because so many schools have come calling in such a short period of time -- and exciting, due to the caliber of schools extending offers. But the USC offer stands out for Anzalone.

"I'm really excited to get an offer from there," he said. "It's a huge deal."

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LOS ANGELES -- USC’s veterans seem more anxious than normal as spring ball, which kicks off Tuesday, approaches. The long layoff, made even longer with the lack of bowl practices, has them chomping at the bit to tighten up the chin straps.

But that anticipation might not even compare to some of the younger players looking forward to their first spring ball as Trojans. The USC coaches made an effort to redshirt as many newcomers as possible last year, hoping to preserve their eligibility for as long as possible to weather the years of scholarship reductions.

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Give your top three special teams plays from 2011.

Garry Paskwietz
1) Andre Heidari tackle on De'Anthony Thomas kickoff return vs. Oregon

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USC walk-on punter Kyle Negrete may have surprised Trojans fans when he grabbed the starting position last spring and held onto it, despite a push from scholarship freshman Kris Albarado in the fall. But to those who had the best view in watching it unfold -- namely, special teams coordinator John Baxter -- earning the role was hardly a shock.

Baxter knows Negrete dating back to the redshirt junior's high school career at Fresno Clovis West, when Negrete racked up 105 tackles and eight interceptions as a senior linebacker to go along with a 46.7-yard punting average. Baxter was serving as an assistant coach at nearby Fresno State. Several years later, the two were joined at USC and clicked immediately -- Negrete buying into everything Baxter was looking for on special teams, and Baxter realizing who Negrete has become.

"He's completely taken advantage of his opportunity of being at USC," Baxter said of his punter. "The bottom line is he's productive as a player. He's a great leader. He's a great teammate. He's a great friend. He's a great example."

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LOS ANGELES -- With spring practice now officially one week away, let's take a look at five players who have stood out in offseason workouts and seem to be ready for bigger roles this spring.

WR Victor Blackwell -- There has been a lot of attention paid to the move of George Farmer back to wide receiver and deservedly so, as Farmer has looked good in returning to his preferred position. However, Farmer is going to have competition for the No. 3 receiver spot from Blackwell, a speedy redshirt freshman who has the kind of burst and explosion that Lane Kiffin wants to see in his receivers. Blackwell also has one advantage over Farmer, as his familiarity with Matt Barkley dates back to when both played at Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei HS.

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Coming into the NFL scouting combine, there was a lot of talk about USC defensive end Nick Perry being no worse than a second-round selection and a guy who could possibly even work his way into being a first-round choice with a good showing in Indianapolis.

Well, it's safe to say that Perry certainly gave himself a chance to move up on the draft boards with some very strong marks in the testing drills. Perry (6-foot-3, 271 pounds) had the top defensive line marks in the vertical leap (38.5 inches) and broad jump (10-feet, 4 inches) while posting the No. 3 time in the 40-yard dash (4.64 seconds).

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A pair of Trojans, Marc Tyler and Rhett Ellison, took part in the running back drills on Sunday at the NFL combine with markedly different results.

Ellison (6-foot-5, 251 pounds) didn't wow anybody with his testing results, which included a 4.88 in the 40-yard dash and a 31.5 inch vertical jump, but those aren't areas where Ellison is going to impress the NFL scouts. Those numbers were solid enough, however, to allow the scouts to appreciate what he does bring to the table, which is a solid and reliable football player who can contribute at fullback and tight end.

Ellison showed himself well going through drills as a fullback, a position which he moved to as a senior in 2011, and he looked fairly smooth and natural at the spot. There is also plenty of tape of him at tight end for scouts to watch which, combined with his performance on Sunday, should only help solidify Ellison as a player who will definitely get selected in the draft.

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