USC Trojans

It was a big spring for the USC inside linebackers on a number of levels. Lining up out of a new defensive set with a dramatic change in philosophy, not to mention a new position coach in Mike Ekeler, they emerged as one of the standout groups of the spring. And so, with an eye toward next season, here’s a look at some of the major storylines of the offseason for USC’s inside linebacker corps.

New-look defense, new level of play

With the recently hired Clancy Pendergast installing a brand-new 5-2 defensive look, there was a ton of anticipation heading into the spring, as everyone wondered just how the inside linebackers would adjust to their new roles. All of the concerns were quickly erased as players such as Hayes Pullard, Lamar Dawson and Anthony Sarao made a lightning-quick transition and shined right from day one.

In fact, with a mindset focused on attacking the line of scrimmage at all times, Pullard and Co. made more big-play stops and tackles for loss than they ever did out of the old 4-3 set, giving the defense a physical and active presence that it will desperately need in the fall. Throw in what has been the very positive influence of Ekeler, and there’s reason to believe that this unit’s production will go up dramatically in 2013.

Leader of the pack

No defensive performer made a bigger statement this spring than the veteran manning the starting MIKE linebacker spot -- Pullard. Coming off a 2012 campaign that saw him finish second on the team with 107 tackles, the redshirt junior out of Los Angeles Crenshaw simply took his game to another level. Showcasing unique football instincts and an aggresive brand of play, he’s a natural fit in Pendergast’s defense. With the way that he produced on the field this spring for the Trojans, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him garner consideration for some major postseason honors in 2013. Just as important, he emerged as an unquestioned team leader, speaking up when he had to while also setting an example with his work ethic.

Battle still raging at WILL

It didn’t necessarily receive a lot of attention going into spring ball, but when it was all said and done, the competition between Dawson and Sarao at the WILL linebacker spot ultimately stood out as one of the overriding highlights. In somewhat of a surprise move, it was Sarao who was lining up with the first unit at the outset of the practices ahead of Dawson -- a starter in the middle since his freshman season.

To Dawson’s credit, however, he more than answered the challenge, performing at a higher level than he ever has before -- continually drawing the praise of USC head coach Lane Kiffin. But Sarao didn’t back down either, looking more than at home in his role as a starter. In the end, however, it was Dawson who took his place with the first-team defense in the spring game. A sign that this competition isn’t over was that both players were listed atop the post-spring depth chart with the signature “OR” label placed between their names. With Dawson and Sarao acknowledging that they’ll continue to push each other throughout the spring, the one thing that is certain is that the Trojans are sure to have an extremely capable starter at the WILL spot this fall. And while both players will likely see the field in at least some capacity, there are only so many snaps to go around, and it’s going to be interesting to see just how this one shakes out.

Searching for depth

While Pullard, Dawson and Sarao have all proven themselves to a certain extent, the fact remains that there simply isn’t much depth at the two inside linebacker positions beyond those three performers. The MIKE spot is particularly thin, with walk-ons Will Andrew and Julian Coleman currently serving as backups. Therefore, the arrival of Class of 2013 signee Michael Hutchings this summer is sure to be welcomed with open arms by Pendergast and Ekeler. At 6-foot-1 and a rock-solid 213 pounds, the Concord (Calif.) De La Salle standout is known for his athleticism and playmaking ability, and there’s little doubt that he’ll make a major push for the role as Pullard’s primary backup in fall camp. Scott Starr is another name to watch at WILL -- assuming he’ll return in time after undergoing neck surgery this past season. Tough and rangy, the redshirt freshman out of Norco, Calif., has the tools to develop into a key contributor down the line.

USC TROJANS

2012 record: 7-6

2012 conference record: 5-4

Returning starters: Offense: 8; defense: 6; special teams: 1

Top returners: WR Marqise Lee, TB Silas Redd, TE Xavier Grimble, TE Randall Telfer, OL Kevin Graf, DL Leonard Williams, OLB/DE Morgan Breslin, LB Hayes Pullard, LB Dion Bailey

Key losses: QB Matt Barkley, WR Robert Woods, OL Khaled Holmes, DL Wes Horton, DB T.J. McDonald, DB Nickell Robey, RB Curtis McNeal, P Kyle Negrete

2012 statistical leaders (*returners)

Rushing: Silas Redd* (905 yards, 9 touchdowns)

Passing: Matt Barkley (3,273 yards, 36 touchdowns)

Receiving: Marqise Lee* (1,721 yards, 14 touchdowns)

Tackles: T.J. McDonald (112)

Sacks: Morgan Breslin* (13)

Interceptions: Dion Bailey* (4)

Spring Answers

1. Agholor is ready to go: USC has been fortunate to have a pair of dynamic receivers recently in Woods and Lee. With Woods taking his talents to Buffalo, the question of who will fill that second receiver spot was answered resoundingly in the spring with a terrific performance by Agholor. It’s not a complete surprise to see this happen, as Agholor had shown flashes as a true freshman, but it was a bit of a shock to see him at such a high level. With Lee sidelined for much of spring with a minor knee injury, Agholor stepped up and was the most consistent offensive performer of spring.

2. New defense gets positive reviews: The offseason arrival of defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast also brought a new 5-2 scheme for the Trojans, and there was a lot of anticipation to see how things would fit. After 15 practices, the results were fairly solid, especially in the front seven. The defensive line looks strong in the middle -- led by Williams and George Uko -- while Breslin picked up where he left off last fall with 3.5 sacks in the spring game. Pullard looks set at one inside linebacker spot with much-improved Lamar Dawson and Anthony Sarao still fighting it out for the other open spot.

3. Early enrollees as good as advertised: The Trojans took advantage of the early enrollee signing period by bringing in seven freshmen to take part in the spring session. It was a star-studded group led by QB Max Browne and S Su'a Cravens. All seven had moments showing why they were so highly touted with the most impressive all-around performance coming from tailback Justin Davis, who had Lane Kiffin saying he could push for the starting job in the fall.

Fall questions

1. Quarterback battle: The most high-profile position battle didn’t get settled in spring, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes when there is no decision, it’s because nobody is playing well -- that’s not the case here. Cody Kessler and Max Wittek have both shown enough to take over the starting spot after being in the program for two full years. Kessler was steady and came away with the unofficial nod as the projected starter from most practice observers. Wittek missed some time with a knee injury but still showcased the strong arm that will keep this battle going into fall camp. Browne will likely redshirt this year behind those two, but his talent is obvious.

2. Filling the cornerback spots: The need to get things settled at cornerback is the biggest concern coming out of spring. There were simply too many big plays from the USC receivers against a defensive scheme that needs the corners to be effective in coverage. It’s such a glaring problem that Kiffin said he will likely move Josh Shaw from safety to corner in the fall. Shaw had played corner last fall, but he moved to safety in the spring and was the best player in the secondary. The good news is that the Trojans should have plenty of bodies at safety to absorb the loss.

3. Impact of injuries and physical practices: There was a lot made of the fact that the Trojans were going to increase hitting in practice as part of the plan to be more physical in 2013. Kiffin had elected not to hit last fall in part to keep the team healthy with reduced roster numbers, but he ultimately decided that tackling in practice was simply too necessary. Then the injuries started to hit and by the time the end of spring rolled around, the Trojans had 20 players on the sidelines with various ailments, and they couldn’t tackle in the spring game. It’s unclear what the practice policy will be in the fall on this important issue.

WeAreSC staffers Garry Paskwietz, Johnny Curren and Greg Katz look at some of the top superlatives from the 2013 USC spring ball session.

MVP -- QB Cody Kessler: Nobody entered the spring with more to prove, and Kessler made a huge statement by rising to the occasion. Performing on a consistently high level from practice No. 1 all the way to practice No. 15, he showed that while he might not have the size of his two counterparts in the quarterback battle -- Max Wittek and Max Browne -- what he does possess is grit, a remarkable football IQ and the ability to simply get the job done. Referred to as a ‘gamer’ by USC head coach Lane Kiffin on more than one occasion, he was particularly stellar in the team’s scrimmages, putting up big numbers and never throwing a single interception. More than that, he emerged as a leader who the rest of the team really seemed to respond to. -- Johnny Curren

Top offensive performer -- WR Nelson Agholor: With the No. 2 receiver job up for grabs, Agholor asserted himself early as the clear choice. Building off a productive freshman campaign, he shined throughout the spring, and a practice didn’t seem to go by without the Tampa (Fla.) Berkeley Prep product coming up with at least one highlight play that caught everyone’s attention. Showcasing game-breaking ability to go along with reliable hands, he just might allow everyone to get over the loss of Robert Woods just a tad bit sooner than imagined. -- JC

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As the USC Trojans begin their fourth week of spring ball, it has become apparent that injuries are taking a toll, as 19 players sat out on Tuesday and two more left practice due to injury.

Both wide receiver George Farmer and defensive back Demetrius Wright were forced to depart the Tuesday practice early due to injuries and there was no word on their status at the end of the day. Wright was walking and appeared to be fine, but there was concern about Farmer, who had to be carted off the field after suffering an apparent left leg/knee injury during a non-contact drill. Results of an MRI for Farmer are expected on Wednesday.

“It was a very physical practice,” USC coach Lane Kiffin said. “I liked the defensive mentality at the end in the goal-line drill. It’s been a very competitive spring. It reminds me of the spring when we first got here. We need that to establish a competitive mindset.”

As Kiffin mentioned, the Trojans ended practice with a goal-line drill that got started with Hayes Pullard stuffing a run up the middle by Buck Allen. Justin Davis tried to slash into the end zone, but J.R. Tavai came across the line and knocked the ball out as he was bringing Davis to the ground, although Randall Telfer recovered for the offense. Davis did punch in a score at the end for the offense. There was also a little skirmish between a few offensive and defensive players after one play.

“It’s always a tough line between physical play and getting penalties with the goal-line drill,” Kiffin said.

Kiffin speaks with Enfield
Kiffin said he talked with new USC basketball coach Andy Enfield on Sunday night, prior to the announcement that Enfield had taken the job.

“I talked to him about the program and about working with Pat (Haden) and Max (Nikias),” Kiffin said. “I think it’s a great hire. He brings an exciting style of play and kids will want to play in that style. He’s also a guy who understands the academic side of being at a private school.”

Brady on campus
New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady worked out on the USC campus Tuesday, throwing passes to his new receiver, Danny Amendola. Kiffin said it is common for NFL quarterbacks to use the USC facilities in the offseason, mentioning Philip Rivers, Drew Brees and Matt Cassel as players who had thrown recently on the USC field.

Highlight plays
* Anthony Brown knocked away a pass at the sideline intended for Nelson Agholor. Brown has put together a very solid spring while consistently in the lineup as one of the starting corners.

* A few plays later, however, Brown went for a pick on a rope thrown over the middle by Max Wittek and missed, allowing De’Von Flournoy to go for a long gain. Flournoy also had a touchdown later in the drill when he caught a pass from Max Browne and split the safeties with his speed.

* Victor Blackwell caught a short pass and got loose from Torin Harris with a nice shake move.

* Kevin Greene had a sack on Cody Kessler.

* Ryan Henderson had a pick off Kessler, who was trying to get the ball to Blackwell.

* George Uko had a nice play to move along the line of scrimmage in pursuit of Davis and hold him to no gain.

* Davis provided yet another dazzling touchdown run, this one a 45-yarder behind a block from Kevin Graf.

* Allen had a 20-yard gain down the left sideline thanks to Jahleel Pinner, who got one block at the line and then hustled down field to get another block.

* Browne hooked up on a 25-yard pass to walk-on Robby Kolanz on the right sideline.

Notables in attendance
Nico Falah, Steven Mitchell, Adoree’ Jackson, Dwight Williams, Chase Blakley

LOS ANGELES -- The Trojans held a scrimmage on Saturday at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, with the offense having the most balanced day of the spring.

“I thought this was the best day for the offense in terms of having a good balance of running the ball and throwing the ball downfield,” USC coach Lane Kiffin said. “Both of the quarterbacks were accurate, they handled things well, and I thought the offensive line has put together two of their best practices in a row.”

There was plenty of scoring in the scrimmage, including two touchdowns each from Nelson Agholor (four catches for 93 yards) and Justin Davis (11 rushes, 54 yards).

Agholor has scored at least one long touchdown in each of the three spring scrimmages so far. Today, it was a 59-yard effort on the opening series on a pretty pass from Cody Kessler down the right sideline.

It was the second eye-opening practice in a row for Davis. Not only did he get into the end zone twice but his most impressive run might have been when he bowled over Leon McQuay III on an 11-yard gain in the red zone.

Both quarterbacks did well too. In addition to the opening touchdown to Agholor, Kessler also had a scoring pass courtesy of a great effort from Victor Blackwell. With the offense at the 25-yard line Kessler lofted a pass into the right corner of the end zone, where Torin Harris had solid coverage on Blackwell, only to see Blackwell simply leap up and get the ball for the score.

As a side note, Blackwell’s high school coach, Bruce Rollinson from Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei, was standing on the sidelines near the play and had a big smile on his face for his former star. Kessler ended the day completing five of nine passes for 99 yards and two touchdowns.

Wittek, who also played for Rollinson at Mater Dei, hit Agholor for a 15-yard score, but his best throw of the day came when he threw down the right sideline to George Farmer for a 47-yard gain. Wittek completed three of five passes for 84 yards and one touchdown, he also had one potential touchdown pass dropped by Blackwell.

On defense, the two most active players were J.R. Tavai and Josh Shaw.

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With the USC defense making the switch to a 5-2 alignment under Clancy Pendergast, it was generally assumed that the most likely candidate to start alongside MIKE linebacker Hayes Pullard at the WILL position would be junior Lamar Dawson, a starter since his freshman season, not to mention the owner of one of the most revered jerseys in program history -- No. 55.

When camp opened up earlier this month, however, it was redshirt sophomore Anthony Sarao who was lining up with the first unit, with Dawson running primarily with the second group.

Athletic and physical, Sarao first made a name for himself last season as a reserve and on special teams, and he excelled right from the get-go this spring, proving to be more than capable in his extended role. And while Sarao's strong play has continued throughout March, it’s been Dawson who has taken his game to a whole new level the past couple of weeks.

With both players establishing themselves as two of the defense’s most promising performers, the competition at WILL linebacker has developed into one of the spring’s more interesting position battles.

“I would think that Lamar Dawson is probably our most improved player on our team, and Anthony would be in the top five,” Kiffin said after Thursday’s practice. “They have both had great camps.”

It’s been Dawson, in fact, who has arguably been playing the best football of his career, showcasing improved instincts, speed and playmaking skills. Rewarded with a greater number of reps with the first team defense this week, Kiffin believes Dawson’s performance is directly tied in with his experience and physical maturity.

“I just think it’s a guy going into his third year and sometimes the light just clicks on and his body looks better, he’s getting stronger, he’s playing a lot lower, he’s playing more physical on special teams and on defense,” Kiffin said. “A majority of the guys take a couple of years, and we’re seeing that with guys like Lamar going into their third year who are really shining, and Anthony a year behind that is doing really well.”

With both Dawson and Sarao playing at such a high level, the competition for the starting WILL linebacker spot will likely extend into the fall. But as they continue to push each other, no matter who ultimately lines up with the first group this fall, it’s safe to say that the Trojans are likely to receive some very strong production out of the position.

The Trojans returned to the spring practice field on Tuesday with a full pads session that was dominated by the defense, particularly the front seven.

It’s been a familiar theme of spring to see the defense playing well, and that’s a sign that the players are picking up on the schemes being installed by new defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast.

“We’ve got a long way to go but we like what we see so far,” Pendergast said. “We want athletic guys with football instincts. Guys who are smart, tough and competitive players.”

One of the defensive players who has played well consistently this spring is linebacker Lamar Dawson, who was named MVP of the day by USC coach Lane Kiffin. Dawson continues to alternate with Anthony Sarao at the Will linebacker spot, but it’s clear that the 5-2 system is one that plays to his strengths. In fact, Kiffin called Dawson the most improved player on the team through seven days of spring ball drills.

Another standout player from the day was cornerback Torin Harris, who had multiple pass breakups. Torin also had an impressive interception when Cody Kessler tried to hit George Farmer deep down the middle of the field, but Harris tipped the ball and came down with the pick. With Kevon Seymour out of action on Tuesday, Harris was one of the second-unit corners with Anthony Brown and Chris Hawkins running with the first unit.

“I feel healthy right now and that’s the key,” Harris said. “You can play free when you are healthy, and I feel good. This new defensive system is perfect for me because it allows the corners to be aggressive. It’s a simple defense, so we picked it up quickly but it causes a lot of problems for an offense.”

Along the defensive line, there was a lineup at one point that featured a big interior grouping of Antwaun Woods and Cody Temple as the defensive ends and Kenny Bigelow as the nose tackle.

“We just wanted to see how they looked together to get a feel for who we have,” Pendergast said. “Those are the things you look at in spring.”

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The Trojans wrapped up the second week of spring ball with a scrimmage at the Coliseum that featured a strong performance from the defensive front.

“I really thought the front seven on the first-unit defense played well,” USC coach Lane Kiffin said. “Hayes Pullard played great at linebacker while George Uko and Leonard Williams were dominant up front. The defense is really picking things up with the new scheme. I can’t imagine being more pleased.”

Pullard led the way for the defense with six tackles, including one for loss, while Kenny Bigelow added two sacks and Anthony Sarao had four tackles.

The offense was led by Cody Kessler, who continues to split time with Max Browne while Max Wittek is out with a knee injury. Kessler (13-19, 161 yards, one TD) provided the highlight play of the day with a 75-yard touchdown strike to Nelson Agholor while Browne (6-9, 69 yards) added a big play of his own with a 52-yard completion to Darreus Rogers. Buck Allen was the top rusher on the day with 11 carries for 65 yards.

“Kessler played great today,” Kiffin said. “He just continues to make plays. I thought Buck had a good day, too. He’s had a good camp overall.”

Kiffin confirmed that the injury to Wittek – who is expected to return to the field when the team comes back from spring break on March 26 – likely means that the quarterback competition will not be settled by the end of spring.

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