Looking ahead to summer camp
Spring football is over. I missed this year's spring game again at USC, but I followed the team closely. As they enter fall practice this summer, I'm interested to see which QBs remain in the hunt for playing time. I'm guessing it'll still be Sanchez, then Mustain, then Corp, but I'd like to see Mustain win the job. If Sanchez starts the season 2-0 I might change my mind.
I'm intrigued by the competition at tailback. Who will emerge from the three-headed beast of Gable, Johnson and McKnight, and how will the freshmen affect that competition? I'm eager to see who makes strides at nose tackle. I wonder how our younger receivers will perform. I wonder if any of the running backs will move to corner or transfer out.
UCLA's Norm Chow is going to be the sixth Bruin offensive coordinator in seven years. It's like the Defense Against the Dark Arts position of collegiate football coaching. I wouldn't take that job even if I was a very talented wizard with great skills defending against the dark arts, but I wish Chow all the luck that Severus Snape enjoyed when he got the position. Not literally, of course.
Pete Carroll's incredible post-Carson Palmer Orange Bowl 2003 recruiting class paid big dividends. USC's fifth year seniors last year included Sam Baker, Sedrick Ellis, Lawrence Jackson, Drew Radovich, Desmond Reed, Matt Spanos, Chauncey Washington and John David Booty. What a class. Others in that class included Reggie Bush and LenDale White, Steve Smith, Ryan Kalil, Eric Wright (who transferred to UNLV due to legal troubles), and Whitney Lewis, who was thought at the time to be the gem of the class, but ended his career in Montana or Idaho or someplace like that.
Fili Moala was in that class, too, but had to take a JC year of academics, and no football. Now, he is essentially a sixth year senior. He could be a breakout talent this fall.
The 2004 recruiting class, also considered the best in the nation, will pay fewer dividends this year. OL Jeff Schweiger, OL Travis Draper and QB Rocky Hinds did not pan out. Fred Davis, Deuce Lutui, Chilo Rachal, Keith Rivers and Dwayne Jarrett are in the NFL already. Fifth-year seniors Alatini Malu and Josh Pinkard should make an impact this season. After that, it's the 2005 class that will be making its mark this year, guys like Charles Brown, Brian Cushing, Kevin Ellison, Cary Harris, Will Harris, Thomas Herring, Kaluka Maiava, Rey Maualuga, Kyle Moore, Mark Sanchez and Patrick Turner.
Actually, the crop of true juniors and redshirt sophomores, from the 2006 class, might be even more talented, but we've already lost Ashley Lee Walker, Antwine Perez, Josh Tatum, Jamere Holland, Emmanuel Moody, Vincent Joseph and Kenny Ashley to transfers and academics. We still have David Ausberry, Allen Bradford, C.J. Gable, Stanley Havili, Vidal Hazelton, Zack Heberer, Stafon Johnson, Butch Lewis and Taylor Mays from that class, and maybe a couple of sleepers, too.
Mozique McCurtis, the corner against whom Stanford scored that 4th and goal touchdown last season, will not be back. Having earned his degree, he left the team to focus on his pursuit of law school. It was a smart move. He wasn't going to make an impact in the NFL.
It's difficult to tell which high school players will be special in college. Ever wonder how a gifted runner like Steve Slaton ended up at West Virginia? The Mountaineers got him because his favored school withdrew its scholarship offer midway through his senior year. The school: Maryland.
A few pundits are joking that the team of players who transfer out of USC might be good enough to play in a bowl, but that isn't the worst problem to have - recruiting a bunch of blue chip players and having the few who don't pan out transfer.
Compare these situations: USC has a scholarship back now that Emmanuel Moody is gone. Whitney Lewis took up a scholarship spot for three years.
On the other hand, it's a shame colleges can't trade. The Trojans could have probably obtained a pretty good field goal kicker for Moody. A better kicking game would have changed the outcome of the Stanford game, and USC could have beaten Ohio State for the national title, rather than playing Illinois for the chance to be ranked #2 or #3.
I'm already jonesing for some ghetto dogs — those hot dogs wrapped in bacon, fried, and topped with mayo, ketchup and mustard, sold from carts outside the Coliseum. The (#1?) Buckeyes come to town September 13. I can't wait.
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