Five players that I am looking forward to seeing this upcoming season.
1) Cody Waldrop - He was hands down my favorite offensive line recruit for the 2012 class. He was initially a 4 star recruit and slid to a high 3 for most of the year but this guy's film is something fierce. He has the makeup of a SEC guard right now and his run blocking is some of the best I've seen in a long time on film. I think what sticks out the most about him is he has that nasty streak that hasn't been very common amongst our offensive linemen in the past. With the opening we have at the RG spot, I think Cody is in a favorable situation to eventually take over that spot sometime this year. I'll be interested to see and hear how he holds up against blitzes in pass protection. That always seems to be the biggest learning curve for offensive linemen.
As a side note to that, I think our offensive line this year and next year has a chance to be special. Think about this, if we go with Shell-Cann-Johnson-Waldrop-Matulis, that is a offensive line made up of four 4 star recruits and a guy that was a high 3 but has definitely played above the rating here at USC. This shows the amazing improvement Coach Elliott has done with this group in such a short time as far as upgrading the talent level quickly. Add in 4 stars DJ Park, Bryce King, and 2 guys in JP Vonasheck and Alan Knott that both have legitimate chances at 4 star status coming in next year and 2013's line has a chance to be top 1/3 of the SEC.
2) Brandon Shell - Another offensive lineman and I'm not listing him solely because he was a superstar recruit but rather the fact that Brandon was a right tackle coming out of high school and was really known for his run blocking in Goose Creek's option offense. However, he will now be counted on to protect Connor Shaw's blindside and there are definitely some adjustments he will have to make with the more reps he gets. But having to work against Clowney and Taylor has sped up his development some though. USC doesn't have a 'prototypical' left tackle on its roster right now, or at least one that is dependable and Shell really needs to become the centerpiece of that line so the rest of the slots will fall into place. I wouldn't feel very good as a fan if we have to experiment with someone like AJ Cann at tackle again (wow that was rough). There also needs to be some depth built behind him and it looks like Brock Stadnik (another one of those 4 star recruits) and I'm guessing the 2nd place finisher at the RT battle between Mike Matulis and Cody Gibson will be duking it out (according to Coach Elliott). But I don't think either of those guys are true LT's. It may be just me, but when I think of a LT, I am thinking of a guy with a really big wingspan and great feet. Brock and Cody may have that but I'm not convinced at the moment in large part because Brock is a true freshman and Cody struggled last season.
3) Kelcy Quarles - The time is now for this guy. Physically he is ready to go and he got his learning experience last year. He is a seasoned vet in SEC play now, and it is time for this guy to become a NFL stud. It has been a very, very long time since USC has had a defensive tackle that could provide pressure up the middle (Langston Moore?) and Quarles has the makeup and talent to do just that. While most of our pressure will be coming off the edge, the quickest way IMO to blow up a play is right up the middle. If Kelcy can get to the QB or at least get the QB moving into the scud missle(s) known as Jadeveon Clowney and Devin Taylor pathway, any weakness or hole in our defense (coughSecondarycough) shrinks significantly. But we also need to keep in mind that our defense was gashed by the run game last year on several occasions. Now whether it was the defensive tackles or linebacker's responsibility, I have no idea but I do know that we have to sure up the middle of the defense to be truely elite, not just a top tier pass rush team. Anyway, I am waiting for this guy to become an absolute terror in the middle and I definitely think this is the year for him.
4) Damario Jeffrey - Right now he is penciled in as the starter at WILL ahead of Quin Smith and It is now or never for this highly recruited Senior. To this day, I am still puzzled as to why he didn't turn into a linebacker when he first came to USC. I think out of all of our current linebackers, he has the most talent and physicial ability. This guy, IMO, has a chance to have a monster season at the WILL spot. He should be a guy that is on the field at all times. I think he will do fine against the run and I think his pass coverage will be better because he won't be trying to stay with the Jarius Wrights of the SEC. He will have to make some adjustments though because he will be playing closer to the LOS and he will have more responsiblity in checks, reading plays, and such but I think being in the system as long as he has he should be able to handle it. I think he has a chance to be rock solid, and I'd really hate to see him go down as one of the bigger busts of Spurrier's tenure.
5) Damiere Byrd - The receiving corp's DNA has changed. Drastically. No longer do we have a starting 3 of Alshon Jeffery at X, Tori Gurley at Z, and DL Moore at B. All over 6'3, all over 210 lbs. All physical. What we have this year is a smaller group of quick twitch, speed guys that are unproven and not the most impressive physically. But, IMO, this group has a chance to be one of the more productive we have had in quite a long time. The primary reason I believe this is because the offensive line play should be rock solid and should give this group enough time to get off the LOS and behind defenders. I don't think there are going to be many DBs that can stay with our guys very long on islands and make no mistake, teams will man us up across the board. This is why I think Damiere Byrd's make or break season is this year. He has got to show SOMETHING as a vertical threat down the field. I mean, that is the reason why we brought him aboard and it would be positive if he is able to justify us taking him as a receiver as opposed to a DB which schools like Florida, Michigan, etc wanted him as. If he can just catch one, just one, I think his career takes off.
We all know the guy can run .. real fast. But has improved enough as a route runner to get off press coverage against DBs that are surely to be bigger, to get into holes of zone defenses, to be on the same page as his QB in reading coverages, to use his speed more efficiently? If he has, then he easily becomes our best deep threat since Troy Williamson, and the staff could have a very dangerous weapon to pair up with Connor Shaw and his excellent deep ball throwing.
IMO it is this guy, not Shaq Roland, that is the X-Factor for this offense. He is the guy that could end up being the guy that teams have to take time to plan for. If he emerges as our homerun guy, the entire offense evolves into a juggernaut.
Honestly, if things play out like we hope, how do you defend the USC offense? Want to stack the box? Ok, playaction and over the top to receivers (and tight ends) that will run away from your defense. Want to play conservative and keep those Safeties back? Ok, we will bust you in the mouth with one of the best running attacks in the SEC and not only do we have the best running back in the conference, our QB is a threat to go for 100 yards every night as well. And don't even think about shadowing your Safety to one side of the field because there are 4 tight ends with big time talent waiting to get behind your linebackers.
Spurrier and his offensive staff, have more toys to play with than any other time during his 7 years as coach. I've been one to defend him constantly when fans jump on his playcalling and scheme, but there is no excuse for not producing this year especially if the offensive line comes together. You got the talent at the skill positions, you have the talent at offensive line, and most importantly you have your QB that does what you want. Every excuse (save injuries) is thrown out the door this year.
So, to get back on topic, these are the 5 guys I am watching this year. Some are household names, some are guys that I think will become household names. It is going to be a very competitive Fall practice as the talent that the staff has been stacking up is finally going to get after it. It is so hard for me to wrap my mind around the fact that we could end up having former four star recruits sitting at #2 and #3 on the depth chart or true freshmen that we normally would need to contribute day 1 end up being redshirted or placed on Special Teams. That really says something about our recruiting lately.
1) Cody Waldrop - He was hands down my favorite offensive line recruit for the 2012 class. He was initially a 4 star recruit and slid to a high 3 for most of the year but this guy's film is something fierce. He has the makeup of a SEC guard right now and his run blocking is some of the best I've seen in a long time on film. I think what sticks out the most about him is he has that nasty streak that hasn't been very common amongst our offensive linemen in the past. With the opening we have at the RG spot, I think Cody is in a favorable situation to eventually take over that spot sometime this year. I'll be interested to see and hear how he holds up against blitzes in pass protection. That always seems to be the biggest learning curve for offensive linemen.
As a side note to that, I think our offensive line this year and next year has a chance to be special. Think about this, if we go with Shell-Cann-Johnson-Waldrop-Matulis, that is a offensive line made up of four 4 star recruits and a guy that was a high 3 but has definitely played above the rating here at USC. This shows the amazing improvement Coach Elliott has done with this group in such a short time as far as upgrading the talent level quickly. Add in 4 stars DJ Park, Bryce King, and 2 guys in JP Vonasheck and Alan Knott that both have legitimate chances at 4 star status coming in next year and 2013's line has a chance to be top 1/3 of the SEC.
2) Brandon Shell - Another offensive lineman and I'm not listing him solely because he was a superstar recruit but rather the fact that Brandon was a right tackle coming out of high school and was really known for his run blocking in Goose Creek's option offense. However, he will now be counted on to protect Connor Shaw's blindside and there are definitely some adjustments he will have to make with the more reps he gets. But having to work against Clowney and Taylor has sped up his development some though. USC doesn't have a 'prototypical' left tackle on its roster right now, or at least one that is dependable and Shell really needs to become the centerpiece of that line so the rest of the slots will fall into place. I wouldn't feel very good as a fan if we have to experiment with someone like AJ Cann at tackle again (wow that was rough). There also needs to be some depth built behind him and it looks like Brock Stadnik (another one of those 4 star recruits) and I'm guessing the 2nd place finisher at the RT battle between Mike Matulis and Cody Gibson will be duking it out (according to Coach Elliott). But I don't think either of those guys are true LT's. It may be just me, but when I think of a LT, I am thinking of a guy with a really big wingspan and great feet. Brock and Cody may have that but I'm not convinced at the moment in large part because Brock is a true freshman and Cody struggled last season.
3) Kelcy Quarles - The time is now for this guy. Physically he is ready to go and he got his learning experience last year. He is a seasoned vet in SEC play now, and it is time for this guy to become a NFL stud. It has been a very, very long time since USC has had a defensive tackle that could provide pressure up the middle (Langston Moore?) and Quarles has the makeup and talent to do just that. While most of our pressure will be coming off the edge, the quickest way IMO to blow up a play is right up the middle. If Kelcy can get to the QB or at least get the QB moving into the scud missle(s) known as Jadeveon Clowney and Devin Taylor pathway, any weakness or hole in our defense (coughSecondarycough) shrinks significantly. But we also need to keep in mind that our defense was gashed by the run game last year on several occasions. Now whether it was the defensive tackles or linebacker's responsibility, I have no idea but I do know that we have to sure up the middle of the defense to be truely elite, not just a top tier pass rush team. Anyway, I am waiting for this guy to become an absolute terror in the middle and I definitely think this is the year for him.
4) Damario Jeffrey - Right now he is penciled in as the starter at WILL ahead of Quin Smith and It is now or never for this highly recruited Senior. To this day, I am still puzzled as to why he didn't turn into a linebacker when he first came to USC. I think out of all of our current linebackers, he has the most talent and physicial ability. This guy, IMO, has a chance to have a monster season at the WILL spot. He should be a guy that is on the field at all times. I think he will do fine against the run and I think his pass coverage will be better because he won't be trying to stay with the Jarius Wrights of the SEC. He will have to make some adjustments though because he will be playing closer to the LOS and he will have more responsiblity in checks, reading plays, and such but I think being in the system as long as he has he should be able to handle it. I think he has a chance to be rock solid, and I'd really hate to see him go down as one of the bigger busts of Spurrier's tenure.
5) Damiere Byrd - The receiving corp's DNA has changed. Drastically. No longer do we have a starting 3 of Alshon Jeffery at X, Tori Gurley at Z, and DL Moore at B. All over 6'3, all over 210 lbs. All physical. What we have this year is a smaller group of quick twitch, speed guys that are unproven and not the most impressive physically. But, IMO, this group has a chance to be one of the more productive we have had in quite a long time. The primary reason I believe this is because the offensive line play should be rock solid and should give this group enough time to get off the LOS and behind defenders. I don't think there are going to be many DBs that can stay with our guys very long on islands and make no mistake, teams will man us up across the board. This is why I think Damiere Byrd's make or break season is this year. He has got to show SOMETHING as a vertical threat down the field. I mean, that is the reason why we brought him aboard and it would be positive if he is able to justify us taking him as a receiver as opposed to a DB which schools like Florida, Michigan, etc wanted him as. If he can just catch one, just one, I think his career takes off.
We all know the guy can run .. real fast. But has improved enough as a route runner to get off press coverage against DBs that are surely to be bigger, to get into holes of zone defenses, to be on the same page as his QB in reading coverages, to use his speed more efficiently? If he has, then he easily becomes our best deep threat since Troy Williamson, and the staff could have a very dangerous weapon to pair up with Connor Shaw and his excellent deep ball throwing.
IMO it is this guy, not Shaq Roland, that is the X-Factor for this offense. He is the guy that could end up being the guy that teams have to take time to plan for. If he emerges as our homerun guy, the entire offense evolves into a juggernaut.
Honestly, if things play out like we hope, how do you defend the USC offense? Want to stack the box? Ok, playaction and over the top to receivers (and tight ends) that will run away from your defense. Want to play conservative and keep those Safeties back? Ok, we will bust you in the mouth with one of the best running attacks in the SEC and not only do we have the best running back in the conference, our QB is a threat to go for 100 yards every night as well. And don't even think about shadowing your Safety to one side of the field because there are 4 tight ends with big time talent waiting to get behind your linebackers.
Spurrier and his offensive staff, have more toys to play with than any other time during his 7 years as coach. I've been one to defend him constantly when fans jump on his playcalling and scheme, but there is no excuse for not producing this year especially if the offensive line comes together. You got the talent at the skill positions, you have the talent at offensive line, and most importantly you have your QB that does what you want. Every excuse (save injuries) is thrown out the door this year.
So, to get back on topic, these are the 5 guys I am watching this year. Some are household names, some are guys that I think will become household names. It is going to be a very competitive Fall practice as the talent that the staff has been stacking up is finally going to get after it. It is so hard for me to wrap my mind around the fact that we could end up having former four star recruits sitting at #2 and #3 on the depth chart or true freshmen that we normally would need to contribute day 1 end up being redshirted or placed on Special Teams. That really says something about our recruiting lately.