It’s officially “mock game week” so we’re back to the usual in-season schedule.

We’re out there Tuesday-Wednesday — afternoon practices now — and Riley Zoom call at 11 am Thursday.

So practice should wrap up around 6 pm today.

At least this front office is continuing to pursue the best this industry has to offer. We can’t seem to close on many of them but at least the intent is there. We did nothing of the sort for a decade or more…. So crazy!

From Rivals analyst Sam Spiegelman:

I tend to agree that he could put up his best numbers yet. I think they're going to emphasize getting the ball out quick and I could see McRee being a more consistent part of the passing attack as a result.

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Hey hey! However, zero reporting is allowed from it -- for observation only. But again, valuable for me to see so that I have a more informed perspective from which to report and answer your questions. Looking forward to it!

Right here:

Again, an IN-DEPTH breakdown of everything we learned this week.

From more on Gavin Meyer's emergence to Jaylin Smith's role to the cornerback competition as a whole, Kade Eldridge's potential to be a contributor, the Bear Alexander narrative and much more.

The numbers don't lie..

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The Trojans open as a 6 point Dog to the Tigers from LSU....

Dude looks massive. He seems like a great depth piece, behind Kobe Pepe of course.

The takeaway here is that Kade Eldridge seems like the clear No. 2 guy at the position behind Lake McRee. I'm honestly not expecting any of the freshmen to have much an impact this year, but their time will come for sure.

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How have the tight ends looked this camp?

"[We're] more full, which is good. So it's been really good to have those guys out there and just getting better every day. Doing the 1-0 thing, all that, and really pushing hard just to bring the group together and get everybody closer. Pushing for that as an offense as well and ultimately as a team too. I know that's been a big thing for Coach Riley and all of us, just to bring the guys together and really get that family feel with the guys."

How have you seen Lake McRee progress in his return from injury?

"Yeah, he's been great. He was ahead of schedule coming back to get right there and get healthy. A lot of work put in in the offseason, so super proud of him for that. He's been great during camp. Nothing major has come up so far. Just trying to be smart with him and make sure that he gets through camp healthy and he can play Game 1, but I know he's excited for that as well and looking to have a really big year."

It's a very young room, has anyone emerged that you are comfortable leaning on beside Lake?

"Yeah, I think Kade Eldridge has really had a good camp coming off of his redshirt year. I look for him for sure to be in the mix. Joey Olsen has been really good throughout the time he's been here as well. As we kind of progress through camp, we'll see Walker Lyons and those guys, but really excited about the talent level that they bring. Really dynamic with the ball in their hands, can do some really good things and coming along as blockers too, which is really important. Getting Carson Tabaracci back as well will be really big for us as well to bring more of a veteran presence there too."

Is that blocking component something you want to see more from the group in the run game?

"Yeah, for sure, I think just kind of everything. We need to be better out in space as well. We made a big push of when we get the ball in our hands of making plays, not just being possession guys. So we've worked at that throughout the offseason, that's something they've pushed really hard for. Always have to work on fundamentals and technique in the blocking game -- that's just part of it. So we spend a lot of time on that stuff and just making sure if there's a 280-pound D-end I can man him up and block him and do well."

Who has stood out as a blocker?

"I think Kade Eldridge. He's a big, strong physical kid and he's really starting to gain an understanding of how to kind of stick your face on somebody and be really physical. He embraces it and likes it too. The big thing with him is just playing under control and trying to find that fine line of being really physical but still being under control and being able to maintain that block as well."

Have you seen Olsen's confidence grow from the spring?

"Yeah, absolutely. If anyone can come in the spring it's such a huge advantage for them because they just get to know the process, they get to know how practice flows, what the expectations are from coach and from me and the plays and all that stuff, obviously, too. They have a base foundation knowing what our base offense is so they can adjust and adapt a little better than somebody coming in in the summer and just learning it all right now. So they have a lot of banked reps as well."

How has Walker Lyons looked so far?

"He's done really well. Very intelligent kid. Came from Folsom, which is a really good football program as well. You can tell he was well coached, ran a lot of things that we run here probably, so a lot of that is familiar to him. But being out for a couple years as well, there's a little bit of rust to knock off and that type of thing. But he's done really well, man, really excited about him. Looking for him to make a major push at the end of camp here as well and hopefully get in the mix. But excited about all the guys we have right now."

Why has it seemed there's been a bigger emphasis on team chemistry this spring?

"For all of us to do what we want to accomplish, there's going to be ups and downs throughout the year, you know, and we have to be able to handle that together. You have to be able to be vulnerable with each other and be there for each other when things aren't going our way. And then when things are going our way, still have guys holding each other accountable too. So I know that's been a really big push for us as coaches with our guys, and they've done really, really well with it. They feel the importance of it as well."

What stood out about the TEs in the scrimmage?

"You know, I think they did really good job, like no MAs and busts -- no missed assignments. But again, catching the ball and doing something with it after, I thought they did a really good job of that. We had limited opportunities, but in our room we talk about not counting our reps but making our reps count. We don't know when we're going to be in and when we're not, but from a blocking standpoint as well I think Eldridge did a really good job coming off the rock and just knocking people back too, which is good to see. Joey's getting better every single day. Playing receiver, it's hard sometimes to go in there and block an Ant Lucas instead of a corner, it's a little bit different. But he's gotten so much better too. And then Lake, just knocking some of that rust off of Lake too and just him getting his body back right. All of those things together, I just feel like we did a pretty good job throughout the scrimmage."

Do you look at the room now and feel it's how it should look now that you have the three freshmen in?

"Yeah, for sure, you can see it. The talent level I think is where we want it to be. Now it's up to me, right, to get all these guys ready. That's the next part, but they're really, we're blessed with a great group, man. They work hard at it, they care. When they mess something up they're really upset about it, but they're good at moving on and getting better from it too. So I feel like we're in a really good position there with those guys."

As an offensive coach, what stands out about the progress the defense has made?

"Tremendous progress, for sure. Those guys, they're playing really well together. Probably just more playing down the middle of people and getting better at shedding blocks and making plays up front. Our guys are bigger, they're stronger. At the end of the day, that's so much better for us offensively -- O-line, tight ends, blocking scheme, because we're having to go block Kam Fountain and some of these 270-pound, 280 D-ends by ourself that are really trying to challenge us and our group too. There's so many veteran presences over that that were really great additions for us and great team guys too, so I'm excited about them. I'm excited to be on the other side and watch them play on Saturdays too."

The Gavin Meyer buzz appears to be very legit -- that's been a key development from camp (I have more coming on that).

It really sounds like Eric Henderson is ideally suited to get the most out of Bear Alexander. That will be a major point of evaluating Henny's impact as a developer of talent.

More praise for Jide Abasiri. I don't think he's a factor this year, but it sounds like he's very much on track to be a guy for this team down the road.

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Who is standing out to you on the defensive line?

"Man, it really has been a good camp thus far. I'm really pleased with all of the guys, to be honest with you. But when you talk about the addition of Gavin Meyer, his explosiveness off the ball, physicality in the run game. Kobe Pepe started camp really, really hot and has been consistent. Anthony Lucas has been rushing his butt off, been really physical in the run game. You know, Nate Clifton has been fantastic for us. His versatility along the front, his above-the-neck approach to the game has been something I've been extremely impressed with. Jamil obviously plays with a tremendous effort, and all these guys have been playing at a level of physicality that I think it takes to have success in this league, especially going into the Big Ten. So, been excited about that. Really, the entirety of the room. Our young guys are developing. Elijah has been really doing a heck of a job in terms of his development. Jide -- Jide has come along well, had a really good scrimmage last week. And I'm really proud and pleased with where we are, but nowhere nearly finished in terms of where we need to go. So we've got a long ways to go, but I'm very excited with where we are right now."

When do you sense a player is trusting themselves on the field?

"Well, the confidence they play with, the way they take the field, the energy, the way they communicate on the field. You can tell when they trust each other because they're loud in terms of their communication. We preach obnoxious communication and these guys have really been putting that on full display. The entirety of the defense. Coach Lynn has done a tremendous job in terms of being clear, being direct with the guys. There are no gray areas. We overcommunicate. We're going to be obnoxious when it comes to that. And the guys have really taken to that. They've gotten better. Spring ball has been really good for that. We took some lumps early on and now you're starting to see the confidence within the scheme of the defense, and the way guys are flying around has been promising."

On the edge, how challenging has it been with Braylan isn't practicing, Kam's been out?

"It hasn't been challenging, it's been really good. It's like a blessing in disguise when you get those opportunities to truly develop the young guys, you know. Obviously, those guys are in good shape and they're continuing to get better with the little nicks and bruises that you get in camp, but nothing serious, thank God. These guys have been doing a really good job, and that's why our young guys have been getting the snaps that they need to get to get ready for the season. They're able to develop with the amount of snaps that they're getting, and it's been fortunate for us as a defense."

What were your takeaways from the first scrimmage?

"The speed in which we play with -- the speed and the physicality and also the confidence you just spoke of, the way that we communicated, the physicality in the trenches in the line of scrimmage, speed from the linebacker position, the depth of our secondary and the way those guys have competed. It's been really good, man. Again, we're not where we want to be, but we're definitely moving in the right direction and we're really pleased with the effort that these guys have been giving us every day and we're super thankful to be coaching these guys."

What have you learned about recruiting so far in the job?

"It's fun, it's natural and really enjoy that. I think I'm a people's person and I love building those relationships, talking to families, and just it's a genuine approach with me. So that's always been my approach. Nothing less than real, and just enjoy my job. I'm super blessed to have this job."

Bear talked about how he related to you and your story, how much has that helped to get through to him?

"When speaking of Bear, it's natural. It's the same thing we talk about in recruiting, right. When you enjoy building those relationships ... myself, I took the approach of being vulnerable with my guys, opening up and sharing my story with them because I want them to feel the same level of comfort to be able to share their stories with us as a staff. And I think when you do that, that's how you can build the trust. We have to earn these guys' trust. It's not like we just came in here and demanded it. I know and understand that we have to earn that. That's our job, and when you earn that, the guys give it back to you, man. I truly believe that. It's been something that's been successful. It's just my personal approach, it's our staff approach, it's why we're on the same page on the defensive side and as a staff as a whole, and it's been fun. It really has been."

What have you seen from Gavin Meyer?

"Gavin has hit the ground running. He came in in the summer and immediately took to the playbook. He is such a phenomenal football player in terms of his ability to play multiple positions up front, his above-the-neck approach to the game has been phenomenal. He lines up all over the defensive line, which all of our guys do, so it only helps them. You have to have that mental capacity to be able to play multiple positions as well as have success at those different spots. So, Gavin has hit the ground running, has been doing that for us and we're super excited to have him. I'm telling you, he has been phenomenal."

Lincoln has talked about Bear needing to show more consistency, how do you get that out of him?

"It's just that -- it's being able to, like I said, I was vulnerable, I opened up to the defensive line and had those same genuine personal conversations with guys like Bear. So that level of trust has been earned on both sides, and when that trust is there you're able to coach them hard. And when you can coach them hard and they know that it comes from the right place, it's just nothing but respect. And that's on both sides. I respect the way he goes about his business, the way he's in my office consistently. He understands where his limitations are and he works at it, and that's all you can really ask. When guys work at it and they come to work every day, then you're just fired up to coach guys like that. That's just where we are. He's continuing to get better. We're nowhere near where we want to be obviously, and we're working every day so that's a good thing."

USC has commitments from two players who top their respective state rankings:

Story on Duce, the next level he wants to reach in his development this season and reflections on how his two-sport balance has gone so far:

Updated 2025 Rivals250

Five-Star Countdown: Rankings Week for 2025 class kicks off

Meet the seven new five-stars

Tuesdays with Gorney: Position by position

Rivals Rankings Week: Ten biggest risers in the Rivals250

Right here:

Interviews today include Lincoln Riley, Luke Huard, Zach Hanson, maybe Eric Henderson, Zachariah Branch, Jay Fair, A’Marion Peterson, Kyle Ford, and Lake McRee.

I shot more LB drills and a little DL from across the field today, plus the standard fare WR stuff. It's decent video when they're coming right at us. Will have that for you after practice.

Today, we get Doug Belk, Eric Henderson, Bear Alexander, Gavin Meyer, DeCarlos Nicholson, Greedy Vance and Jamil Muhammad.