USC held its final practice without pads Tuesday (the NCAA mandates three of them in spring). Here's a rundown of the news:
TB Stephen Carr is "ahead of schedule" in his rehab from a herniated disc, according to Clay Helton. He's expected to be at full speed in training camp. The plan for him moving forward to is to begin change of direction drills and strength and conditioning in June, which will be three months out from surgery. He's not expected to participate in player-run practices in the summer. Helton said there isn't long-term concern with this situation.
DT Brandon Pili increased his workload. Helton said he's been dealing with a back injury. He initially was sidelined after tweaking his ankle.
OT Austin Jackson did not practice because of tendinitis in his foot. Helton hopes he'll back Thursday
DL Malik Dorton was pulled from practice because of back spasms. Helton hopes to have him back Thursday as well.
I asked Helton to single out a position group from spring and he said the defensive backs (FWIW, I'd agree). He's happy with not just how they've played individually but how they're functioning together and helping one another. He thinks they're communicating well, which is obviously important in the Pac-12. Helton again singled out the play of Biggie Marshall, as well as Ajene Harris and Marvell Tell. He feels like those three have pulled the room together and built a strong foundation for the secondary.
Helton was asked a follow-up about Biggie and he noted how Biggie has challenged himself to not be too comfortable (i.e. complacent). He's trimmer, lighter and moving well, as I've written before. Helton's message to Biggie after last season was to strive to be the best CB in the country, not the best one at Howard Jones.
"It's a very shut-up-and-work mentality, a blue-collar mentality," Helton said. "I have not seen the guy take one rep off. He's not been lazy in one rep."
Helton went on to praise his defense this spring: "Defense wins championships and right now our defense is really leading our football team. That's going to be important for us, especially early. With a younger quarterback, you're going to have to lean on those defense players, and they may have to get us out of some tough situations. I really think offensively we'll be fine ...but early in that season ... that defense is going to have to lead the way and they really have done (that) this spring."
Impressions from 7-on-7/11-on-11:
USC, presumably because there were no pads, spent more time on individuals today and had fairly brief team periods.
Defense again won the day, though both Aca'Cedric Ware and Vavae Malepeai broke off long runs in the early team run period. (While neither is what you would consider explosive, they aren't slow either. I feel like their shared ability to make sharp cuts between the tackles plays faster than they might otherwise be.)
Later, a Matt Fink pass to Erik Krommenhoek was broken up by Tell. Fink quickly rebounded with a completion to Tyler Vaughns but didn't do much more. Another pass to Vaughns was nearly picked off by Biggie, who's had a handful of those plays this spring. The next step, of course, is completing the interception. But he's reading the QBs well, regardless.
Sears, who had what Bryan Ellis agreed was his best day of spring this past Saturday, fared about the same. One of his passes was batted at the line by C.J. Pollard, though Sears had the wherewithal to snatch the pass out of the air to prevent an INT. He tried for Vaughns on consecutive plays; the first went for a first down, the second was broken up by Greg Johnson. Vaughns has been excellent, but he's perhaps being targeted a bit too much. He gets out of his breaks so well, though, so he's constantly getting open. I understand why the QBs want to keep going to him. Sears went back to Vaughns one more time with a deep pass but Johnson had him blanketed and the pass fell out of bounds. Great stretch by Johnson, who's fundamentally sound.
Both of the QBs were sacked once, Fink by Bubba Bolden and Sears by Talanoa Hufanga. The ball simply needed to come out in each instance. I asked Ellis afterward why he thinks the QB play is so up and down and the first thing he said was there are "so many things running through their head. They're young, they're getting there, it's going to be a process."
The full Ellis interview and one with Matt Fink will be featured in
They Said It. The incoming freshmen (DB Talanoa Hufanga, LB Kana'i Mauga, OL Justin Dedich, DB Chase Williams and LB Raymond Scott) were made available to the media for the first time today.
We shot videos of each of them, as well as
Jack Sears, Velus Jones and Josh Imatorbhebhe.
USC's next practice is Thursday at 3:15 p.m.
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