Notes and observations from Thursday's practice...
Shells and shorts today.
11-on-11:
Toa Lobendahn at LT, Chris Brown at RG
With Cody Kessler absent to attend a grad school orientation (along with Taylor McNamara and Anthony Sarao), Max Browne took all the first-team reps.
He hit Adoree' Jackson over the middle on the first play.
Browne goes back to AJax on the perimeter.
Browne hits Vainuku, who makes Olajuwon Tucker miss.
***
JuJu goes in motion and no one follows him. Browne promptly hits him for a long gain.
Scott Felix makes a great open-field tackle on Steven Mitchell Jr.
Browne hits Mitchell in the corner of the end zone for a TD. Mitchell, who won on a jump ball, would roll his ankle and not return.
Aca'Cedric Ware goes tot he right side for a nice gain.
Noah Jefferson deflects a pass but Michael Hutchings can't hang on for the INT.
***
Ware is gang-tackled and holds on. There were several moments today where the defensive players were instructed to try and strip the ball out late in a run.
Isaiah Langley makes a nice deflection on a pass over the middle.
John Houston Jr. records a sack.
Sam Darnold avoids being sacked on consecutive plays but is then sacked by Jeff Miller.
1-on-1:
Langley intercepts a pass intended for Whitney
Deontay Burnett gets position on John Plattenburg for a reception.
Whitney makes a catch over Langley.
Darreus Rogers makes an excellent grab amid tight coverage from Jonathan Lockett and gets his feet in for the TD.
Jalen Greene gets physical with Marvell Tell while catching a pass inside.
***
Darreus beats Lockett again.
Ykili Ross sticks AJax and picks off Sam Darnold. You wonder if they'll give Ross a look at corner at some point.
Tell commits PI on Greene.
JuJu Smith-Schuster makes a fantastic one-armed catch while falling backward against Kevon Seymour.
JuJu beats Kevon again, in another close battle.
***
Darreus beats Lockett inside.
George Katrib makes a great one-handed catch vs. Jalen Jones.
Yoofi Quansah beats Matt Lopes.
11-on-11:
AJax catches a shovel pass and takes it about 40 yards for a TD.
Browne rolls to his right and hits Dom Davis, who breaks free for a long TD.
Ware breaks a few tackles for a big gain. He has great momentum when he runs, very compact as well.
Darnold goes over the top of the D and hits Cyrus Hobbi for a TD. Hobbi actually beats Langley and Tell on the play. Best sequence in camp thus far from the converted lineman.
Browne rolls to his right again and hits Tyler Petite.
***
Ross makes an open-field tackle on AJax.
Dom Davis gets the carry and picks up a big gain after making a couple of moves. He's been better of late.
Ware goes up the middle and gets a handful.
Langley's tight coverage on Whitney leads to an incompletion.
7-on-7 (this period began as 2-on-2 and gradually increased):
AJax catches a short pass and Chris Hawkins is right there for the stop.
AJax has a step on Lockett and Browne hits him in stride, deep down the left sideline for a TD.
Tell lays a good hit on Ronald Jones II.
Houston deflects a pass intended for Caleb Wilson.
Osa Masina stops Dom Davis.
***
Browne rolls right and hits JuJu, who's quickly greeted by Hawkins. I really feel like he's picked up the safety position.
AJax drops a pass, proving he's mortal. Maybe.
Kevon breaks up a pass to Whitney.
Kevon is tested again on the very next play and the pass falls incomplete.
Alex Wood and Matt Boermeester both manage to make only two of four field goals. Couldn't tell you exactly how far but they appeared to be from intermediate distances. A frustrated Sark allows AJax to take a stab. It's good!
***
11-on-11:
Lockett plays good D on Darreus.
AJax catches a short pass in the flat and dodges a couple defenders before breaking free for a TD. Looked a lot like Nebraska.
JuJu beats Biggie Marshall for a diving catch.
Antwaun Woods chases Browne out of bounds. Great play by the big guy.
Darnold throws it behind De'Quan Hampton.
***
Darnold connects with Petite.
Wilson beats Hutchings over the middle for a long pass. I get the sense he'll redshirt this season but he can be a real target once he's ready to play.
AJax catches a short pass. This one would be his last and it doesn't go for a TD. He only had three today, and a field goal.
Uchenna breaks up a pass to Darreus. We've seen a lot of good things from Uchenna of late. Th staff seems to be comfortable asking him to do a lot of the things Su'a Cravens does.
Tucker sacks Browne.
***
Ware slips through the middle for a nice gain.
Jabari Ruffin rushes past Wilson and sacks Darnold.
AJax takes a handoff and goes to his right for a few yards. You saw the entire D follow him toward the sideline, like a wave. Kind of reminiscent of someone who used to play here. I won't say his name.
Don Hill and Joel Foy combine for a sack against the first-team OL.
JuJu makes a great adjustment and snatches a 15-yard pass with Lopes in coverage. Browne threw it to the opposite shoulder.
***
Browne hits Dom Davis for a 1-yard TD.
Davis follows with a long reception down the sideline. Today was his best day.
Green catches a screen pass and scores.
Vainuku is stopped for a short gain by Felix.
Vainuku runs off tackle and picks up a lot more.
***
Browne goes deep to Darreus and it falls incomplete. Looked like PI on Kevon.
Darnold struggles to hand the ball off to RoJo and it goes for a loss.
No final challenge today.
USC will practice again Friday at 2:30 p.m. It is open to the public.
Shells and shorts today.
11-on-11:
Toa Lobendahn at LT, Chris Brown at RG
With Cody Kessler absent to attend a grad school orientation (along with Taylor McNamara and Anthony Sarao), Max Browne took all the first-team reps.
He hit Adoree' Jackson over the middle on the first play.
Browne goes back to AJax on the perimeter.
Browne hits Vainuku, who makes Olajuwon Tucker miss.
***
JuJu goes in motion and no one follows him. Browne promptly hits him for a long gain.
Scott Felix makes a great open-field tackle on Steven Mitchell Jr.
Browne hits Mitchell in the corner of the end zone for a TD. Mitchell, who won on a jump ball, would roll his ankle and not return.
Aca'Cedric Ware goes tot he right side for a nice gain.
Noah Jefferson deflects a pass but Michael Hutchings can't hang on for the INT.
***
Ware is gang-tackled and holds on. There were several moments today where the defensive players were instructed to try and strip the ball out late in a run.
Isaiah Langley makes a nice deflection on a pass over the middle.
John Houston Jr. records a sack.
Sam Darnold avoids being sacked on consecutive plays but is then sacked by Jeff Miller.
1-on-1:
Langley intercepts a pass intended for Whitney
Deontay Burnett gets position on John Plattenburg for a reception.
Whitney makes a catch over Langley.
Darreus Rogers makes an excellent grab amid tight coverage from Jonathan Lockett and gets his feet in for the TD.
Jalen Greene gets physical with Marvell Tell while catching a pass inside.
***
Darreus beats Lockett again.
Ykili Ross sticks AJax and picks off Sam Darnold. You wonder if they'll give Ross a look at corner at some point.
Tell commits PI on Greene.
JuJu Smith-Schuster makes a fantastic one-armed catch while falling backward against Kevon Seymour.
JuJu beats Kevon again, in another close battle.
***
Darreus beats Lockett inside.
George Katrib makes a great one-handed catch vs. Jalen Jones.
Yoofi Quansah beats Matt Lopes.
11-on-11:
AJax catches a shovel pass and takes it about 40 yards for a TD.
Browne rolls to his right and hits Dom Davis, who breaks free for a long TD.
Ware breaks a few tackles for a big gain. He has great momentum when he runs, very compact as well.
Darnold goes over the top of the D and hits Cyrus Hobbi for a TD. Hobbi actually beats Langley and Tell on the play. Best sequence in camp thus far from the converted lineman.
Browne rolls to his right again and hits Tyler Petite.
***
Ross makes an open-field tackle on AJax.
Dom Davis gets the carry and picks up a big gain after making a couple of moves. He's been better of late.
Ware goes up the middle and gets a handful.
Langley's tight coverage on Whitney leads to an incompletion.
7-on-7 (this period began as 2-on-2 and gradually increased):
AJax catches a short pass and Chris Hawkins is right there for the stop.
AJax has a step on Lockett and Browne hits him in stride, deep down the left sideline for a TD.
Tell lays a good hit on Ronald Jones II.
Houston deflects a pass intended for Caleb Wilson.
Osa Masina stops Dom Davis.
***
Browne rolls right and hits JuJu, who's quickly greeted by Hawkins. I really feel like he's picked up the safety position.
AJax drops a pass, proving he's mortal. Maybe.
Kevon breaks up a pass to Whitney.
Kevon is tested again on the very next play and the pass falls incomplete.
Alex Wood and Matt Boermeester both manage to make only two of four field goals. Couldn't tell you exactly how far but they appeared to be from intermediate distances. A frustrated Sark allows AJax to take a stab. It's good!
***
11-on-11:
Lockett plays good D on Darreus.
AJax catches a short pass in the flat and dodges a couple defenders before breaking free for a TD. Looked a lot like Nebraska.
JuJu beats Biggie Marshall for a diving catch.
Antwaun Woods chases Browne out of bounds. Great play by the big guy.
Darnold throws it behind De'Quan Hampton.
***
Darnold connects with Petite.
Wilson beats Hutchings over the middle for a long pass. I get the sense he'll redshirt this season but he can be a real target once he's ready to play.
AJax catches a short pass. This one would be his last and it doesn't go for a TD. He only had three today, and a field goal.
Uchenna breaks up a pass to Darreus. We've seen a lot of good things from Uchenna of late. Th staff seems to be comfortable asking him to do a lot of the things Su'a Cravens does.
Tucker sacks Browne.
***
Ware slips through the middle for a nice gain.
Jabari Ruffin rushes past Wilson and sacks Darnold.
AJax takes a handoff and goes to his right for a few yards. You saw the entire D follow him toward the sideline, like a wave. Kind of reminiscent of someone who used to play here. I won't say his name.
Don Hill and Joel Foy combine for a sack against the first-team OL.
JuJu makes a great adjustment and snatches a 15-yard pass with Lopes in coverage. Browne threw it to the opposite shoulder.
***
Browne hits Dom Davis for a 1-yard TD.
Davis follows with a long reception down the sideline. Today was his best day.
Green catches a screen pass and scores.
Vainuku is stopped for a short gain by Felix.
Vainuku runs off tackle and picks up a lot more.
***
Browne goes deep to Darreus and it falls incomplete. Looked like PI on Kevon.
Darnold struggles to hand the ball off to RoJo and it goes for a loss.
No final challenge today.
USC will practice again Friday at 2:30 p.m. It is open to the public.
