News updates from Saturday's practice...
This morning's workout was the first in pads and went for two hours and 15 minutes. (More details coming in Footnotes.)
Confirmed with Coach Clay Helton that OL Khaliel Rodgers is out for spring because of offseason shoulder surgery.
Osa Masina (hamstring) remained out. Helton said earlier in the week he hopes Masina will be ready to go when the team returns from spring break.
Defensive players who've impressed Helton thus far: DT Rasheem Green, LB Porter Gustin, LB Uchenna Nwosu and S Leon McQuay.
Helton informed us that he met individually with every player before spring, walk-ons included, to discuss a plan for them to improve. "The fact of the matter is, we're a Pac-12 South championship team and we're trying to become a Pac-12 champion and a national champion," Helton said. "In order to do that, everybody's got to raise their game, from coaches to players to everybody in the organization."
We learned this after I asked about McQuay, who really seemed to get sidetracked the past two years under Sark. Helton said for McQuay it essentially comes down to knowing his assignments. He had a monster day Saturday, intercepting two passes in a three-play span. McQuay will miss Tuesday practices this spring but is working with the staff individually after the morning walk-throughs on those days.
As alluded to in They Said It, DC Clancy Pendergast is focusing on the inside linebackers as well as the secondary with DBs coach Ronnie Bradford. Johnny Nansen is primarily responsible for the edge linebackers (strong-side & predator).
Walk-on tight end Caleb Wilson has been removed from the roster. Can't confirm if he's transferring to UCLA, but he's not playing for USC anymore.
Walk-on Reuben Peters, formerly a linebacker, is now a fullback and is wearing No. 35. Walk-on Yoofi Quansah has switched from receiver to cornerback.
USC announced its Tuesday and Thursday practices moving forward will begin at 3 p.m.
Two walk-ons have been added to the roster: redshirt freshman QB Thomas Fitts (6-2, 195) and redshirt junior receiver Milo Stewart (5-9, 170). Here are their bios:
FITTS: He attended USC in 2015 but did not play football. He was a 3-year starting quarterback at Episcopal School of Dallas (Tex.). As a senior in 2014, he completed 176-of-271 passes (64.9%) for 2,710 yards with 27 TDs and 12 interceptions. He hit 170-of-274 passes (62.0%) of his passes for 2,080 yards and 22 TDs as a 2012 sophomore. He also played basketball and lacrosse at Episcopal.
STEWART: He attended USC in 2013, 2014 and 2015 but did not play football. As a 2012 senior wide receiver and defensive back at Marywood-Palm Valley High in Rancho Mirage (Calif.), he had 15 receptions for 174 yards (11.6 avg) with 1 TD and 2 carries for 9 yards (4.5 avg) with 1 TD on offense, 55 tackles with 2 sacks and a forced fumble on defense, and he also kicked off, punted and kicked field goals (9-of-11) and PATs (10-of-11). As a 2011 junior, he had 15 catches for 221 yards (14.7 avg) with 2 TDs, 51 tackles and 2 sacks and also handled the kickoff, punting and placekicking (4-of-4 on PATs) duties. He also played baseball (hitting .395 as a catcher in 2013) and soccer at Marywood-Palm Valley.
Leonard Williams, Nelson Agholor, Jack Jones and Frank Martin were among those in attendance.
The team is off until Tuesday, March 22.
Footnotes coming later today and another edition of They Said It coming Sunday.
This morning's workout was the first in pads and went for two hours and 15 minutes. (More details coming in Footnotes.)
Confirmed with Coach Clay Helton that OL Khaliel Rodgers is out for spring because of offseason shoulder surgery.
Osa Masina (hamstring) remained out. Helton said earlier in the week he hopes Masina will be ready to go when the team returns from spring break.
Defensive players who've impressed Helton thus far: DT Rasheem Green, LB Porter Gustin, LB Uchenna Nwosu and S Leon McQuay.
Helton informed us that he met individually with every player before spring, walk-ons included, to discuss a plan for them to improve. "The fact of the matter is, we're a Pac-12 South championship team and we're trying to become a Pac-12 champion and a national champion," Helton said. "In order to do that, everybody's got to raise their game, from coaches to players to everybody in the organization."
We learned this after I asked about McQuay, who really seemed to get sidetracked the past two years under Sark. Helton said for McQuay it essentially comes down to knowing his assignments. He had a monster day Saturday, intercepting two passes in a three-play span. McQuay will miss Tuesday practices this spring but is working with the staff individually after the morning walk-throughs on those days.
As alluded to in They Said It, DC Clancy Pendergast is focusing on the inside linebackers as well as the secondary with DBs coach Ronnie Bradford. Johnny Nansen is primarily responsible for the edge linebackers (strong-side & predator).
Walk-on tight end Caleb Wilson has been removed from the roster. Can't confirm if he's transferring to UCLA, but he's not playing for USC anymore.
Walk-on Reuben Peters, formerly a linebacker, is now a fullback and is wearing No. 35. Walk-on Yoofi Quansah has switched from receiver to cornerback.
USC announced its Tuesday and Thursday practices moving forward will begin at 3 p.m.
Two walk-ons have been added to the roster: redshirt freshman QB Thomas Fitts (6-2, 195) and redshirt junior receiver Milo Stewart (5-9, 170). Here are their bios:
FITTS: He attended USC in 2015 but did not play football. He was a 3-year starting quarterback at Episcopal School of Dallas (Tex.). As a senior in 2014, he completed 176-of-271 passes (64.9%) for 2,710 yards with 27 TDs and 12 interceptions. He hit 170-of-274 passes (62.0%) of his passes for 2,080 yards and 22 TDs as a 2012 sophomore. He also played basketball and lacrosse at Episcopal.
STEWART: He attended USC in 2013, 2014 and 2015 but did not play football. As a 2012 senior wide receiver and defensive back at Marywood-Palm Valley High in Rancho Mirage (Calif.), he had 15 receptions for 174 yards (11.6 avg) with 1 TD and 2 carries for 9 yards (4.5 avg) with 1 TD on offense, 55 tackles with 2 sacks and a forced fumble on defense, and he also kicked off, punted and kicked field goals (9-of-11) and PATs (10-of-11). As a 2011 junior, he had 15 catches for 221 yards (14.7 avg) with 2 TDs, 51 tackles and 2 sacks and also handled the kickoff, punting and placekicking (4-of-4 on PATs) duties. He also played baseball (hitting .395 as a catcher in 2013) and soccer at Marywood-Palm Valley.
Leonard Williams, Nelson Agholor, Jack Jones and Frank Martin were among those in attendance.
The team is off until Tuesday, March 22.
Footnotes coming later today and another edition of They Said It coming Sunday.
