USC is back from spring break, which was ultimately a 10-day hiatus. Got a lot of notes and interviews from Tuesday's practice in shells. But first, a rundown of the news:
Malik Dorton beats Alijah Vera-Tucker
Brandon Pili beats McKenzie
Liam Jimmons beats Jordan Austin
Jordan Iosefa beats Clayton Johnston
Hunter Echols beats Tyler Petite
Petite stops Juliano Falaniko
Falaniko beats Chuma Edoga
Andrew Vorhees stops Tufele
Dorton beats Brett Neilon
Chris Brown stops Caleb Tremblay
Echols beats Austin Jackson
Kana'i Mauga beats Petite
Echols beats Jalen McKenzie
Justin Dedich stops Dorton
Tremblay beats McKenzie
Johnston stops Christian Rector
Rector beats Krommenhoek
Edoga stops Porter Gustin
Vorhees stops Connor Murphy
1-on-1s (receivers vs. DBs)
Fink hits Grimes for a first down.
Rector sacks Fink.
Fink hits Ware for a short gain.
Fink keeps it and scores on a short run.
Sears finds Imatorbhebhe, who slips a tackle and turns an intermediate pass into a TD.
Velus runs for a short gain.
Sears runs for a short TD.
Sears goes deep to Vaughns and it falls incomplete.
Sears hits Pittman.
Velus gets it on an end around and picks up a few.
Holden Thomas completes a pass to Imatorbhebhe.
Thomas hits Pittman, who fights for extra yards, and that's where practice ends.
USC will practice again Thursday. Wednesday is Pro Day, which is closed to the public. We’ll be providing coverage beginning around 9 a.m.
- Toa Lobendahn, who moved from left tackle to center, will be limited to individual drills for the entirety of spring practice. Coach Clay Helton said he wants to limit the wear and tear on his knees so that he's 100 percent in training camp. I spoke with Lobendahn as well about how he will attack this spring in his current capacity.
- Helton said Tee Martin will ultimately be responsible for calling all plays this season, with Helton, RBs coach Tim Drevno and QBs coach Bryan Ellis offering their input between series.
- Vavae Malepeai returned to practice after spending the first week rehabbing a hamstring injury.
- DT Brandon Pili, WR Josh Imatorbhebhe and OL Frank Martin also returned. DL Jacob Lichtenstein (knee) was out.
- Aca'Cedric Ware, whom Helton said has had a strong start to spring ball, is up to about 215 pounds. Helton suspects took it upon himself to get bigger after seeing how Ronald Jones wasn't slowed by carrying more weight last year. He also intimated USC might lean on more of a committee this season than they did in the second half of last season.
- Former USC WR Nelson Agholor, Browns coach Hue Jackson and Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie were among those in attendance.
Malik Dorton beats Alijah Vera-Tucker
Brandon Pili beats McKenzie
Liam Jimmons beats Jordan Austin
Jordan Iosefa beats Clayton Johnston
Hunter Echols beats Tyler Petite
Petite stops Juliano Falaniko
Falaniko beats Chuma Edoga
Andrew Vorhees stops Tufele
Dorton beats Brett Neilon
Chris Brown stops Caleb Tremblay
Echols beats Austin Jackson
Kana'i Mauga beats Petite
Echols beats Jalen McKenzie
Justin Dedich stops Dorton
Tremblay beats McKenzie
Johnston stops Christian Rector
Rector beats Krommenhoek
Edoga stops Porter Gustin
Vorhees stops Connor Murphy
1-on-1s (receivers vs. DBs)
- Tyler Petite beats Ykili Ross
- Ajene Harris sticks Velus Jones, who falls and no throw is made. Ajene then alertly rushes the scrambling QB. His awareness was off the charts there.
- Michael Pittman beats Biggie Marshall
- Randal Grimes drops a deep ball after beating Je'Quari Godfrey
- Bubba Bolden stops Josh Falo
- Keyshawn Young burns Marvell Tell
- Tyler Vaughns beats Isaiah Langley
- C.J. Pollard stops Petite
- Ross stays close with Velus, who then turns on the jets and completely separates for a long reception
- Pittman beats Greg Johnson deep
- Grimes beats Chase Williams
- Isaiah Pola Mao shuts down Falo
- Young beats Bolden
- Josh Imatorbhebhe beats Biggie on a comeback
- Vaughns has a step on Ajene but the pass is overthrown
- Petite beats Ross
- Trevon Sidney gets by Tell, who falls, but the pass is overthrown
- Pola-Mao stops Velus
- Pittman catches a pass on Harris
- Sears hits Pittman
- Dom Davis drops a pass
- Sears hits Pittman again
- Fink connects with Velus over the middle for a TD
- Pola-Mao breaks up a deep pass
- Grimes tips a jump ball over Pola-Mao and manages to come down with it. Really an extraordinary play by Grimes.
- Sears hits Vaughns, who was covered by Langley
- Falo drops a short pass and Godfrey almost picks it off
- Jonathan Lockett reads the QB perfectly and breaks on the ball but can't hold on to the INT
- Erik Krommenhoek drops a pass
- Johnson deflects a deep pass to Vaughns
Fink hits Grimes for a first down.
Rector sacks Fink.
Fink hits Ware for a short gain.
Fink keeps it and scores on a short run.
Sears finds Imatorbhebhe, who slips a tackle and turns an intermediate pass into a TD.
Velus runs for a short gain.
Sears runs for a short TD.
Sears goes deep to Vaughns and it falls incomplete.
Sears hits Pittman.
Velus gets it on an end around and picks up a few.
Holden Thomas completes a pass to Imatorbhebhe.
Thomas hits Pittman, who fights for extra yards, and that's where practice ends.
USC will practice again Thursday. Wednesday is Pro Day, which is closed to the public. We’ll be providing coverage beginning around 9 a.m.
