Practice went for a robust two-and-a-half hours today at the Coliseum. Team was in half pads. Got a lot to report today.
***
First takes:
USC again worked on fielding kickoffs and punts. Tre Madden, JuJu Smith, Justin Davis and Kevon Seymour received kickoffs. Darreus Rogers and Adoree' Jackson, along with a few walk-ons, fielded punts.
USC had an extended walk-through, stretching and warm-up period.
It is apparent Madden is very comfortable running routes beyond the flats. Davis is developing that too.
Adoree' and Steven Mitchell are noticeably more fleet of feet than their cohorts while running seam routes.
***
Team period observations:
Kevon Seymour had a PBU while defending JuJu on the first play of 11-on-11s. A couple plays later, his tight coverage on JuJu forced Cody Kessler to throw the ball away.
Seymour also worked against Mitchell in the slot. I was wondering if we'd see more of him against the slot receiver and there it was. He was right on Mitchell, holding him to a short gain.
Claude Pelon and Su'a Cravens combine for a TFL. We haven't seen a lot of the D-line disrupt the running game in the backfield. Pelon did double duty, working at nose tackle with the second team.
Mitchell closes out the first team snaps with a touchdown. He lined up in the slot, caught a post and cut back twice. He's really a nightmare matchup for a safety playing nickel. Adoree' was split wide on the play.
Max Browne finally got some work with the first team. He had a nice scramble and then throw to JuJu on the sideline.
***
1-on-1s:
In just a week, JuJu has shown rapid growth in terms of fighting for balls. It seemed like Seymour was dominating him through the early part of spring on 50-50 balls. He beat Seymour for a deep ball in 1-on-1s.
Mitchell beat Kevon but dropped it.
Jonathan Lockett blanketed Darreus, who caught it anyway. Best hands on the team, at least in practice.
JuJu also beat Cravens, who entered the drill after spending the first half in a LB vs. TE drill.
***
Back to 11-on-11:
Rogers reaches wide for a sweet one-handed catch in front of Lockett, whom he then slipped by for a long gain. Good coverage by Lockett but bad finish.
Cravens halts a screen to Mitchell at the line. Cravens really does everything.
Browne threw a really nice ball to the far sideline to Robby Kolanz.
Olajuwon Tucker had another solid day. He tipped a Browne pass at the line, leading to a Michael Hutchings INT. Tucker worked at both inside and outside linebacker.
Kessler rolled to his right to complete an intermediate pass to JuJu (I think). He's looking more and more comfortable throwing on the run.
Scott Felix whirled Davis to the ground, which didn't go over well.
Cravens beat Zach Banner on the edge and then sacked Kessler, who was in the midst of completing a long throw to Adoree'.
JuJu caught a crossing route in front of Seymour.
Browne went deep to Kolanz, who beat Lamont Simmons for a second time. Simmons has not shown good ball awareness of late.
Browne completed an intermediate pass to Connor Spears.
Darreus caught a short pass and was instantly slammed by Cameron Smith. He held on.
***
7-on-7
Spears had another catch.
JCF had a catch while running with the third team.
Ricky Town had a rough start to this period and threw an INT to Matt Lopes. Town rebounded, completing his final few passes including a deep ball to David Mellstrom.
***
Back to 11-on-11s:
USC operated with the offense pinned inside its own 5.
JCF caught a ball with the first team. I cannot remember the last time that happened.
Kessler completes back-to-back balls to Mitchell.
Cody Temple recorded a safety.
Malik Dorton had a deflection at the line.
Browne threw a pick-six to Cam Smith, who was defending JCF. That's Smith's second pick-six of spring. I think Browne telegraphed that one.
Lockett blitzed and recorded a safety on Browne.
Browne responded with a nice ball down the sideline but Kolanz couldn't hang on.
With the offense and defense flipped for the final challenge, John Plattenburg closed out well on Mitchell to break up a touchdown. Mitchell got up and walked away gingerly.
Darreus towered over Lockett to bring in a fade route for a TD.
Lamar Dawson deflected Kessler's pass over the middle to end it. Defense wins. (Dawson was kicking himself for not getting the INT; his length brings something new to the table for USC in terms of pass coverage at that spot.
***
Adoree' practiced exclusively on offense and had a productive day. Sark for the first time intimated afterward the possibility of Adoree' playing more snaps on offense and, in turn, less on defense in the fall.
In 1-on-1s, Adoree' beat Simmons and then secured a perfect 40-yard pass from Kessler.
He got an extended run with the first team. During 11-on-11s, he dove to make a fantastic catch on a ball that really should have been incomplete. Later, he caught consecutive passes from Kessler. He also caught a ball downfield in 7-on-7.
Sark noted later that a few of those receptions were third down conversions.
***
Final notes:
JCF got more reps today than he's had maybe all spring. He seemed to agitate more than a couple defensive players, who either tussled or bickered with him after a play.
Don Hill and walk-on linebacker Grant Moore sacked Browne. Quinton Powell had a TFL and a sack on Browne.
Sark seemed to get on quite a few players today. There wasn't a ton of contact but it was a really competitive practice.
Khaliel Rodgers (shoulder) was out. That led to Nico Falah getting all the first-team reps at LT while Toa Lobendahn served as the backup center. Hemsley worked at LT with the second team. The line probably struggled more today than we've seen all spring.
Recruits Tyler Vaughns, CJ Pollard and Brandon Burton were in attendance, along with Leonard Williams.
USC's practice on Saturday is also at the Coliseum and also closed. Sark decided to move today's and Saturday's workouts because he wanted the players to work on grass.
This post was edited on 4/2 8:14 PM by Adam Maya
***
First takes:
USC again worked on fielding kickoffs and punts. Tre Madden, JuJu Smith, Justin Davis and Kevon Seymour received kickoffs. Darreus Rogers and Adoree' Jackson, along with a few walk-ons, fielded punts.
USC had an extended walk-through, stretching and warm-up period.
It is apparent Madden is very comfortable running routes beyond the flats. Davis is developing that too.
Adoree' and Steven Mitchell are noticeably more fleet of feet than their cohorts while running seam routes.
***
Team period observations:
Kevon Seymour had a PBU while defending JuJu on the first play of 11-on-11s. A couple plays later, his tight coverage on JuJu forced Cody Kessler to throw the ball away.
Seymour also worked against Mitchell in the slot. I was wondering if we'd see more of him against the slot receiver and there it was. He was right on Mitchell, holding him to a short gain.
Claude Pelon and Su'a Cravens combine for a TFL. We haven't seen a lot of the D-line disrupt the running game in the backfield. Pelon did double duty, working at nose tackle with the second team.
Mitchell closes out the first team snaps with a touchdown. He lined up in the slot, caught a post and cut back twice. He's really a nightmare matchup for a safety playing nickel. Adoree' was split wide on the play.
Max Browne finally got some work with the first team. He had a nice scramble and then throw to JuJu on the sideline.
***
1-on-1s:
In just a week, JuJu has shown rapid growth in terms of fighting for balls. It seemed like Seymour was dominating him through the early part of spring on 50-50 balls. He beat Seymour for a deep ball in 1-on-1s.
Mitchell beat Kevon but dropped it.
Jonathan Lockett blanketed Darreus, who caught it anyway. Best hands on the team, at least in practice.
JuJu also beat Cravens, who entered the drill after spending the first half in a LB vs. TE drill.
***
Back to 11-on-11:
Rogers reaches wide for a sweet one-handed catch in front of Lockett, whom he then slipped by for a long gain. Good coverage by Lockett but bad finish.
Cravens halts a screen to Mitchell at the line. Cravens really does everything.
Browne threw a really nice ball to the far sideline to Robby Kolanz.
Olajuwon Tucker had another solid day. He tipped a Browne pass at the line, leading to a Michael Hutchings INT. Tucker worked at both inside and outside linebacker.
Kessler rolled to his right to complete an intermediate pass to JuJu (I think). He's looking more and more comfortable throwing on the run.
Scott Felix whirled Davis to the ground, which didn't go over well.
Cravens beat Zach Banner on the edge and then sacked Kessler, who was in the midst of completing a long throw to Adoree'.
JuJu caught a crossing route in front of Seymour.
Browne went deep to Kolanz, who beat Lamont Simmons for a second time. Simmons has not shown good ball awareness of late.
Browne completed an intermediate pass to Connor Spears.
Darreus caught a short pass and was instantly slammed by Cameron Smith. He held on.
***
7-on-7
Spears had another catch.
JCF had a catch while running with the third team.
Ricky Town had a rough start to this period and threw an INT to Matt Lopes. Town rebounded, completing his final few passes including a deep ball to David Mellstrom.
***
Back to 11-on-11s:
USC operated with the offense pinned inside its own 5.
JCF caught a ball with the first team. I cannot remember the last time that happened.
Kessler completes back-to-back balls to Mitchell.
Cody Temple recorded a safety.
Malik Dorton had a deflection at the line.
Browne threw a pick-six to Cam Smith, who was defending JCF. That's Smith's second pick-six of spring. I think Browne telegraphed that one.
Lockett blitzed and recorded a safety on Browne.
Browne responded with a nice ball down the sideline but Kolanz couldn't hang on.
With the offense and defense flipped for the final challenge, John Plattenburg closed out well on Mitchell to break up a touchdown. Mitchell got up and walked away gingerly.
Darreus towered over Lockett to bring in a fade route for a TD.
Lamar Dawson deflected Kessler's pass over the middle to end it. Defense wins. (Dawson was kicking himself for not getting the INT; his length brings something new to the table for USC in terms of pass coverage at that spot.
***
Adoree' practiced exclusively on offense and had a productive day. Sark for the first time intimated afterward the possibility of Adoree' playing more snaps on offense and, in turn, less on defense in the fall.
In 1-on-1s, Adoree' beat Simmons and then secured a perfect 40-yard pass from Kessler.
He got an extended run with the first team. During 11-on-11s, he dove to make a fantastic catch on a ball that really should have been incomplete. Later, he caught consecutive passes from Kessler. He also caught a ball downfield in 7-on-7.
Sark noted later that a few of those receptions were third down conversions.
***
Final notes:
JCF got more reps today than he's had maybe all spring. He seemed to agitate more than a couple defensive players, who either tussled or bickered with him after a play.
Don Hill and walk-on linebacker Grant Moore sacked Browne. Quinton Powell had a TFL and a sack on Browne.
Sark seemed to get on quite a few players today. There wasn't a ton of contact but it was a really competitive practice.
Khaliel Rodgers (shoulder) was out. That led to Nico Falah getting all the first-team reps at LT while Toa Lobendahn served as the backup center. Hemsley worked at LT with the second team. The line probably struggled more today than we've seen all spring.
Recruits Tyler Vaughns, CJ Pollard and Brandon Burton were in attendance, along with Leonard Williams.
USC's practice on Saturday is also at the Coliseum and also closed. Sark decided to move today's and Saturday's workouts because he wanted the players to work on grass.
This post was edited on 4/2 8:14 PM by Adam Maya
