News and notes from today's practice ...
Clay Helton didn't offer any updates on the Chad Wheeler situation. Helton said he has yet to speak with Wheeler. He hasn't decided whether Wheeler would play in the Holiday Bowl and no disciplinary action has been taken at this time.
"We're working our way through that," he said. "With respect to Chad, we're just wishing him well. It's really a personal and private issue."
Zach Banner was again at left tackle and Chuma Edoga was the first-string right tackle.
There is a lot of news involving Adoree' Jackson. He intimated he will spend very little time on offense at practice, if any.
"I already talked to Coach Helton, and I’m going to be permanently at corner," Jackson said. "When he needs me on offense, he’s going to use me, but at the end of the day, my decision was to specialize at corner and continue to be a specialist in returning the ball, and whenever I’m needed on offense, I’ll go in there and go."
It appears Jackson, unless he decides otherwise, also won't partake in spring practice in order to focus on track and field. Helton has given Jackson his blessing to do so as part of a promise he made back when he recruited Jackson.
Here was Helton's full take on the matter:
"He's got a very, very special year coming up," Helton said. "With the opportunity to win a national championship in long jump and the summer Olympics, that doesn't happen very often. I've always believed that if you're going to be master of something you got to work at it. Don't be a jack of all trades. Be a master of something. He's been master of football this season. When we were recruiting him, we said when you get the opportunity to work for the Olympics, you need to go work with that. He's so valuable to our track team. We love having two-sport guys.
"So he's going to really concentrate this spring on being the best long jump champion he could be, helping our track team, being able to come back with us for a meeting or two, but really focus his energy on hopefully winning gold medal. That was something that we promised him in recruiting and we want for him."
Peter Sirmon confirmed he will remain on staff in the same capacity next year, as the linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator. He said Helton has not approached him about being the defensive coordinator. When asked about his defensive philosophy, he was pretty vague.
"I think we all on defense everyone kind of shares, you're minimizing points and you're minimizing yards," Sirmon said. "But we all get to it differently. I've been with Justin (Wilcox) for a long time but everyone's background is significantly different, from playing, being with the Titans for a long time and the Jeff Fishers and the Greg Williamses, some of those defensive mindsets, we'll probably go after things a little bit differently in certain personnel groups."
***
Some highlights from practice:
Cody Kessler connected with Darreus Rogers on a deep ball over the middle for a TD. The play was well-executed as JuJu Smith-Schuster ran an inside route that drew attention from two defensive backs to free Rogers.
Kessler, who sprained his thumb in the Pac-12 title game, is practicing without any type of brace or support on his throwing hand. But he still doesn't seem to have the strength and zip that he displayed over the offseason and early fall. I really believe there's something going on in his shoulder.
Kessler hits De'Quan Hampton on an out.
Kessler is sacked by a pair of defenders as Khaliel Rodgers goes down. Rodgers later limps off the field. It looks like he might have reaggravated that ankle sprain which kept him out of the last game.
***
Su'a Cravens sacks Max Browne, who's only getting a handful of reps.
Uchenna Nwosu sacks Kessler.
Ronald Jones II breaks off a pair of long runs.
Kessler hits Isaac Whitney over the middle. He's my early pick for next year's No. 2 receiver.
***
USC was in pads today. The session went for about two hours.
Clay Helton didn't offer any updates on the Chad Wheeler situation. Helton said he has yet to speak with Wheeler. He hasn't decided whether Wheeler would play in the Holiday Bowl and no disciplinary action has been taken at this time.
"We're working our way through that," he said. "With respect to Chad, we're just wishing him well. It's really a personal and private issue."
Zach Banner was again at left tackle and Chuma Edoga was the first-string right tackle.
There is a lot of news involving Adoree' Jackson. He intimated he will spend very little time on offense at practice, if any.
"I already talked to Coach Helton, and I’m going to be permanently at corner," Jackson said. "When he needs me on offense, he’s going to use me, but at the end of the day, my decision was to specialize at corner and continue to be a specialist in returning the ball, and whenever I’m needed on offense, I’ll go in there and go."
It appears Jackson, unless he decides otherwise, also won't partake in spring practice in order to focus on track and field. Helton has given Jackson his blessing to do so as part of a promise he made back when he recruited Jackson.
Here was Helton's full take on the matter:
"He's got a very, very special year coming up," Helton said. "With the opportunity to win a national championship in long jump and the summer Olympics, that doesn't happen very often. I've always believed that if you're going to be master of something you got to work at it. Don't be a jack of all trades. Be a master of something. He's been master of football this season. When we were recruiting him, we said when you get the opportunity to work for the Olympics, you need to go work with that. He's so valuable to our track team. We love having two-sport guys.
"So he's going to really concentrate this spring on being the best long jump champion he could be, helping our track team, being able to come back with us for a meeting or two, but really focus his energy on hopefully winning gold medal. That was something that we promised him in recruiting and we want for him."
Peter Sirmon confirmed he will remain on staff in the same capacity next year, as the linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator. He said Helton has not approached him about being the defensive coordinator. When asked about his defensive philosophy, he was pretty vague.
"I think we all on defense everyone kind of shares, you're minimizing points and you're minimizing yards," Sirmon said. "But we all get to it differently. I've been with Justin (Wilcox) for a long time but everyone's background is significantly different, from playing, being with the Titans for a long time and the Jeff Fishers and the Greg Williamses, some of those defensive mindsets, we'll probably go after things a little bit differently in certain personnel groups."
***
Some highlights from practice:
Cody Kessler connected with Darreus Rogers on a deep ball over the middle for a TD. The play was well-executed as JuJu Smith-Schuster ran an inside route that drew attention from two defensive backs to free Rogers.
Kessler, who sprained his thumb in the Pac-12 title game, is practicing without any type of brace or support on his throwing hand. But he still doesn't seem to have the strength and zip that he displayed over the offseason and early fall. I really believe there's something going on in his shoulder.
Kessler hits De'Quan Hampton on an out.
Kessler is sacked by a pair of defenders as Khaliel Rodgers goes down. Rodgers later limps off the field. It looks like he might have reaggravated that ankle sprain which kept him out of the last game.
***
Su'a Cravens sacks Max Browne, who's only getting a handful of reps.
Uchenna Nwosu sacks Kessler.
Ronald Jones II breaks off a pair of long runs.
Kessler hits Isaac Whitney over the middle. He's my early pick for next year's No. 2 receiver.
***
USC was in pads today. The session went for about two hours.
