Adam Maya and Emily Smith caught up with a few more players after Day 2 of spring football. Here's what was said...
Jamel Cook
On his size
Cook: “I’m trying to get to 205. It’s easier in the spring probably because in the fall we run a lot.”
On his goals
Cook:“I want to be the top of my class, I want to be the talk of the team.”
What kind of safety he is
Cook:“All-around. I can tackle, I can cover, I can do it all.”
Chuma Edoga
On his weight
Edoga: “I was 292 this morning.”
On how it feels to be a veteran on the line
Edoga:“It don’t really feel no different. I’m just happy to be out here, playing ball with my teammates, getting better.”
If he wants to be the left tackle
Edoga: “I’ll play wherever the coaches put me to be honest. I can play left or right because I played both last season. But they put me at left this spring, so I guess that’s where I’m going to play.”
If he feels better at one spot or the other yet
Edoga: “Not really. I feel like last year I was better at right tackle. Just because I had never really played left tackle before. But after getting some experience last year, I don’t really know at this point.”
Does it mean something to him that the coaches put him at left tackle
Edoga: “I feel like they respect my talent if they put me on the left side to protect a guy like Sam Darnold. He’s a high talented guy. So I felt like they held me to a high honor putting me at left tackle.”
If this year’s smaller offensive line will be different than last year’s bigger version
Edoga: “I don’t think it’s going to be much different. We’ve still got some really physical guys that get after it. So I feel like we can still move the line of scrimmage with the guys we got.”
On why he didn’t play more last year
Edoga: “Last year, I just feel like my head wasn’t in it. I had some other issues I had to take care of. But this year I’m just focused and ready to go.”
If he’s all in terms of being at USC
Edoga: “Oh yeah. 100-percent, I’m all in, in terms of being at USC.”
If being all in at USC is a change from what he felt previously
Edoga: “I don’t think it ever changed really. I’ve always been 100-percent USC.”
If he ever considered transferring from USC
Edoga: “Oh, no.”
What makes left tackle harder for him
Edoga: “It’s just like everything is reversed, switching your feet, stuff like that. Which hand is the more dominant hand. It’s just everything reversed basically.”
If he feels like this could be a breakout season for him
Edoga: “Oh most definitely. I feel like I’m going to surprise a lot of people this year and show people the kind of talent I’ve got.”
On how he sees the other offensive line positions filling out
Edoga: “We have great guys at all the spots right now. Roy (Hemsley), he really improved from last year. So I feel like he could fill in at that right tackle spot. Chris Brown, he played last year, he’s a good cat. And Viane (Talamaivao), he’s been playing since he got here. And then, Nico (Falah), balling last year. And we have Toa (Lobendahn) coming back too.”
Can this offensive line be as good or better than last year’s version?
Edoga: “I think we can. We’re definitely up for the challenge. I think we can do it.”
If it’s easier to avoid sacks when you’re protecting Sam Darnold
Edoga: “Most definitely because he’s usually not going down with the first guy. He’s going to make the first guy miss or the second guy miss. So it’s a lot easier.”
On E.J. Price
Edoga: “I still try to talk to him, help him through. He’s just going to classes right now, focused. And I really don’t know what the situation is right now with him. So we’re going to have to wait and see about that.”
Does EJ Price want to come back
Edoga: “Oh yeah, he wants to come back. Definitely.”
Jamel Cook
On his size
Cook: “I’m trying to get to 205. It’s easier in the spring probably because in the fall we run a lot.”
On his goals
Cook:“I want to be the top of my class, I want to be the talk of the team.”
What kind of safety he is
Cook:“All-around. I can tackle, I can cover, I can do it all.”
Chuma Edoga
On his weight
Edoga: “I was 292 this morning.”
On how it feels to be a veteran on the line
Edoga:“It don’t really feel no different. I’m just happy to be out here, playing ball with my teammates, getting better.”
If he wants to be the left tackle
Edoga: “I’ll play wherever the coaches put me to be honest. I can play left or right because I played both last season. But they put me at left this spring, so I guess that’s where I’m going to play.”
If he feels better at one spot or the other yet
Edoga: “Not really. I feel like last year I was better at right tackle. Just because I had never really played left tackle before. But after getting some experience last year, I don’t really know at this point.”
Does it mean something to him that the coaches put him at left tackle
Edoga: “I feel like they respect my talent if they put me on the left side to protect a guy like Sam Darnold. He’s a high talented guy. So I felt like they held me to a high honor putting me at left tackle.”
If this year’s smaller offensive line will be different than last year’s bigger version
Edoga: “I don’t think it’s going to be much different. We’ve still got some really physical guys that get after it. So I feel like we can still move the line of scrimmage with the guys we got.”
On why he didn’t play more last year
Edoga: “Last year, I just feel like my head wasn’t in it. I had some other issues I had to take care of. But this year I’m just focused and ready to go.”
If he’s all in terms of being at USC
Edoga: “Oh yeah. 100-percent, I’m all in, in terms of being at USC.”
If being all in at USC is a change from what he felt previously
Edoga: “I don’t think it ever changed really. I’ve always been 100-percent USC.”
If he ever considered transferring from USC
Edoga: “Oh, no.”
What makes left tackle harder for him
Edoga: “It’s just like everything is reversed, switching your feet, stuff like that. Which hand is the more dominant hand. It’s just everything reversed basically.”
If he feels like this could be a breakout season for him
Edoga: “Oh most definitely. I feel like I’m going to surprise a lot of people this year and show people the kind of talent I’ve got.”
On how he sees the other offensive line positions filling out
Edoga: “We have great guys at all the spots right now. Roy (Hemsley), he really improved from last year. So I feel like he could fill in at that right tackle spot. Chris Brown, he played last year, he’s a good cat. And Viane (Talamaivao), he’s been playing since he got here. And then, Nico (Falah), balling last year. And we have Toa (Lobendahn) coming back too.”
Can this offensive line be as good or better than last year’s version?
Edoga: “I think we can. We’re definitely up for the challenge. I think we can do it.”
If it’s easier to avoid sacks when you’re protecting Sam Darnold
Edoga: “Most definitely because he’s usually not going down with the first guy. He’s going to make the first guy miss or the second guy miss. So it’s a lot easier.”
On E.J. Price
Edoga: “I still try to talk to him, help him through. He’s just going to classes right now, focused. And I really don’t know what the situation is right now with him. So we’re going to have to wait and see about that.”
Does EJ Price want to come back
Edoga: “Oh yeah, he wants to come back. Definitely.”
