Highlights from our next batch of interviews with coaches and players.
ASSISTANT JOHN BAXTER
--on working with the tight ends
“It reminds me of when Randall (Telfer) and Xavier (Grimble) were young players, ‘They’re really talented, young players.’ Around here, the word talent, it sickens me. I would rather hear about their technique. When you start talking about guys with great potential, it just means they haven’t done it yet. The whole goal this spring is to get them to do it, but they’re really willing participants and they’re really eager learners and they’re making fast progress. Today’s tight end plays in a spread offense a lot of times in high school, so they come here and they have to appreciate the line of scrimmage because football is and always will be a line of scrimmage game. And to play on the line of scrimmage, you got to have exact footwork, hit good targets and those kinds of things.”
--on who works with them on blocking
“I focus on their blocking, I focus on their pass receiving. I’ve coached every position on offense in my career except quarterbacks. So the bottom line is, you’re involved in the run game from an on the line of scrimmage standpoint, an off the line of scrimmage standpoint. You’re involved in the passing game like a wide receiver. The thing I told them, football is a line of scrimmage thing and you have to learn to love the line of scrimmage and learn to be a physically dominant player and that’s done with technique and leverage. If all you can do is spread out, there will always be a receiver better than you, but if you can play on the line of scrimmage and you can block a defensive end or an outside linebacker, then what happens is there’s no wide receiver that can take your job. And football is a game of imposition of wills. To impose your will, kind of like in wrestling, it’s a technique sport and that’s really where we’re at. We’re focusing on their technique as players on the line of scrimmage. As pass receivers, it’s well documented what kind of athletes they are. But I really think they may have exciting futures here because they’re making fast progress and they’re really enjoying it, so they’re fun to work with.”
--on how USC plans to use its tight ends
"The bottom line is, are you in a six-man blocking scheme or are you in a seven-man blocking scheme? The more dominant you can become, the more players you can add to the box, which means a tight end and a fullback. Just because it’s a tight end body doesn’t mean he has to play on the line. But they have to learn to play on the line before they play in the backfield. And then once they learn how to play on the line, then what happens is there’s all kind of excitement in the passing game because people have to defend the run and they have to defend the seven-man blocking scheme. So that’s where all the strategy of football is, getting into personnel groups that dictate personnel groups on defense. …
“Your offense is the offense but it morphs towards what you do well. It just depends on what you’re trying to get done and who can do it. Obviously we’re three deep or four deep at wide receiver, we have 10 really good players there. The tight ends are developmental in nature right now, but like I said they’re making fast progress. I see no reason why you don’t see one or two tight ends in the game at all times as long as they keep making progress.”
--on his current group of tight ends
“Daniel Imatorbhebe, he’s really come along fast as a guy playing on the line of scrimmage where Taylor McNamara who’s really pretty good on the line of scrimmage, he’s come along fast as a passing-game threat. And (Tyler) Petite has only practiced three times, so I’ve only seen two days in no pads with him. But I’ll tell you what, I’m really encouraged because they can all be real tight ends, they’re not these manufactured, overgrown wide receivers.”
TE TYLER PETITE
--on his personal development
“I got a lot of really good experience last year. Getting thrown into the fire like that was really beneficial for me because I got to learn on the fly. Learning a new offense is a little bit difficult but we’re all learning the same way. Coach Baxter is learning along with us. Having less guys, we’re going to have to be able to do more things. I think from last year the coaches believe in us more. We showed that we’re capable, so they’re putting more on us because they think we can handle it.”
--on whether the tight ends are more incorporated into the passing game this year
“Absolutely. I would agree with that. Last year, a lot of question marks around our position, (he and Taylor McNamara were) both brand new players. There was a huge question mark as to what our production level would be. But I think we came out here and we showed that we’re a viable position and can be counted on. I think people started to see that towards the end of the year, there was more tight end stuff going in.”
--on how much they’ll be used like a fullback
“Reuben (Peters) is becoming a fullback, he’s trying to be a true fullback. But there’s no true F position now, so there will be times where there would be Jahleel (Pinner) or Soma (Vainuku), that’s where they’re putting the tight end now. It’s a little difficult because the blocking is a lot different. It’s more of collision blocking than off the line and putting your hands inside. That’s the one change, not that it can’t be done. But we’re getting Reuben into that process. As he works, I think he’ll be able to do that more. But as tight ends, we don’t have an issue with it either.”
--on Max Browne
“Great leader. I think that’s his strong suit and obviously (he’s) a great player. I think having that leadership role is really going to help him. He’s secured that on the team. And he throws a great ball, knows the offense well.”
--on Sam Darnold
“He has this X factor to him. He’s a pocket passer, that’s what you would define him as. But if he’s in trouble he can use his legs and make something happen, make a big play happen. I sort of think of it like an Aaron Rodgers type. Obviously, Aaron Rodgers has a cannon. But the thing about Aaron Rodgers is he can sit in the pocket, but when he runs there are times when he’s had 60-yard runs because he’s an athletic guy. I think Sam has that same sort of X factor.”
OT ZACH BANNER
--on playing left tackle
“So comfortable, really comfortable and I’m just trying to display that. I’m really trying to display that. I can play both tackle spots, I’ve shown that, I’ve been working so hard on playing both in the offseason and it shows. I’m 100 percent comfortable, all I’m changing is stance. It used to be difficult, last season because in the offseason I was strictly right, which was my fault. And this offseason in the two months in between the bowl game and when spring ball started, it’s like night and day, I can’t even imagine what it’s going to be like when camp starts.”
--on his weight loss
“Down 30 pounds and I’m going to be down some more. I’m not going to give you guys the number until camp starts because that’s where my number is going to be by the season. (Coach Clay Helton said Thursday Banner weighed 350 pounds.) Down 30 pounds from the bowl game, So I feel great and I’m going to get in more shape.”
--on whether losing weight has prepared him for left tackle
“I think so. I think the realization at the end of the year last year, it’s about improving my stock and it’s about helping. First off, all of that depends on how we do as a team, so I’m focused on the team aspect first, but one of the aspects of coming back was to get myself better and to make sure I ensure that when a team, if God blessed me, if he permits it, if a team wants to draft me next year, I’m going to be ready to play left tackle in the National Football League.”
--on where he’s improved since last year
“Pad level, the weight, losing 30 pounds … the foot speed, everything there is about an offensive tackle.”
--on why being the starting left tackle is his primary goal
“It’s the aspect of trusting, it’s the aspect of it (being) the best position on the offensive line, and that’s why it’s so highly praised in the National Football League. It’s why it’s so highly praised in college football. I feel like I’m trying to earn that position. Will it be a let down if I don’t get it? Yes. But I trust the coaches at the end of the offseason, when we get to Alabama week, when we get to camp, whoever they choose to be the left tackle, that’s who’s earned it.”
OL COACH NEIL CALLAWAY
We caught him for just a minute. Here’s what he said about Banner’s prospects at left tackle:
“First of all, he’s a big, physical specimen, he’s a very diligent guy that works hard, he’s got a great attitude and you take all those things with his size and that’s a good start. ... We’re going to let them all compete, everybody is competing, nobody has got a spot sowed up, everybody is competing to win there job, so nobody has anything locked up.”
ASSISTANT JOHN BAXTER
--on working with the tight ends
“It reminds me of when Randall (Telfer) and Xavier (Grimble) were young players, ‘They’re really talented, young players.’ Around here, the word talent, it sickens me. I would rather hear about their technique. When you start talking about guys with great potential, it just means they haven’t done it yet. The whole goal this spring is to get them to do it, but they’re really willing participants and they’re really eager learners and they’re making fast progress. Today’s tight end plays in a spread offense a lot of times in high school, so they come here and they have to appreciate the line of scrimmage because football is and always will be a line of scrimmage game. And to play on the line of scrimmage, you got to have exact footwork, hit good targets and those kinds of things.”
--on who works with them on blocking
“I focus on their blocking, I focus on their pass receiving. I’ve coached every position on offense in my career except quarterbacks. So the bottom line is, you’re involved in the run game from an on the line of scrimmage standpoint, an off the line of scrimmage standpoint. You’re involved in the passing game like a wide receiver. The thing I told them, football is a line of scrimmage thing and you have to learn to love the line of scrimmage and learn to be a physically dominant player and that’s done with technique and leverage. If all you can do is spread out, there will always be a receiver better than you, but if you can play on the line of scrimmage and you can block a defensive end or an outside linebacker, then what happens is there’s no wide receiver that can take your job. And football is a game of imposition of wills. To impose your will, kind of like in wrestling, it’s a technique sport and that’s really where we’re at. We’re focusing on their technique as players on the line of scrimmage. As pass receivers, it’s well documented what kind of athletes they are. But I really think they may have exciting futures here because they’re making fast progress and they’re really enjoying it, so they’re fun to work with.”
--on how USC plans to use its tight ends
"The bottom line is, are you in a six-man blocking scheme or are you in a seven-man blocking scheme? The more dominant you can become, the more players you can add to the box, which means a tight end and a fullback. Just because it’s a tight end body doesn’t mean he has to play on the line. But they have to learn to play on the line before they play in the backfield. And then once they learn how to play on the line, then what happens is there’s all kind of excitement in the passing game because people have to defend the run and they have to defend the seven-man blocking scheme. So that’s where all the strategy of football is, getting into personnel groups that dictate personnel groups on defense. …
“Your offense is the offense but it morphs towards what you do well. It just depends on what you’re trying to get done and who can do it. Obviously we’re three deep or four deep at wide receiver, we have 10 really good players there. The tight ends are developmental in nature right now, but like I said they’re making fast progress. I see no reason why you don’t see one or two tight ends in the game at all times as long as they keep making progress.”
--on his current group of tight ends
“Daniel Imatorbhebe, he’s really come along fast as a guy playing on the line of scrimmage where Taylor McNamara who’s really pretty good on the line of scrimmage, he’s come along fast as a passing-game threat. And (Tyler) Petite has only practiced three times, so I’ve only seen two days in no pads with him. But I’ll tell you what, I’m really encouraged because they can all be real tight ends, they’re not these manufactured, overgrown wide receivers.”
TE TYLER PETITE
--on his personal development
“I got a lot of really good experience last year. Getting thrown into the fire like that was really beneficial for me because I got to learn on the fly. Learning a new offense is a little bit difficult but we’re all learning the same way. Coach Baxter is learning along with us. Having less guys, we’re going to have to be able to do more things. I think from last year the coaches believe in us more. We showed that we’re capable, so they’re putting more on us because they think we can handle it.”
--on whether the tight ends are more incorporated into the passing game this year
“Absolutely. I would agree with that. Last year, a lot of question marks around our position, (he and Taylor McNamara were) both brand new players. There was a huge question mark as to what our production level would be. But I think we came out here and we showed that we’re a viable position and can be counted on. I think people started to see that towards the end of the year, there was more tight end stuff going in.”
--on how much they’ll be used like a fullback
“Reuben (Peters) is becoming a fullback, he’s trying to be a true fullback. But there’s no true F position now, so there will be times where there would be Jahleel (Pinner) or Soma (Vainuku), that’s where they’re putting the tight end now. It’s a little difficult because the blocking is a lot different. It’s more of collision blocking than off the line and putting your hands inside. That’s the one change, not that it can’t be done. But we’re getting Reuben into that process. As he works, I think he’ll be able to do that more. But as tight ends, we don’t have an issue with it either.”
--on Max Browne
“Great leader. I think that’s his strong suit and obviously (he’s) a great player. I think having that leadership role is really going to help him. He’s secured that on the team. And he throws a great ball, knows the offense well.”
--on Sam Darnold
“He has this X factor to him. He’s a pocket passer, that’s what you would define him as. But if he’s in trouble he can use his legs and make something happen, make a big play happen. I sort of think of it like an Aaron Rodgers type. Obviously, Aaron Rodgers has a cannon. But the thing about Aaron Rodgers is he can sit in the pocket, but when he runs there are times when he’s had 60-yard runs because he’s an athletic guy. I think Sam has that same sort of X factor.”
OT ZACH BANNER
--on playing left tackle
“So comfortable, really comfortable and I’m just trying to display that. I’m really trying to display that. I can play both tackle spots, I’ve shown that, I’ve been working so hard on playing both in the offseason and it shows. I’m 100 percent comfortable, all I’m changing is stance. It used to be difficult, last season because in the offseason I was strictly right, which was my fault. And this offseason in the two months in between the bowl game and when spring ball started, it’s like night and day, I can’t even imagine what it’s going to be like when camp starts.”
--on his weight loss
“Down 30 pounds and I’m going to be down some more. I’m not going to give you guys the number until camp starts because that’s where my number is going to be by the season. (Coach Clay Helton said Thursday Banner weighed 350 pounds.) Down 30 pounds from the bowl game, So I feel great and I’m going to get in more shape.”
--on whether losing weight has prepared him for left tackle
“I think so. I think the realization at the end of the year last year, it’s about improving my stock and it’s about helping. First off, all of that depends on how we do as a team, so I’m focused on the team aspect first, but one of the aspects of coming back was to get myself better and to make sure I ensure that when a team, if God blessed me, if he permits it, if a team wants to draft me next year, I’m going to be ready to play left tackle in the National Football League.”
--on where he’s improved since last year
“Pad level, the weight, losing 30 pounds … the foot speed, everything there is about an offensive tackle.”
--on why being the starting left tackle is his primary goal
“It’s the aspect of trusting, it’s the aspect of it (being) the best position on the offensive line, and that’s why it’s so highly praised in the National Football League. It’s why it’s so highly praised in college football. I feel like I’m trying to earn that position. Will it be a let down if I don’t get it? Yes. But I trust the coaches at the end of the offseason, when we get to Alabama week, when we get to camp, whoever they choose to be the left tackle, that’s who’s earned it.”
OL COACH NEIL CALLAWAY
We caught him for just a minute. Here’s what he said about Banner’s prospects at left tackle:
“First of all, he’s a big, physical specimen, he’s a very diligent guy that works hard, he’s got a great attitude and you take all those things with his size and that’s a good start. ... We’re going to let them all compete, everybody is competing, nobody has got a spot sowed up, everybody is competing to win there job, so nobody has anything locked up.”
