A year ago USC was the darling of Pac-12 Media Day, picked to win the conference championship and reclaim its throne among the nation's elite. They were back. While that narrative was far too presumptuous and quickly proved to be misguided, it colored how many felt about a team that rallied to win the Pac-12 South after losing its coach almost halfway into the season.
The rhetoric involving the Trojans was quite different at today's Pac-12 Media Day, where they were picked to finish second in the Pac-12 South. There was no coronation or grand proclamations. USC, represented by Coach Clay Helton, defensive back Adoree' Jackson and offensive tackle Zach Banner, simply promised to work hard. Only time will tell where the chips will fall.
Below is what we learned about this team just three weeks before it takes the field for training camp. (Chris Swanson and Drew Krinsky contributed to this report.)
COACH CLAY HELTON
--He plans to determine a starter at the end of training camp (18 practices), two weeks before the season opener.
--on how the first-team reps will be divided between Max Browne and Sam Darnold in training camp
"It'll be a percentage. Max will be mostly with the ones, and then we'll mix in Sam with ones and twos. But I want to get Sam in there with the ones also, so he's around that first offensive line and being able to truly see. There'll be a mixture there."
--on whether Darnold matured quicker than he expected
"No question. No question. Especially when you think about the guys that have been here before, I think about Matt Barkley and Cody Kessler and Max Browne, all were midterm graduates. Sam just reported in the fall. he was playing basketball (last spring), helped his team win a title. To be able to come on and basically be a service (team) quarterback for his first season. This was his first (spring), and to do what he did. Now was everything perfect? No, but I'd (think) sometimes, Oh God, where's he going with the ball? Oh, touchdown. His ability to create and see things, almost like that point guard mentality, really showed in spring ball. Was I surprised with where he was at by the end of spring? Yes, I can't lie. I was surprised."
--on what's most important to him when evaluating the quarterbacks
"The first things are intangibles, and when you look at both kids, they're off the charts. So take that out. They're both great kids, both leaders. So it's going to be decision-making, timing, accuracy, how you move the ball, how you produce, are you putting the ball in the end zone? Who's moving the team and producing? The guy that's doing that the best will be named the quarterback."
--on whether Browne wasn't playing well enough in spring or Darnold was playing too well to select Browne at that time
"It was all about how well Sam played. I knew that Max was going to be where he is. He had an unbelievable spring. The leadership he creates, the knowledge he has of the game, you anticipate that from a fourth-year junior that you trained and that's been in the system. I just didn't anticipate how well Sam was going to play. And to be honest with you, as a head coach, you're preaching competition at all positions, you're preaching that the best player plays, well, if you don't do that at the quarterback position, which is as valuable as any position on the team, then how can you look your players in the eye? They can see that both guys were playing well. Why not go to training camp? You got that time."
--on whether he's seen someone come as far as Darnold has this quickly
"Not in my career, no."
--on people inevitably second-guessing whatever he decides
"There's always going to be opinions. The one thing that I've learned through this job, being here six years, is be yourself and do what you believe in. Do it your way. You can't worry about popular opinion. There's going to be so much out there and so many voices. You got to truly believe in what you're doing. And that's the way I'm going to coach it.
--on what he learned from the competition between Kessler and Max Wittek
"It taught me several things. One, the ability to go into a season and having named a quarterback and the team knows exactly who the guy is. It helped me realize also how it helps the quarterback to know he's the guy, and the confidence he has once being named. That's the way I felt as a quarterback, that's the way being a quarterback coach I feel is the best way and that's what we're going to do."
--He said part of the reason he likes Adoree' Jackson primarily serving as a cornerback is because USC intends to load the box more to help its young D-line and therefore will place more stress on the secondary.
--on Cam Smith's recovery
"I see a tremendous amount of confidence right now in him moving around. The doctors are confident where he's at. They really think he's ahead of schedule. Just the nature of that injury, it's 7-9 months to be ready to play, and you really don't feel right until after a year. We'll have to see. I just don't have a crystal ball. When I see him moving around, he's looking good, but until you physically play football, you never know a guy's confidence level, where his mind is at. It's a little bit different when you put on the pads. We'll see where we're at."
--Khaliel Rodgers will begin training camp at defensive tackle.
--Freshman Connor Murphy will begin training camp at Predator, though Helton said he could be moved eventually because he's now at 265 pounds and is expected to continue filling out after being 250 when they signed him. Murphy's experience is on the edge but he told Helton he will move inside if that's where the team needs him. Helton said he's close to outgrowing his position.
The rhetoric involving the Trojans was quite different at today's Pac-12 Media Day, where they were picked to finish second in the Pac-12 South. There was no coronation or grand proclamations. USC, represented by Coach Clay Helton, defensive back Adoree' Jackson and offensive tackle Zach Banner, simply promised to work hard. Only time will tell where the chips will fall.
Below is what we learned about this team just three weeks before it takes the field for training camp. (Chris Swanson and Drew Krinsky contributed to this report.)
COACH CLAY HELTON
--He plans to determine a starter at the end of training camp (18 practices), two weeks before the season opener.
--on how the first-team reps will be divided between Max Browne and Sam Darnold in training camp
"It'll be a percentage. Max will be mostly with the ones, and then we'll mix in Sam with ones and twos. But I want to get Sam in there with the ones also, so he's around that first offensive line and being able to truly see. There'll be a mixture there."
--on whether Darnold matured quicker than he expected
"No question. No question. Especially when you think about the guys that have been here before, I think about Matt Barkley and Cody Kessler and Max Browne, all were midterm graduates. Sam just reported in the fall. he was playing basketball (last spring), helped his team win a title. To be able to come on and basically be a service (team) quarterback for his first season. This was his first (spring), and to do what he did. Now was everything perfect? No, but I'd (think) sometimes, Oh God, where's he going with the ball? Oh, touchdown. His ability to create and see things, almost like that point guard mentality, really showed in spring ball. Was I surprised with where he was at by the end of spring? Yes, I can't lie. I was surprised."
--on what's most important to him when evaluating the quarterbacks
"The first things are intangibles, and when you look at both kids, they're off the charts. So take that out. They're both great kids, both leaders. So it's going to be decision-making, timing, accuracy, how you move the ball, how you produce, are you putting the ball in the end zone? Who's moving the team and producing? The guy that's doing that the best will be named the quarterback."
--on whether Browne wasn't playing well enough in spring or Darnold was playing too well to select Browne at that time
"It was all about how well Sam played. I knew that Max was going to be where he is. He had an unbelievable spring. The leadership he creates, the knowledge he has of the game, you anticipate that from a fourth-year junior that you trained and that's been in the system. I just didn't anticipate how well Sam was going to play. And to be honest with you, as a head coach, you're preaching competition at all positions, you're preaching that the best player plays, well, if you don't do that at the quarterback position, which is as valuable as any position on the team, then how can you look your players in the eye? They can see that both guys were playing well. Why not go to training camp? You got that time."
--on whether he's seen someone come as far as Darnold has this quickly
"Not in my career, no."
--on people inevitably second-guessing whatever he decides
"There's always going to be opinions. The one thing that I've learned through this job, being here six years, is be yourself and do what you believe in. Do it your way. You can't worry about popular opinion. There's going to be so much out there and so many voices. You got to truly believe in what you're doing. And that's the way I'm going to coach it.
--on what he learned from the competition between Kessler and Max Wittek
"It taught me several things. One, the ability to go into a season and having named a quarterback and the team knows exactly who the guy is. It helped me realize also how it helps the quarterback to know he's the guy, and the confidence he has once being named. That's the way I felt as a quarterback, that's the way being a quarterback coach I feel is the best way and that's what we're going to do."
--He said part of the reason he likes Adoree' Jackson primarily serving as a cornerback is because USC intends to load the box more to help its young D-line and therefore will place more stress on the secondary.
--on Cam Smith's recovery
"I see a tremendous amount of confidence right now in him moving around. The doctors are confident where he's at. They really think he's ahead of schedule. Just the nature of that injury, it's 7-9 months to be ready to play, and you really don't feel right until after a year. We'll have to see. I just don't have a crystal ball. When I see him moving around, he's looking good, but until you physically play football, you never know a guy's confidence level, where his mind is at. It's a little bit different when you put on the pads. We'll see where we're at."
--Khaliel Rodgers will begin training camp at defensive tackle.
--Freshman Connor Murphy will begin training camp at Predator, though Helton said he could be moved eventually because he's now at 265 pounds and is expected to continue filling out after being 250 when they signed him. Murphy's experience is on the edge but he told Helton he will move inside if that's where the team needs him. Helton said he's close to outgrowing his position.
