Highlights from our latest coach and player interviews...
Justin Davis
--His reps will be low until he’s at full speed.
“That’s pretty close from right now. … I’m slowly working my way up. ... I just had some super, super tightness in my glute and hamstring. It’s starting to open up right now and I felt good. I opened up my stride a little bit and it felt great.”
--He’s taken notice of the freshman running backs.
“That’s why they came to SC. That’s why I came here, for competition. They’re always going to keep me on my toes and they’ve shown it so far. That’s made me work hard that much harder to get back on the field.”
--He’s been wearing the Catapult GPS system for over a year, which records his speed. It’s communicated to the coaches that he’s still not at 100 percent at this time.
Cody Kessler
--The receiving corps has encouraged him to take more chances in practice than he did during the season.
“I think the guys have done a great job at winning on the deep ball. But it’s still just as important, the short, intermediate, all that’s stuff’s important. People love the deep ball, but the biggest thing for us is extending drives. People want an 80-yard touchdown, 70-yard touchdown, it sounds great. But when you go 15 plays and your chunk, chunk, chunk, and you finally score at the end, that takes so much more out of the defense than hitting them with one big play. I’d love to throw an 80-yard touchdown, but we got to get used to outing those long drives together and staying on the field, especially with this offense.”
--He’s still averse to risks but is becoming more comfortable being in aggressive against man coverage.
“If it’s there, I take it, if not, I don’t pull the trigger or force anything. I’m smart with the football. That goes a long way for me. It’s benefited me so far. If its 1-on-1 with a guy, I’ve been doing it all camp, if its 1-onm-1, we’re expecting them to win, so we’re putting it up. You wanna take the chances now and get used to who can make the play and who can’t, especially with these new guys. …
“You got to know your personnel and who you’re throwing to. That’ll dictate your throw and where you put it. But at the end of the day, you expect them to win, you expect them to get on top of somebody if it’s 1-on-1 and they’re running a go route. We emphasize, if you ever get 1-on-1, you take it as an insult, take it as the guy thinks he can cover you, you want to win, you got p prove you can win. That’s the kind of mentality you want to have on offense and on defense.”
--With the pecking order not as obvious as it was a year ago, he sees a very motivated receiving corps.
"Guys want to get to that level. Guys want to get to Marqise Lee’s level, Nelson Agholor, Robert Woods. JuJu coming back, he’s right there in line. Steven Mitchell’s stepping up, and Darreus. These guys are all fighting to be, not necessarily recognized or have a breakout year, but to make plays and emphasize that they’re going to be a threat in games. We really need that, especially with the guys returning. We need them to set the standard. JuJu’s done a great job of that. JuJu’s been making great plays all over the field. So has Steven, so has Darreus. Those three right now are really key to building that confidence for me and the rest of the offense and even the guys behind them (at receiver).”
--He didn’t know Ricky Town was unhappy.
“It caught me off guard. I didn’t see it coming. I still don’t know the full story. The thing we heard is that he’s got some personal stuff going on. It is what it is. If he does decide to go elsewhere, then I wish him the best. He’s a good friend of ours. We enjoyed him in the quarterback room. Really good kid. If he didn’t feel like this was the right place for him, I wish him nothing but the best.”
--He said he communicated to Town and Sam Darnold that they could talk to him, especially since he was once in their shoes as he arrived alongside Max Wittek.
“He always knew. Him and Sam. I told them: I’m always open. You come to me with anything you need. Barkley was there for me. He did the same thing for me. Any questions I had, or if you’re going through anything. I’ve talked to both of them individually and given them both advice, different stuff. But at the end of the day, it’s his decision. None of us out here can hold it against him. It’s what’s best for him. We completely understand. Wherever he goes.”
Clay Helton
--He said Town did not communicate to him that he would transfer. Helton doesn’t believe USC’s depth is affected by his departure.
“We have a lot of quality quarterbacks here. That’s the nature of USC. When you have a Cody Kessler, a Max Browne and you have a Sam Darnold and Jalen Greene’s still here, you have a lot of quality quarterbacks. Ricky is a good quarterback, we wis him all the best in his next step.”
--He dismissed the notion that USC’s offense is moving in a new direction based on the dual-threat quarterbacks that have been recruited since Sarkisian took over.
“The nature of the offense has always been, Can you throw the ball? You look at all three of the guys, Sam Darnold has a very elite arm along with Cody and Max. That’s the nature of the offense, you have to be able to throw the ball first. Athleticism is a bonus if you have it. But the nature of the position, as you can see when you throw 39 touchdowns a year, you better have a guy that can throw the ball. So we recruit those type of guys, elite passers.”
Jonathan Lockett
--He’s already noticed a difference in speed while working with the first team.
“Definitely more speed compared to the twos. I adjusted to it well. I had to compete and that’s what I do. I just compete.”
--He believes he’s ready if he's called to start.
“Since last year, getting a little bit of playing time and seeing how it is on a college field, I think I feel ready. I feel more confident this year too, knowing the plays. Last year, I felt like I knew the plays but I wasn’t reacting fast enough. This year, I feel like I know the plays, I’m reacting faster, I’m jumping on the ball.”
--Sarkisian mentioned he wished he could have redshirted Lockett a year ago but didn’t because of numbers. Lockett has a much better understanding of what he's doing than he did last fall.
“It was a bunch of schemes, a bunch of mans, zones, all that, I felt like I was guessing. This summer, I feel like I’m jumping on everything, I know where to be at this point. If the receiver goes this way, I know where to go. I just feel faster on the field. They (the coaches) said I’ve been doing good this summer as far as making tackles, knowing my playbook and just making plays on the ball. That’s all it is, it’s about competing.”
--He played safety in the spring and he’d be prepared to move there as well
“Coach (Keith) Heyward wants me to do everything. If we have guys in the safety area and a man goes down, like last year, then I’ll just go to safety. Just being versatile. I’ll do anything for the team. If they need me at safety, I’ll go to safety, if they need me at corner, I’ll go to corner, nickel, I’ll go to nickel. (Friday), they had me at nickel, at first nickel. Either that or corner. I know corner or nickel, I’m playing them, too, but if they need me at safety, I’ll go back there.”
--He’s improved his strength and weighs 180 pounds, a 10-pound jump from when he entered the program.
Damien Mama
--He assured that the offensive linemen aren’t buying into their hype.
“Coach tells us not to look at that. He knows we’ve heard everything but we still haven’t proved anything. We’re a young offensive line and it’s just something that we have to get out there and prove. We have a lot to prove, just being a young offensive group. There’s a lot expected of us.”
Tee Martin
--He has more to work with than in years’ past.
“This is the most variety we’ve had since I’ve been here. We’ve always had athletes, we’ve always had the speed. Now you’re mixing in some size, a really physical presence on the perimeter as well as having speed guys. And that’s even with Adoree’ not being on our side. You add him to the mix, you really get fast and you really get more talented and athletic. I would say this is the most variety we’ve had since I’ve been here and also, we’re starting to gain some depth, we’re feeling good about when the twos are in and we’re platooning, guys are coming in and keeping us fresh. We weren’t able to do that. In the past, we had 90 plays in a game and the receivers had 69, 70 plays, 80 plays and that was a lot. In some cases, too much. When you have guys you’re comfortable with that are challenging them and they can go in and do what they can do, if not better, you like being in that position and that’s what we’re creating right now.”
--All that versatility will affect the play-calling to some extent.
“If you’re a space guy, we want you in space. If you’re a big guy, we want you doing things that big receivers do. Some are physical, some are quicker than others. One thing about this system is, it tailors to every type of receiver. So no matter who you are, you can be successful in this system and it works for a Darreus Rogers, it works for a De’Quan Hampton, an Isaac Whitney as well as a Steven Mitchell and an Adoree’ Jackson. All those guys are different guys but they’re all having success in the system.”
--He said Isaac Whitney has cut down on the mistakes he was making in spring. He said De’Quan Hampton is “not too far off.”
“He has to learn the nuances and the details and I think he’ll be ready.”
--And Deontay Burnett?
“I’m really excited about him, really smooth, great catches, great hands in catching the ball. We just have to continue to develop him.”
Justin Davis
--His reps will be low until he’s at full speed.
“That’s pretty close from right now. … I’m slowly working my way up. ... I just had some super, super tightness in my glute and hamstring. It’s starting to open up right now and I felt good. I opened up my stride a little bit and it felt great.”
--He’s taken notice of the freshman running backs.
“That’s why they came to SC. That’s why I came here, for competition. They’re always going to keep me on my toes and they’ve shown it so far. That’s made me work hard that much harder to get back on the field.”
--He’s been wearing the Catapult GPS system for over a year, which records his speed. It’s communicated to the coaches that he’s still not at 100 percent at this time.
Cody Kessler
--The receiving corps has encouraged him to take more chances in practice than he did during the season.
“I think the guys have done a great job at winning on the deep ball. But it’s still just as important, the short, intermediate, all that’s stuff’s important. People love the deep ball, but the biggest thing for us is extending drives. People want an 80-yard touchdown, 70-yard touchdown, it sounds great. But when you go 15 plays and your chunk, chunk, chunk, and you finally score at the end, that takes so much more out of the defense than hitting them with one big play. I’d love to throw an 80-yard touchdown, but we got to get used to outing those long drives together and staying on the field, especially with this offense.”
--He’s still averse to risks but is becoming more comfortable being in aggressive against man coverage.
“If it’s there, I take it, if not, I don’t pull the trigger or force anything. I’m smart with the football. That goes a long way for me. It’s benefited me so far. If its 1-on-1 with a guy, I’ve been doing it all camp, if its 1-onm-1, we’re expecting them to win, so we’re putting it up. You wanna take the chances now and get used to who can make the play and who can’t, especially with these new guys. …
“You got to know your personnel and who you’re throwing to. That’ll dictate your throw and where you put it. But at the end of the day, you expect them to win, you expect them to get on top of somebody if it’s 1-on-1 and they’re running a go route. We emphasize, if you ever get 1-on-1, you take it as an insult, take it as the guy thinks he can cover you, you want to win, you got p prove you can win. That’s the kind of mentality you want to have on offense and on defense.”
--With the pecking order not as obvious as it was a year ago, he sees a very motivated receiving corps.
"Guys want to get to that level. Guys want to get to Marqise Lee’s level, Nelson Agholor, Robert Woods. JuJu coming back, he’s right there in line. Steven Mitchell’s stepping up, and Darreus. These guys are all fighting to be, not necessarily recognized or have a breakout year, but to make plays and emphasize that they’re going to be a threat in games. We really need that, especially with the guys returning. We need them to set the standard. JuJu’s done a great job of that. JuJu’s been making great plays all over the field. So has Steven, so has Darreus. Those three right now are really key to building that confidence for me and the rest of the offense and even the guys behind them (at receiver).”
--He didn’t know Ricky Town was unhappy.
“It caught me off guard. I didn’t see it coming. I still don’t know the full story. The thing we heard is that he’s got some personal stuff going on. It is what it is. If he does decide to go elsewhere, then I wish him the best. He’s a good friend of ours. We enjoyed him in the quarterback room. Really good kid. If he didn’t feel like this was the right place for him, I wish him nothing but the best.”
--He said he communicated to Town and Sam Darnold that they could talk to him, especially since he was once in their shoes as he arrived alongside Max Wittek.
“He always knew. Him and Sam. I told them: I’m always open. You come to me with anything you need. Barkley was there for me. He did the same thing for me. Any questions I had, or if you’re going through anything. I’ve talked to both of them individually and given them both advice, different stuff. But at the end of the day, it’s his decision. None of us out here can hold it against him. It’s what’s best for him. We completely understand. Wherever he goes.”
Clay Helton
--He said Town did not communicate to him that he would transfer. Helton doesn’t believe USC’s depth is affected by his departure.
“We have a lot of quality quarterbacks here. That’s the nature of USC. When you have a Cody Kessler, a Max Browne and you have a Sam Darnold and Jalen Greene’s still here, you have a lot of quality quarterbacks. Ricky is a good quarterback, we wis him all the best in his next step.”
--He dismissed the notion that USC’s offense is moving in a new direction based on the dual-threat quarterbacks that have been recruited since Sarkisian took over.
“The nature of the offense has always been, Can you throw the ball? You look at all three of the guys, Sam Darnold has a very elite arm along with Cody and Max. That’s the nature of the offense, you have to be able to throw the ball first. Athleticism is a bonus if you have it. But the nature of the position, as you can see when you throw 39 touchdowns a year, you better have a guy that can throw the ball. So we recruit those type of guys, elite passers.”
Jonathan Lockett
--He’s already noticed a difference in speed while working with the first team.
“Definitely more speed compared to the twos. I adjusted to it well. I had to compete and that’s what I do. I just compete.”
--He believes he’s ready if he's called to start.
“Since last year, getting a little bit of playing time and seeing how it is on a college field, I think I feel ready. I feel more confident this year too, knowing the plays. Last year, I felt like I knew the plays but I wasn’t reacting fast enough. This year, I feel like I know the plays, I’m reacting faster, I’m jumping on the ball.”
--Sarkisian mentioned he wished he could have redshirted Lockett a year ago but didn’t because of numbers. Lockett has a much better understanding of what he's doing than he did last fall.
“It was a bunch of schemes, a bunch of mans, zones, all that, I felt like I was guessing. This summer, I feel like I’m jumping on everything, I know where to be at this point. If the receiver goes this way, I know where to go. I just feel faster on the field. They (the coaches) said I’ve been doing good this summer as far as making tackles, knowing my playbook and just making plays on the ball. That’s all it is, it’s about competing.”
--He played safety in the spring and he’d be prepared to move there as well
“Coach (Keith) Heyward wants me to do everything. If we have guys in the safety area and a man goes down, like last year, then I’ll just go to safety. Just being versatile. I’ll do anything for the team. If they need me at safety, I’ll go to safety, if they need me at corner, I’ll go to corner, nickel, I’ll go to nickel. (Friday), they had me at nickel, at first nickel. Either that or corner. I know corner or nickel, I’m playing them, too, but if they need me at safety, I’ll go back there.”
--He’s improved his strength and weighs 180 pounds, a 10-pound jump from when he entered the program.
Damien Mama
--He assured that the offensive linemen aren’t buying into their hype.
“Coach tells us not to look at that. He knows we’ve heard everything but we still haven’t proved anything. We’re a young offensive line and it’s just something that we have to get out there and prove. We have a lot to prove, just being a young offensive group. There’s a lot expected of us.”
Tee Martin
--He has more to work with than in years’ past.
“This is the most variety we’ve had since I’ve been here. We’ve always had athletes, we’ve always had the speed. Now you’re mixing in some size, a really physical presence on the perimeter as well as having speed guys. And that’s even with Adoree’ not being on our side. You add him to the mix, you really get fast and you really get more talented and athletic. I would say this is the most variety we’ve had since I’ve been here and also, we’re starting to gain some depth, we’re feeling good about when the twos are in and we’re platooning, guys are coming in and keeping us fresh. We weren’t able to do that. In the past, we had 90 plays in a game and the receivers had 69, 70 plays, 80 plays and that was a lot. In some cases, too much. When you have guys you’re comfortable with that are challenging them and they can go in and do what they can do, if not better, you like being in that position and that’s what we’re creating right now.”
--All that versatility will affect the play-calling to some extent.
“If you’re a space guy, we want you in space. If you’re a big guy, we want you doing things that big receivers do. Some are physical, some are quicker than others. One thing about this system is, it tailors to every type of receiver. So no matter who you are, you can be successful in this system and it works for a Darreus Rogers, it works for a De’Quan Hampton, an Isaac Whitney as well as a Steven Mitchell and an Adoree’ Jackson. All those guys are different guys but they’re all having success in the system.”
--He said Isaac Whitney has cut down on the mistakes he was making in spring. He said De’Quan Hampton is “not too far off.”
“He has to learn the nuances and the details and I think he’ll be ready.”
--And Deontay Burnett?
“I’m really excited about him, really smooth, great catches, great hands in catching the ball. We just have to continue to develop him.”
