Highlights from our latest coach and player interviews. (Note: This is our final batch from Fall Camp but the series will continue throughout the season.)
JuJu Smith-Schuster
--In his quest to become an all-around receiver, he said he’s learning more of the inside position and learning the entire offense.
--He’s been working more on making sure he’s between the defender and the ball.
“It’s different for me (based) on the defender. With Kevon (Seymour), if it’s a lighter guy, I can use my hands. If it’s more like Biggie, I got to box him out and use my body to separate from his body. I go over it with Tee Martin. Also, just watching film on other guys from the NFL.”
--He sees the need to lead the receivers. The other day he exercised those chops after Isaac Whitney dropped a sure touchdown.
“A ball like that you got to catch. Every down, every play out here, is like you’re playing in the Coliseum. That’s a touchdown you’re giving up. That’s something we can’t have happen. Something like that, the momentum can change. I have to be on him about it. I can’t be nice about it because it’s going to affect me and all of us, even you guys.”
--He might just be scratching the surface as a wide receiver considering how he hadn’t played it full-time before USC.
“I’m learning a lot. I’m still learning. There are different types of receivers and I’m trying to learn how I should play the game and use my physicalness. That’s something I’m going to improve on more and more, and being more shifty.”
Darreus Rodgers
--He honed in on specific areas during the offseason.
“I had to improve being more flexible. In high school, I was a more versatile receiver. I had to bring that back to my game, so I worked on getting stronger and getting flexible. And learning the plays was just the key. I was out there thinking too much and now I can just play loose and make plays and go out there and do what I do best.”
--He says Coach Ivan Lewis and the strength staff has helped a lot.
“I’ve been staying after, putting the work in. I tell them to stay on me and push me no matter what. I’ve been competing against JuJu and staying in his right pocket. He’s still a young dude but I still look up to him. Somebody who’s great like that, you have to stay in their right pocket. My dad always told me, you get judged by who you hang out with. Hung around JuJu and my game has elevated a lot.”
--He still has high expectations for himself.
“I know what type of player I am. I came here to do big things, I wanted to start. I came here and said, it’s 2015, it’s going to be a big year for me and I stopped all the talking, stopped all the tweeting and I came out here and tried to show the coaches that I can get it done. I feel like they’re starting to see it too. Everyday I’m up there doing extra work. I’m a vet but I’m down here helping the rookies. They’re helping me out, making sure I still know what I know. So now I can go out there and play any position, the Y, the F, whatever they need me at. I’m trying to be at more positions, so I can be on the field more often.”
--Competition at receiver has had a positive effect on his level of play.
“It’s elevates it a lot because if I’m not on my ones and twos, someone’s right there to pick up where I left off at. I can’t afford to not be out there on the first snap of the game. I want to do big things and a big year for us. I’m so excited and every day I just want to be the best I can be.”
--After an uneven sophomore season, his top priority is in being more consistent.
“The ball goes up, (my) mindset is it’s mine, no matter what. No matter how high it is, how far it is, I’m going to get it. I’m going to lay my body out. Last practice, I dove for one, I didn’t make it, but just to let the coaches know, I want that, I want it all. No excuses for no passes. If it hits my hands, I’m catching it. No excuses at all. I’m not being too hard on myself and I’m not thinking so much, I’m just out there playing football. I should get, I got to get it. Catching is what I do, that’s my strength and I’m just trying to sharpen my tools.”
Peter Sirmon
--There’s a good chance that none of the four freshmen will redshirt.
“I think they’ll all be ready if we need them to contribute. Some guys are at different positions where we have a little more veteran players. We have to continue to evaluate them and see what direction we want to go.”
--Porter Gustin has “has a good camp.”
“He’s playing physical. He’s putting a lot of time into understanding what we’re asking him to do. He’s getting better with the technique and the fundamentals which I’m asking him to play (with).”
Chris Wilson
--Two of the freshmen have stood out.
“I look at guys like Noah Jefferson and Jacob Daniel and they’re improved. All the guys are improved but those guys right now have done some things on tape that you like and it lets you know that they might be able to play a little quicker than some of the other guys.”
Keith Heyward
--He said Kevon Seymour is back.
“His knee is fine. I just think that the group, I told them today that they have to play for each other. And that’s what they came out here and did. The knee, he’s toughing it out, if it is still bothering him. He tells me it’s fine. It’s good to see him be Kevon Seymour, the old Kevon Seymour.”
--Biggie Marshall is an ideal defensive back.
“He’s a physical kid. You look at him and you can tell. When you look at a DB, that’s what you want. And then when you put the pads on, he’s everything and playing physical.”
--He could very well play all five safeties.
“Marvell Tell can play. Ykili Ross knows his calls but has to finish on tackling better. And Chris Hawkins and (Matt) Lopes, they can play in games, that’s what I learned. … That’s why I’m rotating them. I look at my little depth chart, I just look and see who’s tired and I roll them in, roll them out. That’s what I’ve been doing the last few practices and I want to start practicing substituting like I would in the game. What you saw at (the scrimmage), that’s what I’m going to do in a game.”
--Hawkins could switch between safety and corner during the course of a game, as he did in the scrimmage.
“I just threw him out there. You never know what happens, so today I threw him out there. I don’t know how the game’s going to go, someone gets dinged up and he’s been a utility. I almost threw Lockett at safety but I said let me hold back on that. I just did it because I don’t know what’s going to happen in the game. I have to know if I do something like that, they can handle it.”
JuJu Smith-Schuster
--In his quest to become an all-around receiver, he said he’s learning more of the inside position and learning the entire offense.
--He’s been working more on making sure he’s between the defender and the ball.
“It’s different for me (based) on the defender. With Kevon (Seymour), if it’s a lighter guy, I can use my hands. If it’s more like Biggie, I got to box him out and use my body to separate from his body. I go over it with Tee Martin. Also, just watching film on other guys from the NFL.”
--He sees the need to lead the receivers. The other day he exercised those chops after Isaac Whitney dropped a sure touchdown.
“A ball like that you got to catch. Every down, every play out here, is like you’re playing in the Coliseum. That’s a touchdown you’re giving up. That’s something we can’t have happen. Something like that, the momentum can change. I have to be on him about it. I can’t be nice about it because it’s going to affect me and all of us, even you guys.”
--He might just be scratching the surface as a wide receiver considering how he hadn’t played it full-time before USC.
“I’m learning a lot. I’m still learning. There are different types of receivers and I’m trying to learn how I should play the game and use my physicalness. That’s something I’m going to improve on more and more, and being more shifty.”
Darreus Rodgers
--He honed in on specific areas during the offseason.
“I had to improve being more flexible. In high school, I was a more versatile receiver. I had to bring that back to my game, so I worked on getting stronger and getting flexible. And learning the plays was just the key. I was out there thinking too much and now I can just play loose and make plays and go out there and do what I do best.”
--He says Coach Ivan Lewis and the strength staff has helped a lot.
“I’ve been staying after, putting the work in. I tell them to stay on me and push me no matter what. I’ve been competing against JuJu and staying in his right pocket. He’s still a young dude but I still look up to him. Somebody who’s great like that, you have to stay in their right pocket. My dad always told me, you get judged by who you hang out with. Hung around JuJu and my game has elevated a lot.”
--He still has high expectations for himself.
“I know what type of player I am. I came here to do big things, I wanted to start. I came here and said, it’s 2015, it’s going to be a big year for me and I stopped all the talking, stopped all the tweeting and I came out here and tried to show the coaches that I can get it done. I feel like they’re starting to see it too. Everyday I’m up there doing extra work. I’m a vet but I’m down here helping the rookies. They’re helping me out, making sure I still know what I know. So now I can go out there and play any position, the Y, the F, whatever they need me at. I’m trying to be at more positions, so I can be on the field more often.”
--Competition at receiver has had a positive effect on his level of play.
“It’s elevates it a lot because if I’m not on my ones and twos, someone’s right there to pick up where I left off at. I can’t afford to not be out there on the first snap of the game. I want to do big things and a big year for us. I’m so excited and every day I just want to be the best I can be.”
--After an uneven sophomore season, his top priority is in being more consistent.
“The ball goes up, (my) mindset is it’s mine, no matter what. No matter how high it is, how far it is, I’m going to get it. I’m going to lay my body out. Last practice, I dove for one, I didn’t make it, but just to let the coaches know, I want that, I want it all. No excuses for no passes. If it hits my hands, I’m catching it. No excuses at all. I’m not being too hard on myself and I’m not thinking so much, I’m just out there playing football. I should get, I got to get it. Catching is what I do, that’s my strength and I’m just trying to sharpen my tools.”
Peter Sirmon
--There’s a good chance that none of the four freshmen will redshirt.
“I think they’ll all be ready if we need them to contribute. Some guys are at different positions where we have a little more veteran players. We have to continue to evaluate them and see what direction we want to go.”
--Porter Gustin has “has a good camp.”
“He’s playing physical. He’s putting a lot of time into understanding what we’re asking him to do. He’s getting better with the technique and the fundamentals which I’m asking him to play (with).”
Chris Wilson
--Two of the freshmen have stood out.
“I look at guys like Noah Jefferson and Jacob Daniel and they’re improved. All the guys are improved but those guys right now have done some things on tape that you like and it lets you know that they might be able to play a little quicker than some of the other guys.”
Keith Heyward
--He said Kevon Seymour is back.
“His knee is fine. I just think that the group, I told them today that they have to play for each other. And that’s what they came out here and did. The knee, he’s toughing it out, if it is still bothering him. He tells me it’s fine. It’s good to see him be Kevon Seymour, the old Kevon Seymour.”
--Biggie Marshall is an ideal defensive back.
“He’s a physical kid. You look at him and you can tell. When you look at a DB, that’s what you want. And then when you put the pads on, he’s everything and playing physical.”
--He could very well play all five safeties.
“Marvell Tell can play. Ykili Ross knows his calls but has to finish on tackling better. And Chris Hawkins and (Matt) Lopes, they can play in games, that’s what I learned. … That’s why I’m rotating them. I look at my little depth chart, I just look and see who’s tired and I roll them in, roll them out. That’s what I’ve been doing the last few practices and I want to start practicing substituting like I would in the game. What you saw at (the scrimmage), that’s what I’m going to do in a game.”
--Hawkins could switch between safety and corner during the course of a game, as he did in the scrimmage.
“I just threw him out there. You never know what happens, so today I threw him out there. I don’t know how the game’s going to go, someone gets dinged up and he’s been a utility. I almost threw Lockett at safety but I said let me hold back on that. I just did it because I don’t know what’s going to happen in the game. I have to know if I do something like that, they can handle it.”
