True freshman Marqise Lee might be the next USC freshman to start at wide receiver.
With college football just one week away, the USC Trojans are preparing to face Minnesota in the season opener and hoping to find answers to some of their offseason questions on offense.
- Matt Barkley’s running the show, but who’s next in line?
Until fall camp, it looked like it would be redshirt freshman Jesse Scroggins. He had an extra year of practice on spring enrollees Max Wittek and Cody Kessler, but he suffered a thumb injury during the Trojans’ second scrimmage. This week, head coach Lane Kiffin announced that Kessler would be taking the second team reps, though it doesn’t seem like the backup position is set in stone.
After a practice this week, Kiffin told reporters: “We went with Cody, and, really, I know this abnormal to hear, but it’s really not a reflection on their play….This was not a big competition that Cody won, necessarily. It was just what we went with.”
If Scroggins recovers quickly from hand surgery, he’ll likely move back into the number two spot to preserve Kessler and Wittek’s eligibility. If not, Kessler’s the next man up, at least for now.
- Who will start opposite Robert Woods at wide receiver?
Robert Woods was a star for USC almost instantly as a true freshman in 2010; could another true freshman have the same success this year?
Marqise Lee and George Farmer, two of Woods’ teammates out of Gardena Serra, could follow in his footsteps this season. Farmer, a five-star recruit, was a big catch for USC, but Lee has already turned heads with his standout play in fall camp. Kiffin confirmed that Lee would likely see significant playing time, while Farmer may still redshirt if he’s not needed.
Senior Brandon Carswell is a top candidate for the second starting spot; he had minor injury setbacks during camp but should be ready to start against Minnesota. Troubled sophomore Markeith Ambles is, once again, off the team, but after a little transfer drama to make things interesting, junior Brice Butler is back on the roster and will provide valuable leadership, even if he doesn’t log significant minutes.
- What’s going on with the running backs?
The short answer? A lot.
Senior Marc Tyler is out for at least the first game, maybe longer, after a series of offseason issues. He did return to practice last week, which is a promising sign, but there’ve been no promises about when, or even if, he’ll be available. Junior Curtis McNeal was the probable starter before suffering a knee injury during camp; it’s not serious, but the time he missed gave some of the other contenders more carries.
Sophomore Dillon Baxter, who wowed during last fall’s camp but underwhelmed during the season, might be asked to take on a larger role if Tyler doesn’t return soon, or if McNeal and redshirt freshman D.J. Morgan aren’t fully healthy. (Morgan was hampered by a knee injury during camp, but Kiffin has been impressed since Morgan’s return and could start him the starter next Saturday).
True freshman Amir Carlisle was one of the big stories coming out of the first few weeks of camp, impressing his teammates, including linebacker Chris Galippo, who compared his readiness and maturity level to Woods’ last year. Whether Carlisle gets a shot at achieving the same level of success as Woods, though, remains to be seen. Despite his exciting first few weeks of camp, Kiffin may keep Carlisle on the sidelines as a redshirt.
- Rhett Ellison was the only experienced tight end on the roster, but he’s been working at fullback for much of the fall. Will he stay there and if so, who’ll take his place?
As of now, it seems likely that Ellison will stay at fullback; the only other fullback on the roster is true freshman Soma Vainuku. A few weeks ago, Kiffin said Ellison was “awesome…the best story of camp so far,” and the Trojans certainly hope he can continue playing that way once the season starts.
With the defection of Blake Ayles to Miami this offseason (should be interesting for him), and with Ellison likely to start at fullback, redshirt freshmen Xavier Grimble and Randall Telfer are the top candidates to start at tight end.
- It doesn’t matter who the quarterback is, or who the top wideouts and backs are, if they don’t have anyone blocking for them. How good will the offensive line be in 2011?
The O-line is still a work in progress, especially after redshirt junior Abe Markowitz, who was projected to start at left guard, went down with a foot injury. Markowitz missed all of last season with an injury to the opposite foot, so it’s a dicey situation for USC, who gave freshman Marcus Martin and senior Martin Coleman reps this week.
Junior Khaled Holmes will move from right guard to center to replace four-year starting center Kris O’Dowd, and either John Martinez or Kevin Graf will likely fill the spot at guard. True freshman Aundrey Walker is a player to watch; he’s in the mix, but he likely won’t be up to speed in time for the season opener.
