2021 USC SPRING FOOTBALL PROSPECTUS USC QUICK FACTS 2021 USC SPRING FOOTBALL OUTLOOK Location—Los Angeles, CA 90089 Founded—1880 If USC football was listed as a stock on Other offensive players returning with ca- Enrollment—48,500 (20,500 undergrad) the New York Stock Exchange, analysts would reer starts at USC are tailback Kenan Chris- Size—235 Acres slap a BUY rating on it right now. The Trojans ton, wide receiver Bru McCoy, tight end Josh are trending up and their prospects for 2021 are Falo and offensive linemen Justin Dedich and President—Dr. Carol L. Folt bullish. Courtland Ford. Colors—Cardinal and Gold Troy is coming off consecutive seasons The Trojan defense, which last season al- Nickname—Trojans where improvement was evident on and off lowed its third fewest average total yards (369.7) Band—Trojan Marching Band (300+ Members) the field. After a bounceback 8-win season and second fewest passing yards (216.3) since Fight Song—”Fight On” in 2019, USC started off 5-0 in last year’s pan- 2009 while averaging 2.7 takeaways a game Mascot—Traveler IX demic-shortened campaign and won the Pac- (its best since 2005), welcomes back 18 of its First Football Team—1888 12 South Division title before falling by a touch- top 21 tacklers from 2020, as well as its lead- USC’s All-Time Record—852*-352-54 (69.9%) down in the Pac-12 Championship Game. ers in sacks, tackles for loss, pass deflections Athletic Director—Mike Bohn (213) 740-3843 Since then, USC signed a Top 10 recruiting and forced fumbles. Outside linebacker Drake Conference—Pacific-12 class (including the nation’s No. 1 recruit) while Jackson, who has 17 career tackles for loss (with Stadium—Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, also retaining 16 of last season’s starters on of- 7.5 sacks), is one of the nation’s most dominant United Airlines Field fense and defense (including a Heisman Trophy pass rushers. Safety Isaiah Pola-Mao has 121 (77,500 capacity, natural grass) candidate at quarterback), plus the punter and tackles and 5 interceptions in his career, while Head Football Coach—Clay Helton kicker. Among the 26 newcomers--14 of whom cornerback Chris Steele—a 2-year starter like (Houston, 1994) are enrolled for this spring semester and will Jackson and Pola-Mao—has 9 career pass de- Helton's USC Record—45-23 (7 Years) participate in spring practice--are 4 collegiate flections. Both inside linebackers are back: Ka - Helton's College Record—45-23 (7 Years) transfers. na’i Mauga (116 career tackles), another 2-year Helton's Telephone—(213) 740-4204 In all, 97 squadmen from last year are back, starter, and Ralen Goforth. Defensive lineman Offensive Formation—Multiple including 14 who are repeating their senior years Nick Figueroa sprang onto the scene last year as allowed by an NCAA rule enacted because while leading Troy in tackles for loss (7) and Defensive Formation—Multiple COVID-19 shortened the 2020 season. On USC’s sacks (3.5), as did fellow lineman Tuli Tuipulo- 2020 Record—5-1 (5-1 for 1st in Pac-12 South), 123-man 2021 roster, 61 players saw game ac- tu, who was a Freshman All-American second No. 21 AP final ranking tion last year and 41 have started at least once teamer in 2020. Safeties Greg Johnson and Squadmen Returning—97 (53 lettermen) in their careers. Max Williams, who shared starts at nickelback Starters Returning—18 (8 offense, 8 defense, “We were very proud of our team last sea- last fall, both return. 2 specialists) son, winning 5 games in a row, getting to the Others on defense back in 2021 who own Squadmen Lost—18 (10 lettermen) Pac-12 Championship Game and being a win USC career starts are inside linebackers Jordan *Not including 14 wins and 1 loss vacated due to away from the College Football Playoff while Iosefa, Palaie Gaoteote IV and Eli’jah Winston, NCAA penalty (original record: 866-353-54, 70.2%) navigating through the pandemic,” said Clay cornerbacks Isaac Taylor-Stuart and Dorian Helton, now in his sixth full season as USC’s Hewett, safety Chase Williams, defensive line- USC SPORTS INFORMATION OFFICE head coach. “But we were sick with the way men Brandon Pili, Caleb Tremblay and Jacob (213) 740-8480 it ended in that Pac-12 Championship Game. Lichtenstein and outside linebacker Hunter What that did, however, was create a very hun- Echols. Tim Tessalone, Director (Football) gry team and coaching staff for 2021. Australian Ben Griffiths, whose 46.4-yard (cell, 213-725-3572) “We saw what kind of team we were able punting average was the highest by a Trojan Darcy Couch, David Tuttle, Associate SIDs to build last season and then in the off-season since 2003, is back for his third season as USC’s Katie Ryan (Football) we saw the results of our recruiting and the punter. Parker Lewis, who won the kicking job (cell, 949-874-5475), staff additions we made. That should lead to as a true freshman last year, was 20th nation- Jeremy Wu, Jacob Breems, Gia Larez, a very dynamic 2021 season. It is an exciting ally in field goals and had touchbacks on nearly Assistant SIDs time for Trojan football.” 60% of his kickoffs. Damon Johnson, a 2020 USC’s potent offense—which in 2020 aver- Mannelly Award finalist, will long snap for a fifth aged 416.7 total yards per game, including 319.3 season. SPRING FOOTBALL PRACTICE DATES: passing to rank 11th nationally, and 33.3 points— “I feel really good about our team in all March 30 brings back its top passer and top 2 rushers phases of the game,” said Helton, who has April 1-3-6-8-10-13-15-17-20-22-24-27-29-30 along with 9 players who caught a pass last coached the Trojans in 5 bowls games, with a year and 4 starting linemen. Quarterback Ke- Rose Bowl victory in 2016, and 3 Pac-12 Cham- All practices held on campus don Slovis, a 2-year starter who has complet- pionship Games, including a win in 2017. “Our on Howard Jones Field/Brian Kennedy Field, ed 70% of his career passes for nearly 5,500 offense is hard to defend and features one except April 6 practice and yards and 50 TDs and already is in the Top 10 of the nation’s premier quarterbacks, an out- April 17 Spring Game at the Coliseum on USC’s career completions chart, is a leading standing receiver corps, some veteran run- Heisman nominee after an All-Pac-12 first team ning backs who are now healthy and most of Practice times: season in 2020 when he led the nation in com- the line coming back. Our defense improved Weekdays at 3:25 p.m., Saturdays at 11:25 a.m. pletions and was in the Top 20 in passing yards, tremendously last year and should continue Spring Game at 1 p.m. total offense and completion percentage. Wide that way in 2021, with one of the country’s receiver Drake London, another 2-year starter, best secondaries, some fierce edge rushers Due to COVID-19 health and safety protocols, will be among the nation’s top receivers; he and some solid play up front and at linebacker. all practices are closed to public has 72 career receptions with 8 TDs, including Our special teams were terrific last year and 33 catches for a team-high 502 yards last fall. we expect more of that this season; the punt- Spring Game televised live on Pac-12 Network; USC sports a pair of 1,000-yard career rushers er crushes the ball and our kicker performed USC is awaiting state/county/city/campus in tailbacks Vavae Malepeai (1,503 yards with very well as a true freshman.” guidelines if fans can attend Spring Game 17 TDs) and Stephen Carr (1,329, 12). Tight Helton added two new faces to the fulltime end Erik Krommenhoek has 24 catches and 12 Trojan coaching staff in 2021: Clay McGuire starts in his career. Four-fifths of Troy’s offen- takes over as offensive line coach after doing (Schedule subject to change) sive line is back: 3-year starting guard Andrew similar work in such Air Raid-style offenses Vorhees (he was on the left side in 2020), 2-year as Texas Tech and Washington State and Seth starting center Brett Neilon, 2-year starter Ja- Doege was elevated from offensive quality con- len McKenzie (he was at right tackle last year trol analyst to tight ends coach. Cornerbacks after playing guard in 2019) and Liam Jimmons, coach Donte Williams, voted the Pac-12’s top WWW.USCTROJANS.COM last year’s right guard. recruiter the past 2 seasons, was given the add- 1 2021 USC SPRING FOOTBALL PROSPECTUS ed title of associate head coach. The remainder comes to the Coliseum on Oct. 30 before the RETURNING STARTERS of USC’s assistant coach roster and responsibil- Trojans embark on a two-game road trip to open ities remain intact: Graham Harrell (offensive up November, playing at Arizona State on Nov. OFFENSE (8) coordinator/quarterbacks), Todd Orlando (de- 6 and at California on Nov. 13. USC concludes Kedon Slovis, QB Drake London, WR fensive coordinator/linebackers), Sean Snyder its regular season with a pair of home contests, Vavae Malepeai, TB* (special teams coordinator), Craig Naivar (safe- first facing crosstown rival UCLA on Nov. 20 and Stephen Carr, TB* ties), Keary Colbert (wide receivers), Mike Jinks then independent BYU on Nov.