NFL
By George Lopez
Entering their final season in the PAC12, the USC Trojans will look to build on their 2022 season under Coach Lincoln Riley where they finished the season 11-3. The Trojans ended the 2022 season with losses in the PAC-12 Championship game to Utah and a loss to Tulane in the Cotton Bowl. The Trojans are once again loaded at the skill positions, as Coach Riley used the transfer portal and recruiting class to build his roster to give the Trojans the opportunity to not only compete for the PAC-12 title, but also a berth in the College Football Playoffs.
Leading the Trojans’ offense is quarterback Caleb Williams. The Heisman Trophy winner is coming off a stellar 2022 season in which he passed for 4537 yards with 42 touchdowns. Williams did a great job protecting the football, throwing only 5 interceptions last season. Williams is also a threat running the ball, rushing for 382 yards and 10 touchdowns. Williams will look to be the first player to win consecutive Heisman Trophy’s since Archie Griffin won the award in 1974 and 1975. Wiliams will have a talented receiving group to throw to the season.
Leading the Trojans receiving group will be Brenden Rice, Dorian Singer, and Mario Williams. Last season, Williams hauled in 40 passes for 631 yards and 5 touchdowns. Williams is projected to be the starting slot receiver in Coach Riley’s 3 receiver offense with Singer and Rice projected to start on the outside. Sophomore Lake McRee is expected to be the starting TE for the Trojans.
For most of its history, USC was known as tailback U. The Trojans are a passing-heavy team under Riley. The running game will be a factor in the success of the Trojans’ offense. Leading the way will be senior Austin Jones with MarShawn Lloyd and Raleek Brown expected to see significant playing time. Jones, Lloyd, and Brown bring a different element to the running game and will be looked upon to keep defenses honest.
Coach Riley used the transfer portal to fill 3 spots on the offensive line. Emmanuel Pregnon, Jarrett Kingston, and Michael Tarquin are projected to start at left guard, right guard, and right tackle, respectively. The Trojans’ offensive line will feature 3 redshirt seniors and 1 redshirt junior, giving USC an experienced offensive line. The Trojans offense is expected to be more explosive than the 2022 team.
The Trojans struggled on defense last season under Defensive Coordinator Alex Grinch. As expected the Trojans went heavy on the defensive side in the transfer portal. 6 of the projected defensive starters came through the transfer portal after the 2022 season. Leading the way will be DT Bear Alexander. The transfer from Georgia brings big game experience and a tenacity that is much needed on the USC defense. Anthony Lucas and Kyon Barrs are projected to start alongside Alexander on the defensive line. All 3 players came to USC via the transfer portal. Though listed 3rd on the DE depth chart, look for Korey Foreman to play significant minutes for the Trojans’ defense.
Leading the linebacker group, Mason Cobb enters his first season at USC after transferring from Oklahoma State. Last season, Cobb finished the season with 73 tackles and 2 sacks. Cobb will be looked to anchor the Trojans’ run defense. Jamil Muhammad and Eric Gentry are projected to start alongside Cobb in the Trojans’ defense.
The Trojans have 4 teams ranked in the preseason top 25 on their schedule and a UCLA team that no one should sleep on. The Trojans will look to exact revenge against Utah when they visit the Coliseum in October. In November, preseason #10 Washington visits USC in what should be a hotly contested game. The Trojans will head to South Bend to play Notre Dame in October in what is one of the greatest intersectional rivalries in college football. The Trojans will face one of their toughest road games at the end of the season when the travel to Oregon to face the Ducks. Autzen Stadium is one of the toughest stadiums to play at for visiting teams. The noise level the crowd generates is deafening. The Trojans will have their work cut of for them dealing with crowd noise. The Trojans will look to the veteran leadership of Caleb Williams to keep the offense calm. The Trojans end the season hosting inter-city rival UCLA. The Bruins are being overlooked by some “experts” but this may be one of Coach Chip Kelly’s deepest teams at UCLA and will give the Trojans all they can handle.
The PAC-12 as we know it will come to an end after this season with USC, UCLA, Washington, and Oregon leaving to join the BIG10 next year. The Trojans enter the 2023 season with high expectations in Coach Riley’s 2nd season. Under Caleb Williams, the Trojans offense is expected to be more dominant than last season’s team and Williams will look to win a consecutive Heisman Trophy. The key to success this season will be the anticipated improvement of the Trojans’ defense. The Trojans coaching staff believes the players they added through the transfer portal will help improve the defensive performance on the field. If the defense plays up to expectations, the Trojans will end their time in the PAC-12 with an 11-1 record and a conference championship and be one of the 4 teams in this years College Football Playoffs.
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