USC released its depth chart Sunday night but it revealed little. Curtis McNeal “or” Silas Redd will start at tailback. Max Wittek “or” Cody Kessler is the No. 2 quarterback. And Lamar Dawson starts at middle linebacker despite his oft-mentioned training camp injury.
Full depth chart after the jump:
DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
SE — 2 Robert Woods (6-1, 190, Jr.) @HeismanWoods
8 George Farmer (6-1, 205, So.)
85 Victor Blackwell (6-1, 190, Fr.*) @VicDeMone4
LT — 70 Aundrey Walker (6-6, 300, So.) @Rozay_YoLo
75 Max Tuerk (6-6, 285, Fr.) @maxtuerk
72 Chad Wheeler (6-7, 265, Fr.)
LG — 66 Marcus Martin (6-3, 325, So.) @ScreamMulahASAP
50 Abe Markowitz (6-1, 310, Sr.*)
63 Giovanni Di Poalo (6-4, 290, So.*)
C — 78 Khaled Holmes (6-4, 305, Sr.*) @KhaledHolmes
69 Cyrus Hobbi (6-3, 290, Fr.*)
RG — 59 John Martinez (6-2, 300, Jr.*)
74 Jeremy Galten (6-5, 295, Sr.)
67 David Garness (6-5, 290, Jr.*)
RT — 77 Kevin Graf (6-6, 295, Jr.*) @kevingraf77
76 Nathan Guertler (6-5, 270, So.*)
73 Zach Banner (6-9, 335, Fr.)
TE — 86 Xavier Grimble (6-5, 260, So.*) OR @JustFollowZAE23
82 Randall Telfer (6-4, 255, So.*) @randalltelfer
88 Jalen Cope-Fitzpatrick (6-5, 250, Fr.) OR
87 Junior Pomee (6-3, 255, Fr.*) OR
89 Christian Thomas (6-3, 250, So.*)
FL — 9 Marqise Lee (6-0, 195, So.) @TeamLee1
10 De’Von Flournoy (6-0, 180, Jr.*) OR @USCDFLO10
15 Nelson Agholor (6-1, 180, Fr.) @NelsonAgh3
QB — 7 Matt Barkley (6-2, 230, Sr.) @MattBarkley
13 Max Wittek (6-4, 235, Fr.*) OR
6 Cody Kessler (6-1, 215, Fr.*) @codykessler6
FB — 31 Soma Vainuku (6-0, 250, Fr.*) @somavainuku
38 Jahleel Pinner (5-11, 225, Fr.)
45 Charles Burks (6-0, 230, Fr.*)
48 Hunter Simmons (6-1, 250, Jr.*)
TB — 22 Curtis McNeal (5-7, 190, Sr.*) OR @Trojanmoodster
25 Silas Redd (5-10, 200, Jr.)
30 D.J. Morgan (5-10, 190, So.*) @djmorgan30
37 Javorius Allen (6-1, 215, Fr.*)
DEFENSE
DE — 96 Wes Horton (6-5, 255, Sr.*)
93 Greg Townsend Jr. (6-3, 260, Fr.*) OR @G_Townsend93
81 Kevin Greene (6-4, 255, Jr.*)
NT — 99 Antwaun Woods (6-1, 305, Fr.*) @FIGHTONTWOCKA
97 Christian Heyward (6-2, 285, Fr.*)
98 Cody Temple (6-3, 285, Fr.*)
DT — 90 George Uko (6-3, 275, So.*) @uk0sc90
94 Leonard Williams (6-5, 270, Fr.)
DE — 58 J.R. Tavai (6-2, 265, So.)
91 Morgan Breslin (6-2, 245, Jr.)
SLB — 18 Dion Bailey (6-0, 210, So.*) @dbailey_18
34 Tony Burnett (6-1, 205, Sr.*)
52 Dallas Kelley (5-11, 225, Sr.)
MLB — 55 Lamar Dawson (6-2, 235, So.)
47 Scott Starr (6-3, 220, Fr.) @SS47ERA
51 Will Andrew (6-2, 235, Jr.*)
WLB — 10 Hayes Pullard (6-1, 235, So.*) @FightOn10
56 Anthony Sarao (6-0, 215, Fr.*)
40 Jabari Ruffin (6-4, 230, Fr.)
53 Marquis Simmons (6-1, 220, Jr.*)
CB — 21 Nickell Robey (5-8, 165, Jr.) @RDR_21
23 Kevon Seymour (6-0, 170, Fr.)
15 Ryan Henderson (5-10, 170, Fr.*)
FS — 7 T.J. McDonald (6-3, 205, Sr.) @tmacUSC7
19 Drew McAllister (6-1, 205, Sr.*) OR @DMAC_19
27 Gerald Bowman (6-1, 215, Jr.) @Gerald_Bowman
SS — 24 Demetrius Wright (6-1, 195, Jr.) OR @TeamDWright24
29 Jawanza Starling (6-1, 200, Sr.) @JayStar_29
26 Josh Shaw (6-1, 190, So.*)
CB — 16 Anthony Brown (5-9, 180, So.*)
4 Torin Harris (6-0, 190, Jr.*)
17 Devian Shelton (6-2, 185, Fr.)
49 Ryan Dillard (5-10, 185, Fr.)
30 Brian Baucham (5-11, 170, Sr.*)
SPECIALISTS
P — 35 Kyle Negrete (6-0, 225, Sr.*) OR @kylenegrete
35 Kris Albarado (5-10, 195, Fr.*)
PK — 48 Andre Heidari (5-10, 200, So.) @AndreHeidari10
48 Craig McMahon (6-1, 195, So.*)
39 Alex Wood (5-10, 175, Fr.)
SNP — 61 Peter McBride (6-1, 220, Fr.*)
18 John Manoogian (6-0, 220, Sr.*)
HLD — 7 Matt Barkley (6-2, 230, Sr.) @MattBarkley
6 Cody Kessler (6-1, 215, Fr.*) @codykessler6
35 Kyle Negrete (6-0, 225, Sr.*) @kylenegrete
RETURNERS
KOR — 2 Robert Woods (6-1, 190, Jr.) AND @HeismanWoods
22 Curtis McNeal (5-7, 190, Sr.*) OR @Trojanmoodster
9 Marqise Lee (6-0, 195, So.) @TeamLee1
8 George Farmer (6-1, 205, So.) OR
21 Nickell Robey (5-8, 165, Jr.) @RDR_21
PR — 21 Nickell Robey (5-8, 165, Jr.) OR @RDR_21
2 Robert Woods (6-1, 190, Jr.) @HeismanWoods
9 Marqise Lee (6-0, 195, So.) @TeamLee1
*Used up redshirt year
@Twitter handles
The Walker-Tuerk dynamic/competition this year could be interesting & it’ll be interesting to see if Hobbi gets any meaningful playing time since he’s emerged as Holmes’s heir apparent. Too bad Thomas didn’t make it back in time. He could have preserved Cope-Fitzpatrick’s RS. I think Flournoy will play the 1st time USC lines up in a 3WR set but I bet it’ll be Agholor by the end of the season. Barring injury at QB I think playing time will be roughly equal for Kessler & Wittek this year. I think Pinner is going to RS unless Vainuku goes down for more than a week or 2. I’m guessing Breslin will be starting ahead of Tavai after a game or two. The LBs appear to me to be the least stable unit. I’m thinking Pullard & Dawson could switch before the year is over. I’m sure Kiffin wants to RS Starr & Ruffin but between them & the 1st 4 LBs he’s only got Andrew, Burnett, Simmons & Kelley–not exactly world-beaters. I think Seymour will be the NB. (If not Shaw would have seen more time at CB in camp, no?) I think Wright slips ahead of Starling at some point this season.
@NJ–
yeah we better pray none of the LB’s get hurt..your right burnett andrew and kelley are not going to get us to the NC Game. More like the belk bowl.
breslin tavai will be a good battle..hope one of them can get some qb pressure..we need it.
2 people matter the most
anthony brown I have never seen him play much, he wasn’t highly recruited out of HS so I am really worried here. BB is awful. T Harris isn’t much better and is still hurt. Losing IW really hurt..
A Woods – I am sure UKO and Horton and breslin /tavai will do fine. But Woods really has to play well and not get hurt. alot of teams are going to be pounding the rock like ND and their pothead RB C Wood and Stanford and Syracuse and oregon. We need a good run stuffer. If Woods doesn’t pan out there is no one behind him at all. C Temple just came over from Offense and C Heyward has no experience…ouch..
Does attending class today negatively affect the #3 qb if he wants to transfer???
Anyone think that Kessler listed as Barkley’s backup at HLD means anything as far at who’s got the advantage as #2 QB?
Yes, I realize they’re different positions but maybe it shows Kiffin has more faith in Kessler when faking a point-after…
As I see it, Big George Uko and Nickell Robey must be in top form from begining to the end for the defense to win a Championship. If Antwaun Woods falters, true freshman Leonard Williams will fill in admirably provided Uko is in top form. The only reliable? replacement for Robey is true freshman Seymour. I think Christian Heyward should compete with Greg Townsend Jr. for the DE position next year.
Next years OL should have 5 Star Jordan Simmons available to back up Martinez. If Graf and Martinez stick around for their Senior year, our offense won’t miss a beat no matter who is QB. I think Cody Temple might be better suited to backup Hobbi at center.
If George Farmer can equal Robert Woods contribution game in and game out, our receiving corps is set for the 2013 and 2014 seasons, considering the incredible talent and depth USC has at TE.
If Silas Redd returns for his Senior year, he will be the Stud RB and the Trojans offense will again be Totally Awesome. Lendale White’s early departure was an epic fuc*up on Lendale’s part.
A couple of “IF’s” but we should be competitive big time in 2012, 2013, and 2014.
BEAT THE RAINBOWS !!!
@bushwhite: Brown is a sure tackler in the open field & M. Kiffin has typically valued this skill above others in CBs. After Harris went down at ASU Brown started vs AZ & played well off the bench but he went down for the season the following week in the first 1/2 at Cal. He’s only played in 4 games including the game he started at AZ. He had 16 tackles (4/game) including 1 for loss of 3 yards. Not bad. Let’s see if he can get some INTs vs HI & @ Syr.
Reports out of camp suggest that Woods has looked better than expected after spring. As long as he keeps his motor going USC should be OK at NT. Tupou only had 16 (1.3/game) tackles the whole season last year. Casey had 67 (5.5/game) the year before although he spent significant time in the 3-technique spot.
@schammer47: That’s an interesting thought on Heyward’s future–following Tavai from undertackle to nose and out to end. I think Martinez & Graf return but I think they’ll have to find a different back-up center. I had read that the coaches really liked Temple as the back up NT before he got hurt. I don’t see Farmer working as hard as Woods or Lee but I do see that kind of effort coming from Agholor. Redd will likely turn pro but I can’t wait to see Madden return and play TB. I like the way things set up for 2013.
Back to this season. Breslin and Greene will be major contributors at DE. Greene will be an outstanding situational player with his speed, and Breslin is outstanding all-around. IMHO, DE and LB are solid. With 72 scholarship players on the active roster, you can’t be RS too many if your goal is a NC.