Should USC Ditch Tight End?

OK, maybe that sounds a little drastic. But with the tight end position in the spotlight, should USC emply more four wide receiver formations next season? Juju Smith, Darreus Rogers, Isaac Whitney, Steven Mitchell and De’Quan Hampton could fill those spots.

Or maybe a three wide receiver/two running back formations with Soma Vainuku at fullback? Or maybe Tre Madden and a lighter runner together? These are questions when Jalen Cope-Fitzpatrick is back from a year off, Bryce Dixon’s status is in doubt, Tyler Petite is a true freshman who weights about 215-220 pounds and Porter Gustin/Osa Masina are linebackers first.

49 thoughts on “Should USC Ditch Tight End?

  1. “emply”?…….let’s start with ditching this illiterate beat writer….leave the coaching up to the coaches and your speculation/2nd guessing off of this blog….it’s gotten beyond tired, Scott.

  2. Oh, here we go again. Scottie is back to playing Coach Wolf.

    Bio:
    Coach Wolf has never played one game of tackle football in his life. Coach Wolf has never coached one game of tackle football in his life. Coach Wolf, due to his self absorbed ego and this blog, is now the head football coach at USC…this can’t be life.

    • Why so many doubts about JCF? Sorry, it seems unjustified.

      In addition, Dixon did not duplicate the freshman years of Woods or Lee. He caught 14 passes.

      I doubt that a TE will never play in 2015, or that a FB or four WRs will always play. Hopefully, Sark will look to get his best players on the field, and to respond effectively to opportunities presented by the opponent’s personnel and strategy.

      Right now is a time to reassess the players coming back, and to reconsider who can do what well?

  3. In my time I found it best to not listen to ANY advice from a sports writer other than where to find a good burger.

  4. As he does, Sw read another sites interview with Sark,given to a respected reporter. The ideas written above Sark through out yesterday as possible… Cut and paste the Wolf way…

  5. Capital idea, wolfman!!! Makes sense–turns a weakness potentially into a strength….but I can guarantee you one thing: no WAY Ocho will do it now, just ’cause YOU said to do it!!!

    #DumbCoachU

    • Actually Sark has been practicing these formations all week. Kinda weird that Scottie would try and take credit for the idea.

      #SarkKnowsMoreFootballThanScottie

      • It’s funny, Sark even talked about this after practice yesterday with the media. I wonder where wolf got these ideas?

        • Easy, the other websites post videos of Sark’s press conference so Scottie can “attend” the presser from his sofa.

          • Ha. Yeah sometimes you see him lurking in the background but it doesn’t look like he is paying attention and certainly is not recording the press conference.

          • Why should he bother recording them?…. That’s what You tube is for, right? LOL

          • you Dummies are DREAMING!! this was the wolfman’s idea all the way!!

            the notion Ocho thought of it first is preposterous, look at the evidence!!

            just yesterday Ocho was toying with the idea of putting Gustin or Osa whatever at TE to fill the void!!! now, WHY would they be moving a LB to TE if they already thought ditching the TE????

            the wolfman, once AGAIN, is thinking 15-20 moves AHEAD of all you Dummies!!!

            #GrandMasterWolfman

          • Actually Sark mention Gustin and Masina at TE on signing day and again on his press conference after practice this week.

          • very well……

            Bum Bum.

            my trOXan buddy today went on at length about his theory that Juan Carlos is actually WEB Dupree. he based this on the WEB’s recent comments to Owns….he felt like Juan Carlos, WEB go to great effort to explain the errors of other people’s behavior, ofter with spiritual overtones.

          • Bucket, I have told you before — I was not the one posting as Juan Carlos. In all the years that you and I have been wasting our lives goofing around on this blog, I have never actually lied about whether I was using this or that handle.

            Besides, now that we can only have one handle per email address, I don’t post as the other “characters” very much; I don’t want to have a dozen email addresses. Twice in the past year or so, I did something a bit more elaborate with one of them, but the result was a mixed bag. And I have a plan for one of my old favorites, but I have been hesitant to carry it out because I fear that it may lead to some of the most offensive, bigoted, inflammatory threads ever seen on this blog.

            As for Owns, I am just trying to help him achieve a bit of peace, happiness, and his share of the American Dream.

          • With Owns, we must tear down the outhouse and dig deep into the filthy muck in order to excavate the hidden pain that drives him to post his dark fantasies on this blog.

          • I’m fine dupee, I’m just round waiting for your thump. Right now the betting line is 2-5 you’re a shaved Pu**y w/o any intention of jumping from a Figueroa street curb.

          • Sure. After you took 4 or 5 stabs at who was responsible for good ole Juan, you are now posting the theory of a trOXan buddy.

            Nice work, Sherlock!

          • Please accept my humble apologies, Charles…. BTW… How is Kesslers staph infection?

          • Maybe Scottie’s ahead of the curve and this is the way journalism will work in the next century.

  6. Capital idea, wolfman!!! Makes sense–turns a weakness potentially into a strength….but I can guarantee you one thing: no WAY Ocho will do it now, just ’cause YOU said to do it!!!

    #DumbCoachU

  7. I am wondering how long until Scottie finds the story about Marqise Lee suing Lloyd’s of London. Scottie, is the copy and paste not working today?

      • It is well known he took a loan against future earnings. All NCAA approved. Acually the NCAA allows universities to pay for insurance policies, much to my surprise. UGA paid for Gurley’s policy.

    • Breslin is suing as well.

      How about the fact that Lee and Woods were attending practice? Where’s Scottie on that one?

        • Hilary/Helen would rather whine. There’s no hard work to whining – Just complain, complain, complain. I’ve asked H/H many times for her SUCC blog site address, but as usual with yapping Klownster’s – much whine – zero competition.

  8. Sark has always used a TE and I do not see that changing. I think Porter Gustin plays LB and Osa Masina plays his Freshman years as TE

    • So you think Masina enrolls in June, and immediately leapfrogs JCF? Or that Masina plays back-up at TE instead of LB?

      Nor do you find merit in Vainuku, who weighs 260 pounds and could be charged with manslaughter for some of his hits on special teams? (Yes, he has dropped a few passes, too, which…reminds me of Dixon, actually.) Nor in the other FB, Pinner?

      You place your greatest confidence in the incoming freshmen? Why? How many ever start AND succeed big as a starter? E.g., how did you like the OL blocking last year? Check with CK, and see if he was comfortable with it.

      • I think USC has depth at LB, and none at TE.. I think Masina plays both ways but will spend alot of time at TE. Especially is Dixon does not come back

        • Depth AND speed at LB, to be sure…..The TE position is obviously thin, but Columbia transfer, Conner Spears, has looked pretty good so far in practice and we’ll see how highly touted ESPN 300 TE Tyler Petite adapts, when he gets here …

        • Your doubts about JCF may be justified, in that Spears is playing with the 1’s. Hey, maybe Spears is an unpolished diamond…and maybe not

          How is a TE different from a WR? The D doesn’t know if he’ll block or be targeted. If a player’s skill limitations tip off the D, e.g., one TE can’t block well, and the other one is not a great target, then the TE position becomes less valuable.

          My guess is that either JCF comes on strong in both roles, or the TE position will end up downgraded somewhat in the 2015 offensive scheme. Even if Masina were to arrive in summer and ONLY practice at TE from day one, he would be challenged to come up to speed as a blocker and a pass target. Were he to pull it off, that would be a home run for USC. For him to become play ready at TE and LB would be a grand slam. IMHO, a very doubtful outcome.

          But I hope you’re right, and I’m wrong.

  9. Wait until Scott finishes dissecting this interview of DC Justin Wilcox,,,,,he will have some choice comments to make about it, no doubt……now my question is, why wasn’t Scott able (or allowed) to conduct such an interview?…..

    http://es pn.go[dot]com/blog/pac12/post/_/id/84982/qa-usc-defensive-coordinator-justin-wilcox

  10. Good question wolfy. Sark mentioned some of those same options. Caleb Wilson is 6’4″ 230lbs but he to is a true freshman and only played TE his senior year. I think we may see Soma play a modified TE/HB role.

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