What Would You Do?

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All things being equal, Sam Darnold always seemed like someone that actually might come back for his junior year. I certainly heard that from many USC fans. I always thought it was 50-50 going into the 2017 season.

But going into next year, Darnold knew he would have a 29-year-old first-time quarterbacks coach. Now it might be an awesome first-time coach. But would you want to risk your NFL stock and possibility of being the No. 1 pick on that chance?

98 thoughts on “What Would You Do?”

  1. If your dream as a player is play in the NFL and on top of that they tell you that you will go in the first round and probably become a millionaire then the decision is simple.

  2. Agree Shaman. Wolfe is just piling on the reasons why it makes sense, but even if he had a vet coach coming back, it’s still the right move. Only reason to stay would be if you absolutely love your teammates and coaches, and think you’ve got a strong chance to win the NC. Sam is doing the right thing, even though every die-hard SC fan would like to see him return.

    • His statement that is “hard to do anything laying on your back” said it all for me.

  3. Does this mean Daniels had no confidence in his coaches at MD? He took an extraordinary step to leave MD early so he must have been really down on the coaching there to leave early.

  4. Sam made need more time to develop…..but this coaching staff can’t help him. He is way better off going to even the worst NFL team. USC is outcoached every game.

  5. I remember Matt Leinart saying that the reason he came back for his senior year was because of the experience of his QB coach… Same thing with Matt Barkley. If only Helton was a genius like Scottie Doo.

  6. Wolf, what is the correct age for a QB coach? You appear to know very little about the new QB coach but then that is what we would expect. Seems a couple of other guys newly promoted didn’t get your negative BS. If you apply your reasoning to the O line coach, he should be great.

      • I really believe Wolf has no idea what he wants, or for that matter cares. His life revolves around clicks on this blog.

          • The clicks are because we enjoy the banter with each other. I think most of us have had our opinions changed or at least influence by the comments on here. There are a few that only have one single train of thought in all that they post or are tolls to begin with.

          • It is true the Pac is not the shining star it once was. It seems since they became 12 and Larry Scott become commissioner the league has declined. With a few of the new coaches hired things could be different, and 2019 could be really different with a couple more changes at HC.

          • The constant ridiculing of Helton is ridiculous at times, but it’s the common interest I share with the rest of you that bring me back for more. We all know who the good guys are

            FIGHT ON!

          • What’s ironic and funny is Helton is way more successful in his line of profession than most, if not all, of the people on this blog. But our jobs aren’t nationally televised and we did not sign up for it, like Helton did. Just strange when you think about it, we talk about the job somebody else does and we are passionate about it.

  7. Hey wolf, Sam is gone. If you get in the way the door is gonna hit you.
    I’m sure Sam will write you detailing his experiences

  8. I’m not saying that Fink, Sears, or Daniels will lead us to an undefeated season, but next year’s QB is the least of our worries.

      • Yes it should, and according to Wolf’s reasoning our O line coach should be able to make significant changes with all of his experience. lol Maybe the new QB coach knows how to teach running real fast for the QB’s.

      • Remember how we all thought USC’s OL would be just fine in 2017? What a misguided joke that was. Our poor OL is filled with a bunch of poorly coached, soft sloths. Get ready for the same OL problems in 2018. Same guys, same yukky OL coach, only RoJo is gone now. RoJo will be replaced, but USC’s stuck with our pi**ss-poor OL.

        • Would love to get a Tim Davis like guy in here. But this O-Line coach is like Clay’s uncle. Tough to fire such a figure.

          • Funny that Tim Davis has had a whopping six different jobs since USC and is now a measly asst OL coach at SMU. He moves around like the circus. Not exactly a world beater, objectively speaking.

        • Oh no, Jack B. Dementria, Dementia, Dementia raises it’s ugly head once again on B and Freddy. Every word of B’s Blog can be refuted. Dumb and Dummer. Coach Callaway’s talent is rock solid, proven by a lifetime of success on the line of scrimmage.

    • Sam, I think the future looks very bright at QB for USC. Any one of them could be a big surprise.

        • Just the simple fact that he can do it makes defenses change their approach to stopping the USC offense. Going to be a 3 way battle for the position. Fink knows he has this one shot at it and I personally think Sears is odd man out and will transfer.

    • Personally I’m excited as a fan. JT, whether or not he starts aside,has fueled that.
      We have a lot of experience retuning next year,along with an excellent recruiting class.
      The OL has the talent, 2016 many of us were excited by OL class. The problem is the OL coaching. Coaches know their jobs are at stake.Spring will be very interesting.
      Defense could be best in years. We have a couple freshman that by mid season could make big difference on kick returns.
      There’s many exciting parts of this team. Helton and his staffs future is on line.They are very aware of that. Texas and Stanford away will be very telling.

      • And you didn’t mention the talent coming back on defense which will make it very difficult for other teams to score.

        • You are right, I did say defense could be best in years.
          What I think we lacked on player side was leadership. Especially on Offense.
          In spring look to see if anyone takes leadership roles.

        • Exactly!…The defense will carry the team early, while the offense develops with a new QB. The first 1/3 of the season will be bend but don’t break

          • I think i am. But I think “The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim” made it easier to dislike Disney.

          • Actually you should dislike Arte Moreno, who encountered a substantial backlash from fans of the team, and in particular, from the city leadership of Anaheim, California, over his decision in 2005 to change the name of the team from the Anaheim Angels to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

            Google Mike Fink The King of the River and enjoy!

  9. Darnold didn’t leave because of his new QB coach. If anything, it was Darnold’s input to Helton that helped clinch the job for Ellis.

    SW’s just tilting at windmills here to suit his daily agenda.

    Darnold is ready to go, he’s hooked up with the best agent in the business and it makes no sense for him to stick around in college after two years of starting and likely top 3 money.

    Get over it. Many of us thought, way back in early summer, this would be Darnold’s guaranteed last year in college. It would have been a shock if he came back. He accomplished way more than Honker Rosen ever did and nobody questions Rosen’s call, even though he has the pocket presence of a wooden stick.

    Darnold left because he’s ready to move on and it’s the best move for he and his family. He was a great one, but no one’s irreplaceable.

    USC’s biggest problem in 2018 will once again be our crappy o-line, not our QBs, who will do fine.

  10. Scott,
    Your considering the possibility of the new QB coach being awesome is so unlike you. Are you feeling alright?

  11. IMO. From the outside looking in I think most players projected to be a top 5 pick would opt to go to the NFL. Whether the coach was Saban or Helton, if a player has a chance to get big $ and all that comes with being a top 5 pick I think many more would than would not. Their aren’t a lot of Manning’s , Luck’s or Barkley’s out there. It worked out just fine for the first 2, but it cost the 3rd a lot of $.

    • Barkley and Leinart are both poster boys for get out while the gettin’ is good. Both stayed and lived to regret it big. Darnold’s decision to leave isn’t even a close call.

      • I don’t think their decision affected their play in the nfl. It did in their draft status though. The nfl qb play to this day seems a total unknown until they get into some game time. Who would have thought Foles would be starting in a super bowl.

          • Foles is a great story. He’s strictly a 3rd round back-up QB who was strongly considering retiring before being given a surprise shot on a Super Bowl contender. He just beat a MINN team that always crashes and burns and just looked woeful.

            Now, he’s gonna lose to New England and move back to 2nd string, but if he’s lucky, he’ll move to another team and make a bid to be the #1 guy again. If in the Super Bowl Foles looks like Case Keenum just did yesterday, he’ll be old news quick.

          • A lot of people thought Case Keenum had done the same thing, at least maybe. Now, with one bad showing, he looks like it’s back to the scrap heap. With a bad Super Bowl, will Foles shrink back too? Or does he need a strong SB performance to cash in? I don’t know. But I think Keenum just found out the negative version.

          • At the minimum Keenums payday won’t be as big as it was before the Philly game. Question is whether one game makes Minn. rethink his long term future or whether they thought it was limited anyway.

          • I’ll bet he’s not with the Vikings by next season. They know he’s not their future and they won’t pay big to keep him around with Bridgewater and Bradford there. He’s a 6-footer with an average arm and limited skills. He had one miracle play he’ll be able to hang his hat on for a lifetime – much mire than most. Bye bye Case. It was good to know yee.

        • Barkley hurt his shoulder bad and had a poor USC workout for the NFL, where he clearly lacked a long ball. His stock virtually plummeted. Barkley stayed to help USC. The kid loved college and he ruined his draft stature in the process.

          Leinart won the Heisman, then slipped to 6th in the voting the next year. The sentiment about his weak arm only increased. The narrative at the time was that he lost millionzzzz by staying and he was wildly overshadowed by Vince Young in the Rose Bowl loss.

          I don’t think either had what it took to succeed well in the NFL, regardless of when they came out, but neither helped himself one iota by staying and they both lost a lot of money by doing so, especially Barkley, poor guy.

    • wrong word….it’s sounds creepy….LOL!

      Looks like the word b*ld is a bad word, interesting

      (edit)

  13. It was never 50-50. And even if it were, the naming of a QB coach didn’t have any appreciable effect on his decision. To ascribe that much meaning to it is pollyannaish…

  14. It would have nothing to do with USC. Unfortunately it would come down to 25 million guaranteed contract. Honestly that’s why you go to college. Beer, pong, and bong is great but in the end it’s about your future.

  15. Please don’t slam the great coaches your head coach keeps poaching from our powerhouse football staff

  16. typical backhanded snide comment. Darnald wasn’t coming back if the ghost of Sammy Baugh or Sid Luckman was the QB coach.

  17. Sam Darnold did the right thing by leaving, and I’m sure it had nothing to do with his quarterback coach, but perhaps the offensive lineman . Steve Sarkisian did not emphasize offensive line play, and Clay Helton was his disciple, so don’t look for anything different next season

    • It seems like a lot of USC fans assume USC’s OL is gonna be way better just because it’s a year older and coached by the same old schmuck. Actually, USC’s OL was very experienced last year except for Vorhees – who I like better than all the older sloths.

      Had we a good OL last year, USC would have been playing for the NC. With our sieve-like OL, we”re lucky to have finished #10 in the Coach’s Poll, remarkably just ahead of ND, who slaughtered us.

      Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. I’ve seen this horrible USC OL in action and I’ve been burned. I’m not buying into the “magical maturation” of our unathletic OL for 2018 under Callaway.

      • I personally do not buy it either. I think Callaway has shown us what he can do. I wish there would be a way to watch games next season without seeing the O line in action or inaction.

        • All I know is I was suckered in for the 2017 season.

          The hype was a great ride, but the OL looked bad from the get go when I was actually at the world’s hottest game in the Coliseum against W MICH. Nothing changed all year. Now, our whole OL is supposed to be better because Toa Lobendahn, an over-rated softie if I ever saw one, is moving to OC.

          And without Darnold, our OL would have looked a lot worse. He may have turned the ball over a lot, but he also still performed total miracles and he got our OL off the hook all the time.

          And now we know no changes are coming, except we’ll probably be losing Hemsley to SDS, who’s of negligible value when he’s ever in anyway.

          • With Darnold’s leadership he should have been huddling up to call plays, like the NFL. Let’s get 1s on 1s in practice and go back to a pro style offense. No huddle AND not running hurry up? Smdh

  18. Sam Darnold is clearly not ready for the NFL. But Clay Helton did not help the situation with his assistant coaching hires. Sam really needs one more year in college. But not at USC under the current situation. He was almost forced to go to the NFL early.

  19. Any recruit with real potential to reach the NFL would be absolutely crazy to bet their future on USC’s coaching staff. If you want to get real, any good assistant coach would be crazy to risk their reputation and career working under Helton. He’s learning as he goes and does not appear to be a quick study. His assistants are and will continue to be collateral damage if they don’t exit fast. See Deland M.

    • How is it that USC keeps getting such good recruiting classes every year? Is it USC recruits itself? It is very doubtful Helton will be here past 2018, but the program will be very full of talent for the next guy won’t it.

      • Great question. I believe it’s because USC is a great U, incredible brand, and fabulous location. It also has a rich football tradition and a unique Trojan family culture. It will always attract talented players, but max athletic development mandates sound coaching. Parents and kids get caught up in the moment and apparently misses this. Also, the truly exceptional athletes will always get recognized regardless of where they go. That’s my guess re: your question.

  20. What would YOU do Wolf? You could stay at your current job for $12/hour or work for ESPN for $100k? The choice is easy for you, right? Darnold went from not making money to making millions, its not even a question..

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