Safety Situation
When USC scrimmaged last weekend, its starting safeties were Brandon Ting and Antwine Perez. I guarantee that will not be the exact starting lineup when USC plays Arkansas in its season opener but I think the safety position is even more intriguing than tailback.
Especially because the incoming freshmen will only get limited reps in training camp to win the starting job.
Sophomore Kevin Ellison is back from knee surgery this spring and should be 100 percent by training camp.
The player I'm most intrigued by is Taylor Mays. He's bright, weighs 225 pounds and runs high-school track times comparable to Reggie Bush when Bush was in high school. That's even more impressive because Mays is so much bigger than Bush was at Helix High.
The other one to watch is Colton linebacker Allen Bradford, who is switching to safety. And there remains a possibility that Sylmar's C.J. Gable will play safety, although he's currently needed more at cornerback.
As for Perez, he's been impressive in spring drills and gets a huge advantage over his fellow freshmen.
Scott,
I don't see the logjam at corner that will force Gable to remain a corner.
We have:
Pinkard
T. Thomas (coming off injury)
Harris
Harris
Keto (started rose bowl)
Wright
Joseph
McCurtis
Do we really need Gable there?
I think that the safety position depends upon Kevin Ellison and perhaps Pinkard moving back. Perez may be small yet he is quite a bit larger than Mark Carrier when Carrier won the Thorpe.
I am predicting this backfield:
SS - Ellison, backup Perez
FS - Pinkard, backup Nick Harris
CB - Kevin Thomas, backup Terrell Thomas
CB - Cary Harris, backup Wright
Nickel - Mozique
I don't see any reason that CJ Gable can't play tailback as long as he makes it in.
I think in "Jacksons" commentary, he has forgotten that Taylor Mays and Alan Bradford both are impact players that will most assuredly see a lot of the field in their freshman season. I'd also be very surprised if Stafon Johnson isn't challenging for major playing time.
Gilly,
I am not forgetting. I just think that with Bradford coming in and changing positions, I just don't see him moving past Perez and a HEALTHY Ellison. Same with Mays if Pinkard and Harris are at safety.
I see Bradford and Gable having an initial impact at tailback. Tailback requires more instinct than safety and corner. Say what you will yet, Ellison really had a leg up on the competition last year when he came in early. The same can be said about Perez. Cornerback in Pete's system requires time that true freshman don't have. We are loaded in the backfield and talent alone won't move the guys past the required experience.
Jackson
Jax, we have both Thomas' and both Harris' and Josh Pinkard slated at CB....Mays and Bradford are safeties. I think that Alan Bradford will have a hell of a lot to say about who plays strong safety this coming season also..A lot depends on Ellison's health of course but look for Bradford to make a decisive mark. I think that he's the top incoming recruit this coming season and may also win playing time in nickle situations. Whatever...this impressive freshman class will have a lot riding on their shoulders. There some tremendous athletes in this class. USC is probably only 1 of a very very small group of schools that could lose the underclassmen that we lost this season and still compete for the BCS Championship.