USC Trojans Football: 5 players to watch in spring game
By Zach Bigalke
USC football enters 2017 with high hopes after its comeback victory in the Rose Bowl. Which Trojans should you keep an eye on at this year’s spring game?
USC will look vastly different in 2017 than the unit that fans saw on the field for the Trojans’ spring game a year ago. Gone are all four of the team captains from last season, including Pitt transfer Max Browne and early draft departure Adoree’ Jackson. Yet despite losing a slew of starting talent on both sides of the ball, hopes are still high for a return to the top of the Pac-12 South and a shot at national contention.
Clay Helton enters his second full season as USC head coach after taking over on an interim basis in 2015. His Trojans got to ten wins last season, and they landed a top-five recruiting class in February to continue building for the future. But the parts to win now are already in place, even with the departure of so much talent.
Spring practices have already started for the Trojans, and the April 15 spring game is approaching quickly. Competition will remain fierce as USC concludes its practices. Click ahead to see which five players to watch during the spring game.
USC’s hopes in 2017 hinge on the continued development of Sam Darnold, the quarterback who broke Rose Bowl records and went 9-1 as a starter as a redshirt freshman. He was already generating NFL Combine buzz despite the fact he can’t declare for the draft until next year. For a kid who was battling Max Browne for the starting position this time last year, it is a rapid leap. Now Darnold needs to build upon his first year as the starter if USC is going to make the next leap from contender to champion.
In retrospect it seems silly that he lost out to Browne last fall, and this spring there is no question as to who is leading the offense. Yet there are also signs that not all is perfect for Helton and his offense. Darnold has had trouble this spring with his efficiency, and it is worth watching whether he can get his interception issues under control. The quarterback will be under the microscope on April 15, and his performance in the spring game will be a major storyline.