USC Football: Top 5 breakout candidates for 2017

Another wide receiver, but quarterback Sam Darnold is going to need them this fall if the Trojans are to compete for a Pac-12 championship.

Of all the receivers on this year’s team, Jalen Greene has been in the program the longest. He was originally recruited as a dual threat quarterback out of Gardena, California. He has been shuffled around as a quarterback while a Trojan, but he has 18 catches and 220 yards as a receiver in 14 games over two years. Now with the departure of JuJu Smith-Schuster and Darreus Rogers, he is poised for a breakout year as a starting wide receiver.

With the full time move to receiver this past spring, Greene got more reps at that position than he ever has and perhaps that can make him a more consistent receiver. He certainly is versatile enough, although not overly large, standing at six-foot-one and 200 pounds. He’s got good hands and speed though. He will be need to work on his chemistry and timing with Darnold in fall practice, along with the other wideouts.

Next: Top 50 breakout candidates for 2017

If they can nail that down, Greene could be one of the better options this fall of the Trojan offense.