USC Football: 3 bold predictions vs. Washington State in Week 5

1. Ronald Jones II establishes himself as a real Heisman contender

The best player on this USC offense might not actually be Sam Darnold. Junior running back Ronald Jones II is having himself quite the season. Even with splitting carries with freshman Stephen Carr and fellow juinor Aca’Cedric Ware, Jones II still puts up huge numbers.

So far, Jones II is averaging more than 5.0 yards per carry. He’s totaled 322 rushing yards and five touchdowns in what will likely be his best season in college to date. Yet, it will not be easy to top his more than 1,150 total yards and 13 scores from the 2016 campaign.

In order to establish yourself as a true Heisman contender, you have to impress the college football world on the national level. That’s the kind of opportunity that Jones II has this week against Wazzu.

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If USC gets up on the Cougars early in the game, we could see a heavy dosage of both Jones II and Carr. They pose a duo that very few teams in the Pac-12 are going to be able to stop. It’s a tremendous complement to Darnold.