USC Football: Can Sam Darnold save the Los Angeles Chargers?

After struggling both on and off the field so far in 2017, could USC football’s Sam Darnold help to re-establish the new Los Angeles Chargers?

On Jan. 12, 2017, the Chargers made the controversial decision to move their franchise from San Diego, their lone home for the franchise’s entire 58 years of existence, 120 miles up the 101 to Los Angeles.

And so far, the city has all but rejected their new team.

Only one year after the St Louis Rams, a team with deep roots in California, returned to the Rose Bowl for the first time since 1994, the Chargers also attempted to capitalize an opportunity to expand their reach into one of the country’s cultural centers, without also alienating their SoCal fans in the process.

But unfortunately, things really haven’t gone the Chargers’ way.

After leaving San Diego, even with a potential new stadium on the horizon to replace the outdated SDCCU Stadium, the majority of their former fans took the team’s pilgrimage north personally and refuse to support the team in any way, shape, or form going forward.

And LA fans haven’t exactly been lining up to take their place.

The Chargers currently reside in the StubHub Center, the home of the LA Galaxy, in Carson, Calif., and even in the leagues smallest stadium, tickets have been incredibly easy to come by.

The atmosphere at StubHub is often incredibly hostile for the Bolts, with the Chargers often playing the foil to whatever visiting team happens to be in town on any given week, as highlighted by the Chargers’ Week 4 game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Oct. 1 where a sea of Midnight Green and Fly Eagles Fly chants showered the home team in resentment and utter humiliation for fans to see on national TV.

And after starting the season with a 2-4 record, it’s worth wondering just how much more disappointment starting quarterback Philip Rivers is willing to take.

The Chargers’ 35-year-old San Diego-loving quarterback is now on pace to miss the playoffs for the third consecutive season, and it doesn’t look like that’s going to change anytime soon.

But should the Chargers continue to muddle in mediocrity and end the season with one of the worst records in the NFL, could help eventually come from right down the road?

As virtually every college football fan knows, the USC Trojans have one of the best quarterbacks in the nation in redshirt sophomore signal-caller Sam Darnold, a player who could very well end up hearing his name called early the 2018 NFL Draft.

And for the Los Angeles Chargers, he could spell salvation for the franchise.

Darnold typically leads his Trojan squad onto the field to the roaring applause of over 90,000 passionate fans at the Coliseum on any given Saturday, arguably more fans the Chargers will welcome to the StubHub Center in the entire 2017 season, and his addition to the Chargers’ roster could potentially help to persuade a few of the Trojan’s faithful to make the short trip down the road to Carson.

And the Chargers would not only be drafting a field general with boundless potential to groom into the eventual face of their franchise but also a young quarterback whose skill set is remarkably similar to the franchise’s current signal-caller, only 15 years younger.

Much like Rivers, Darnold stands 6-foot-4 and possesses the 220-plus pound broad frame required to play the quarterback position at the next level.

In addition to their physical similarities, both players also possess a good pocket presence, experience under center, and the a-plus arm talent needed to make any throw in the book.

And unlike Rivers, Darnold can also make plays with his legs.

Adding Darnold to a young core of offensive playmakers like wide receiver Mike Williams, running back Melvin Gordon and tight end Hunter Henry would give offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt an incredibly dynamic collection of talent from which to design his scheme around, and establish a new dynasty in the Los Angeles market.

And even if the Chargers were to miss out on Darnold, they could still be in the running for UCLA’s junior quarterback Josh Rosen, an incredible consolation prize by any stretch of the imagination.

But for the Bolts, Darnold is virtually the perfect player for head coach Anthony Lynch to build his team around, and potentially bank the franchise’s future upon.

However, one question still remains: would Trojan fans continue to support Darnold if he were to move 18 miles down the road to Carson, Calif., and don a Charger uniform? Let us know in the comments section below.