USC Football: 5 incoming freshmen who could start in 2018

USC football closed its 2018 recruiting class on a high note. Which incoming freshmen could become starters for the Trojans?

Although Clay Helton got criticized for not making the College Football Playoff in 2017 despite returning arguably the best quarterback in the country, one of the top running backs and having a 1,000-yard receiver, he made amends to his fan base by landing the top recruiting class in the Pac-12 in 2018.

The Trojans class is ranked No. 4 in the country with an average star rating of a high-four. He’s done an incredible job of evaluating talent and his pitch to these elite recruits has worked. He has one of the best classes in the country coming in and there are some potential day one starters on his hands.

Which five incoming freshmen could start for USC in 2018?

When Rasheem Green declared for the NFL draft and Josh Fatu graduated this offseason, USC knew it had big voids to fill on the defensive line. The Trojans, however, have just two defensive linemen signed in their 2018 class, but Trevor Trout is one heck of a talent.

The four-star defensive tackle from St. Louis, Mo., has a bright future ahead of him, but he’s going to have his work cut out if he wants to contend for a starting spot. His 6-foot-3, 315-pound frame could be useful at nose tackle, replacing Fatu, but he’d have to fight off Brandon Pili, among others.

Not many players command the type of attention that Trout does in the middle of a defense and that’s because he’s just a monster of a prospect with strength and aggressiveness to boot.

Trout is ranked the No. 236 overall prospect and 20th-best defensive tackle in the class, per 247Sports. He committed to USC back in November over two dozen-plus other offers.