USC Football: 5 biggest questions facing Trojans in spring 2018

4. Who emerges at wide receiver?

The wide receiver position took a decent hit with the departure of Deontay Burnett this offseason. He decided to forgo his senior season and make the jump to the NFL after catching 86 passes for 1,114 yards and nine touchdowns as a junior. He was a breakout star for the Trojans and he’s going to be mighty difficult to replace.

Sophomore Tyler Vaughns had a strong redshirt freshman campaign, catching 57 passes for 809 yards and five scores. He was second on the team in receiving and is the likely favorite to be that go-to target in 2018.

The team’s third-leading receiver from 2017, Steven Mitchell, is also gone, but Michael Pittman Jr. is a contender to stand out as well. As a sophomore, he caught 23 passes for 404 yards and two touchdowns.

Velus Jones Jr., Trevon Sidney, Jalen Green, Josh Imatorbhebhe and Randal Grimes could also join the rotation as regular targets.

This could be a two-man battle between Vaughns and Pittman Jr. this year.