USC Football: 5 freshmen who could break out for Trojans in 2018

SANTA CLARA, CA - DECEMBER 01: Head coach Clay Helton of the USC Trojans holds up the trophy with his team after they beat the Stanford Cardinal 31-28 in the Pac-12 Football Championship Game at Levi's Stadium on December 1, 2017 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

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USC football is looking to defend its Pac-12 title, but it’s missing a few key pieces from last year’s team. Which freshmen will USC be counting on to help the cause right away?

Despite being the defending conference champions, USC has flown under the radar a bit this offseason, especially compared to near-consensus Pac-12 favorite Washington.

Even if you don’t expect the Trojans to reach the lofty heights they did in 2017, you’ve got to hand them this much: they hauled in an absolutely massive recruiting class. Clay Helton’s 2018 class ranked fourth in the nation, and was tied for second if you measure by average commitment rating. Only Georgia can claim to have pulled in more five-star recruits than USC did this year.

It seems a foregone conclusion that the future is bright for USC. But which of the bunch will be able to contribute right away? Here are our top five picks for Trojan freshmen to keep an eye on in 2018.

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