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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A Corvallis product, Talanoa Hufanga was ranked as the top prospect in all of Oregon and 88th-best prospect in the nation by the 247Sports Composite. Some thought he might commit to the in-state Ducks, but the four-star athlete signed with USC during the early signing period, and was on campus for spring practices.

While the young freshman will be playing safety for the Trojans, he lined up all over the field in high school – at running back, receiver, and even a little quarterback. No matter where he plays, he’s earned praise as a big-time hitter.

He’s already had a massive offseason, and has put on about 15 pounds since arriving on campus. Injuries hit the Trojans’ secondary hard, and Hufanga took advantage of the opportunity, getting reps with the first and second team defensive units. It seems like a foregone conclusion that we’ll be seeing Hufanga on the field this fall, and he’s probably in line for some meaningful snaps.

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