New "Inside the Trojans Huddle" Tuesday (Feb. 21) edition: Predicting the post-spring offensive depth chart with starters, The Tommy Group, Viewers' questions and panel answers

In Tuesday’s “Inside the Trojans’ Huddle”, panelists Marc Kulkin, Erik McKinney, and Greg Katz look into their crystal ball and predict the Trojans offensive post-spring practice depth chart, listing only players that are expected to participate in the 15-day sessions. After each offensive position group, the panel gives an overall view of that position’s depth and starters. Halftime touches on the new “Tommy Group” NIL collective, and, of course, there is the standard Overtime viewers’ questions and panel answers.  

In the first half of the Huddle, the panelists discuss their post-spring depth chart thoughts at quarterback, running backs, and wide receivers.

At quarterback, you don’t have to be Albert Einstein to know the starter, or have you forgotten already the name Caleb Williams? However, what about the backups? Yes, you probably know the answer to that question, as well. But what happens after the two “obvious” depth chart levels? The panel does give its take on the future of Miller Moss post-spring, although 5-star freshman QB Malachi Nelson won’t be participating while recovering from shoulder surgery. Could Moss contemplate a transfer and what might his timetable be? Or does Miller think he has a solid shot of starting in 2024 when the Trojans head to the Big Ten?

The running back post-spring depth chart gets interesting. We know that Austin Jones and Raleek Brown will get a good look at starting in the spring, but who might be the actual starter coming out of spring? Perhaps it’s a heralded transfer from South Carolina. The panel thinks that co-starters are likely on the post-spring depth chart. Care to guess whom those co-starters might be?

When it comes to the receiving corps, it’s hard to imagine a room so full of quality with numbers. There are so many talented receivers, especially with the addition of Arizona transfer Dorian Singer, that it really is an embarrassment of riches – even with the losses of Jordan Addison, Kyle Ford, C.J. Williams, and probably Gary Bryant Jr. How does the Huddle panel see the pecking order playing out after spring ball? Is there a consensus of the four probable starters? Might there be a surprise starter?

Halftime gives comments and analysis by the panel on the new collective called “The Tommy Group”, which is headed by former USC receiving great Keyshawn Johnson and former Trojans center Khaled Holmes. With a group of six headlining The Tommy Group, they are the newest niche in Trojans players getting some much-needed extra income at some point. With the BLVD now history, The Tommy Group seems to be leading the way with the blessing of the USC Athletic Department. How does the panel see the overall contributions by The Tommy Group, and how will The Tommy Group be different from the rest of the competition? It should be noted there is a clear difference on how The Tommy Group is handling its collective compared to some of the other national high-end programs.

The second half kickoff begins with an overall evaluation and analysis of the Trojans tight end post-spring depth chart. Seeing that the returning group didn’t get that much attention last season, the actual use of the tight ends during spring ball could be fascinating. There is a name to watch when it comes to potentially starting, and that player is a veteran who has gone through some injury issues in the past. This player is a wild card of sorts. The panel is unsure if a younger player with some experience last season doesn’t just grab the top spot on the post-spring depth chart.  

Next comes scrutiny regarding the rebuilding of the offensive line, a unit that lost two vital players in All-Pac-12 guard Andrew Vorhees and standout center Brett Neilon. All eyes will be on some heralded out-of-state transfers and a host of returning candidates. It’s expected that there may be shuffling of positions within the O-line, and that’s what makes making a post-spring depth chart all the more intriguing. Could a major spring factor be the battle at left tackle between USC veteran Courtland Ford and Washington State transfer Jarrett Kingston? One player not expected to participate in spring is Florida transfer Ethan White, who must apparently wait for a spot to open up on the roster before he gets to officially join his new teammates. With that in mind, the panel speculates who will fill Vorhees left guard spot with those participating in the spring.   

Lastly, the panel looks at the much-scrutinized special teams, which on offense means placekicking and punting. Punting appears to start and end with the transfer addition of a 2022 All-Pac-12 selection from Arizona State, but who backs him up? Let’s not forget that former USC kicker Alex Stadthaus has graduated. The panel then looks at the placekicking duties, and will incumbent Denis Lynch able to hole his starting spot against the spring competition? What does the panel think?

In the Overtime segment, the panel answers viewers’ questions pertaining to the Pac-12 in 2023, and will the Trojans be “easily” looking at another three-loss season because of the brutal second half portion of the schedule? One viewer points out that some of the panelists were not even born when some of the “elderly” panelists were watching the Trojans from yesteryear (ouch!). One viewer brings some memories of the famous 1967 USC-UCLA classic while one viewer questions the future of the Pac-12 after the departure of the Trojans and Bruins in 2024. Would this dissolution of the Pac-12 affect transferring and USC recruiting? To wrap things up, a viewer wants to know if the panel expects any surprises when the spring roster is revealed. Might we not see some familiar names no longer on the 2023 spring roster? What does the panel say about that?