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Tidbits from Day 1 of USC spring ball practice

Erik-McKinneyby:Erik McKinney•03/25/25•

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USC quarterback Husan Longstreet participates in a spring ball practice with the Trojans
USC quarterback Husan Longstreet participates in a spring ball practice with the Trojans (Erik McKinney/WeAreSC)

Day 1 of 2025 spring ball is in the books for the USC Trojans and WeAreSC has some tidbits from viewing the open portion of practice and hearing from head coach Lincoln Riley.

* USC brought in a number of early enrollees in the 2025 recruiting class but none passed the eye test quite like defensive linemen Jahkeem Stewart and Floyd Boucard. Riley said Stewart looks to be ready to contribute physically and it’ll come down to how fast he can pick up the defense and play against college-level offensive linemen.

* Defensive end Anthony Lucas is still recovering from the injury he suffered last season against Penn State and Riley said they won’t have him full-go at all this spring. They’re hoping to work him back in toward the end but Riley said they’re “being smart” in how to handle him after he’s had “a great recovery to this point.”

* Riley spoke about the USC quarterback position a bit. He said Jayden Maiava is showing more confidence in himself as a player after he entered the starting position in a “unique situation” last season. Riley said Maiava has been more confident and more assertive. He also said true freshman Husan Longstreet doesn’t appear to be a typical true freshman. Riley said Longstreet did well to take advantage of being a local recruit by spending as much time as allowable on campus and with the team last year. “It’s paid off,” Riley said, calling Longstreet “way further ahead” than most true freshmen in his position.

* USC lost a number of veteran starters and game captains off of last year’s roster. Asked about players who have taken on leadership roles this offseason, Riley mentioned Kilian O’Connor, Kamari Ramsey, Jayden Maiava, Eric Gentry and said both Desman Stephens II and Christian Pierce are showing qualities of stepping into that role.

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Garry Paskwietz (1966-2019)

Garry Paskwietz was a pioneer in bringing team-specific sports coverage to the internet. He founded WeAreSC in 1998 and was an Emmy winner for his work with Fox Sports West. Always generous with his time, knowledge, and compassion, he touched the lives of countless USC and high school football fans.

Garry Paskwietz