USC announces depth chart for season opener

Head coach Clay Helton announced the USC depth chart on Thursday, ahead of the Trojans’ season opener this weekend.

USC brought eight starters back on offense and defense, but a few new faces grace the top of some positions. Here is a look at how USC will take the field against San Jose State and a few thoughts at least position.

Quarterback

Kedon Slovis
Jaxson Dart
Miller Moss

This was announced last week, with Dart beating out Moss for the No. 2 spot. Kedon Slovis starts his hopeful march to a championship on Saturday.

Running back

Vavae Malepeai OR Keaontay Ingram
Darwin Barlow OR Kenan Christon
Brandon Campbell

Barlow is nursing a hamstring injury and will be a game time decision for Saturday. Helton tipped this order a little bit last week when he mentioned that Barlow was still getting down all the nuances of pass blocking in this offense. Malepeai and Ingram give USC two healthy vets at the top of the roster and Helton said to expect a lot of No. 28 and No. 6 as far as a rotation on Saturday.

Receiver

X
Drake London
Kyle Ford
Kyron Ware-Hudson

A
Joseph Manjack IV
John Jackson III

Y
Malcolm Epps
Michael Trigg

Z
Tahj Washington
K.D. Nixon
Michael Jackson III

The expectation is USC will use just about everybody listed here, with London leading the way. Offensive coordinator Graham Harrell said the Trojans are likely to rotate much more at receiver than the have the past two years. Manjack, Epps and Washington are all new faces who grabbed starting spots. Manjack did so as a true freshman. Epps missed time due to a turf toe issue but is a big body with a good grasp of the playbook. Washington is a lightning-quick homerun threat whenever he touches the ball.

Tight end

H
Erik Krommenhoek OR Jude Wolfe
Sean Mahoney
Lake McRee
Ethan Rae

Krommenhoek and Wolfe have experience and were easy calls at the top. They add to a nice mix of really big, athletic bodies at tight end and Y receiver.

Offensive line

Left tackle
Courtland Ford
Mason Murphy

Left guard
Andrew Vorhees
Justin Dedich

Center
Brett Neilon
Andrew Milek

Right guard
Liam Jimmons
Liam Douglass

Right tackle
Jonah Monheim
Jalen McKenzie

Redshirt freshmen Courtland Ford and Jonah Monheim are officially the starting offensive tackles for the Trojans. There is no change from last year at the three interior spots. Justin Dedich continues to be the super-sub in the middle, with Jalen McKenzie available off the bench now as well.

Defense

Defensive line

Defensive end
Nick Figueroa
Korey Foreman
De’jon Benton

Nose tackle
Stanley Ta’ufo’ou OR Jamar Sekona OR Kobe Pepe

Defensive tackle
Tuli Tuipulotu
Jacob Lichtenstein
Colin Mobley

Nick Figueroa and Tuli Tuipulotu had their positions locked up, even with super freshman Korey Foreman joining the roster. All three will play extensively, as will Jacob Lichtenstein. The “ORs” at nose tackle are interesting. Stanley Ta’ufo’ou did well there while Jamar Sekona and Kobe Pepe were out. All three will be counted on to step up in the middle.

Linebacker

B backer
Drake Jackson
Hunter Echols
Juliano Falaniko

MAC
Kana’i Mauga
Tuasivi Nomura
Julien Simon

Rover
Ralen Goforth OR
Raymond Scott
Raesjon Davis

Drake Jackson and Hunter Echols are a nice one-two punch at B Backer, obviously with a huge season expected from Jackson. It wouldn’t be surprising to see five inside linebackers play on Saturday, with Kana’i Mauga, Ralen Goforth and Raymond Scott leading the way.

Defensive back

Boundary cornerback
Chris Steele
Jayden Williams
Prophet Brown

Free safety
Isaiah Pola-Mao
Xavion Alford
Xamarion Gordon

Strong safety
Chase Williams
Chris Thompson Jr.
Anthony Beavers Jr.

Nickel
Greg Johnson
Calen Bullock
Jaylin Smith

Field cornerback
Isaac Taylor-Stuart
Joshua Jackson Jr.
Ceyair Wright

There are no surprises among the starters due to Joshua Jackson Jr. missing so much time due to injury. This is a veteran, experienced group. The second unit is strong across the board as well. The returners are well known, but true freshman Calen Bullock is a name to watch for USC fans this year.

Special Teams

Kicker
Parker Lewis
Alex Stadthaus
Denis Lynch

Punter
Ben Griffiths
Will Rose

Snapper
Damon Johnson
Jac Casasante

Holder
Ben Griffiths
Will Rose

Punt Returner
K.D. Nixon
Michael Jackson III

Kickoff Returner
K.D. Nixon
Kenan Christon
Tahj Washington

There is continuity from last year at kicker, punter, holder and snapper, which should keep those teams playing at a high level. Colorado transfer K.D. Nixon looked confident fielding kicks and punts this fall and gets the nod there. Kenan Christon and Tahj Washington are also guys who could get a shot on kickoffs.