USC Trojans Roster 2019 Trojans Roster

Head Coach: Clay Helton        2017 Salary: N/A        Offensive Coordinator: Tee Martin       Defensive Coordinator: Clancy Pendergast         

Stadium: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum       Surface: Grass        City: Los Angeles        State: California

Clay Helton has been exposed to 2 successful seasons in his years at USC. His first campaign led to a Rose Bowl appearance and last season ended with the eclipse of the Pac-12 title. This year, his team will have to calm the tides without Sam Darnold. Having Darnold in his back pocket, Helton was able to focus on all aspects of the team. Finding a replacement talent for Darnold is also something the team struggled with heading into Spring games. Answering this question is the final aspect the team will need to tie up in terms of roster considerations and construction.

Vying for the quarterback position are three talented players: Matt Fink, Jack Sears, and JT Daniels. Fink is the only player with experience on the roster, bolstering his claim for the position. Sears redshirted last season to gain eligibility years, which allowed him time to learn the USC system. JT Daniels is the wild card in this discussion. He comes to the university as a 4-star recruit and one of the top prospects at the quarterback position. Sorting this dilemma is something the team has played around with this off-season. They might go the route of rotating between two players, riding the hot hand at the time. This doesn't bode well for consistency, but plug-and-play options have proven to be effective for this program in the past. Aside from this unanswered question, most of the other positions return their talents from the previous season. The greatest mention is the solidarity of the offensive line, which can provide protection and time to any one of these arm talents.

The season won't be a light jog for the defense, which loses some depth considerations on the line and at the secondary. Early season contests prove to be a brutal path for this team, calling for high levels of stamina and conditioning. The middle is the area that looks to hold the defense accountable and glue together the missing pieces. Linebackers Porter Gustin and Cameron Smith will help influence the levels of attack on the edge and through the middle. Their coverage techniques also provide for them to manage different levels of offensive threat. Keeping the other areas of the defense healthy and injury free are the keys to success on this side of the ball.

Games against Texas, Stanford, and Arizona will test this team early. These contests will place the offense and defense against the ropes. A solid and implied response could lead for this team to find themselves at the top of the Pac-12 again in 2018.