Virtually six months in the past, in his first official introduction as USC coach, Lincoln Riley stared out throughout an empty Coliseum and made a daring promise.
“This place goes to be full,” Riley proclaimed. “This place goes to be the mecca of faculty soccer.”
Mecca received’t be in-built a matter of months. However we’ll lastly catch a glimpse of the progress when USC takes the sphere Saturday at midday for what’s absolutely essentially the most anticipated spring recreation in program historical past.
That anticipation has been constructing ever since Riley’s gorgeous rent in November, a lot in order that ESPN will broadcast the scrimmage nationally, making USC’s the one spring recreation to get such publicity. The college is doing its half, too, to capitalize on that enthusiasm, making tickets free to followers in hopes of turning an in any other case glorified follow right into a spring soccer extravaganza, full with carnival video games, meals vehicles, photograph ops and giveaways.
That’s all simply window dressing, in fact, to what most followers will come out or tune in to see — tangible, firsthand proof that Riley is righting the ship at USC.
The Trojans’ new coach is aware of they received’t wait lengthy for these expectations to be met.
“Individuals, as you be taught, notably on this city, they wish to assist winners,” Riley stated this week. “They wish to assist excellence. They wish to assist success. We perceive that. We don’t draw back from that.”
None of that will probably be clear after a single scrimmage. However after a spring of closed practices, the spring recreation ought to supply some solutions to the various questions we nonetheless have about USC soccer initially of a brand new period.
What number of followers will present up?
By the top of final season, huge swaths of empty bleachers grew to become the unhappy norm on the Coliseum. So how a lot can hiring a brand new coach fill these seats earlier than a single recreation has been performed?
Riley wasn’t about to enterprise a guess, whereas others at USC stay uncertain of what to anticipate from the group Saturday. Everybody concerned understands a robust turnout would set an vital tone for a program that’s determined to put a brand new basis with followers.
“There’s a number of vitality round this program proper now, a number of pleasure,” Riley stated. “I feel they’ve actually had a particularly constructive spring, and with that and all of the momentum with this system, I do know it might imply lots to our guys to have an amazing, energetic crowd. That’s what we anticipate, identical to they anticipate issues out of us.”
So what’s truthful to anticipate? Exhausting to say. However the final pre-pandemic spring recreation held at USC managed a measly attendance estimated round 2,000.
Suffice to say, USC shouldn't have any downside clearing that low bar, not less than.
How does Caleb Williams take a look at the helm of USC’s offense?
Nobody steps right into a brighter spring recreation highlight than USC’s new quarterback. All eyes will probably be on Williams as he takes the reins of a remade Trojan offense. Although how a lot we’ll really see of Riley’s new scheme continues to be unclear.
“In all probability not a lot,” Williams conceded this week.
We must always, nevertheless, see loads of what makes Williams a preseason Heisman contender and probably the most gifted passers in faculty soccer. His twin risk talent set is not like any USC has ever seen on the quarterback place. And with a season already below his belt in Riley’s offense, it’s truthful to anticipate the sophomore will probably be even higher than he was a 12 months in the past, when he first captivated the school soccer lots.
Opinions from teammates and coaches have been glowing to date this spring. Count on that hype practice to select up velocity.
What’s the hierarchy at receiver?
As USC’s new receivers coach, Dennis Simmons couldn’t be any extra clear initially of spring. The race throughout the receiving corps, he defined on the time, was “broad open,” with each function obtainable for the taking.
Particulars of that competitors have been scant since. However readability could possibly be coming Saturday, as USC places its present pecking order on the place on public show.
Mario Williams, a former five-star prospect who got here with Riley from Oklahoma, appears assured of a job as one in every of USC’s lead exterior receivers. The identical could possibly be stated for Colorado switch Brenden Rice, whose dimension and talent set have appeared to set him aside to date this spring.
It’s a muddled depth chart past that, with returning receivers like Gary Bryant Jr., Tahj Washington, Kyle Ford and Kyron Ware-Hudson and switch Terrell Bynum all standing out at varied factors of the spring. Riley has stated he plans to play not less than eight receivers, and every of these candidates ought to get an opportunity Saturday to separate themselves.
Is Korey Foreman rounding into type?
The previous No. 1 general recruit missed the beginning of spring on account of a knee damage. Upon his return, he’s stated all the suitable issues about placing a irritating freshman season behind him.
However final season raised questions on his improvement which have but to be answered, together with his functionality on early downs and in opposition to the run. His prolonged spring absence additionally means he’s a couple of steps behind Auburn switch Romello Peak in the interim. Peak, in the meantime, has been one of many standouts of camp, in keeping with USC coaches, as his velocity off the sting matches precisely what defensive coordinator Alex Grinch is on the lookout for in an edge rusher.
Expertise has by no means been a query for Foreman, however Riley has made clear he doesn’t care about recruiting pedigree. Foreman goes to need to earn his place over the subsequent a number of months, beginning Saturday.
How will USC’s new transfers rework either side of the ball?
Depend on listening to a number of new names. That begins, in fact, with Caleb Williams, but additionally extends deeper into the backfield — with switch backs Travis Dye and Austin Jones — and receiver room — with Rice, Bynum and Mario Williams.
Offensively, we could possibly be speaking a couple of revamped association of playmakers, reconstructed completely by the switch portal.
Even nonetheless, the starkest variations might nonetheless be on the defensive finish, the place USC was largely listless final season.
No participant has acquired extra effusive reward this spring than linebacker Shane Lee, the Alabama switch. Lee was a freshman All-American in 2019, however by no means fairly recaptured that early success within the two seasons that adopted. He hasn’t had that downside at USC, the place it took only some weeks for him to determine himself as a difference-maker.
Related excessive reward has been heaped on switch cornerback Mekhi Blackmon, who’s unlikely to play Saturday.
“He’s a canine. He’s a frontrunner,” sophomore nook Prophet Brown stated of the senior, who beforehand performed at Colorado. “He’s simply what we wanted, an older man to return in and lead us younger guys.”
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