(Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
Key Players Returning:
QB Caleb Williams, RB Austin Jones, WR Brenden Rice, WR Tahj Washington, WR Mario Williams, OC Justin Dedich, OT Jonah Monheim, DE Soloman Byrd, DT Stanley Ta’ufo’ou, LB Eric Gentry, LB Shane Lee, CB Jacobe Covington, NB Jaylin Smith, FS Bryson Shaw, FS Max Williams SS Calen Bullock, KR Raleek Brown, PR Michael Jackson III, PK Denis Lynch and PT Aadyn Spleep-Dalton.
Key Players Departing:
RB Travis Dye, WR Jordan Addison, OC Brett Neilon, OG Andrew Vorhees, OT Courtland Ford, DE Nick Figueroa, DE Tuli Tuipulotu, NT Tyrone Taleni, LB Ralen Goforth and CB Mekhi Blackmon.
Top 10 Recruits:
Blue Chip Recruits: WR Zachariah Branch (Las Vegas, Nevada), QB Malachi Nelson (Los Alamitos, California) and TE Duce Robinson (Phoenix, Arizona).
4 Star Recruits: WR Makai Lemon (Los Alamitos, California), EDGE Braylan Shelby (Friendswood, Texas), RB Quenten Joyner (Manor, Texas), DL Bear Alexander (Georgia transfer), DS Tackett Curtis (Many, Louisiana), TE Walker Lyons (Folsom, California) and CB Maliki Crawford (Oxnard, California).
2022 Results:
G01 RICE W 66-14
G02 @ Stanford W 41-28
G03 FRESNO STATE W 45-17
G04 @ Oregon State W 17-14
G05 ARIZONA STATE W 42-25
G06 WASHINGTON STATE W 30-14
G07 @ #20 Utah L 42-43
G08 @ Arizona W 45-37
G09 CALIFORNIA W 41-35
G10 COLORADO W 55-17
G11 @ #16 UCLA W 48-45
G12 #15 NOTRE DAME W 38-27
P12 vs. #11 Utah L 24-47
BOWL vs. Tulane L 45-46
Team Info:
2022 Overall: 11-3 (1st in PAC12)
Home: 7-0
Away: 4-1
Neutral: 0-2
P12: 8-1
Non-P12: 0-1
Head Coach: Lincoln Riley
USC: 11-3
Career: 66-13
Bowl: 2-3
Returning Statistical Leaders:
Passing: Caleb Williams (333-500, 4537 yards, 66.6%, 9.1 avg., 42 TD, 5 INT)
Rushing: Austin Jones (135 car., 705 yards, 5.2 avg., 5 TD)
Receiving: Tahj Washington (50 rec., 785 yards, 15.7 avg., 6 TD)
TD’s Scored: Caleb Williams (10)
Sacks: Solomon Byrd (4)
Tackles: Shane Lee/Max Williams (79)
Interceptions: Calen Bullock (5)
Pass Deflections: Calen Bullock/Max Williams (5)
Tackles For Loss: Shane Lee (7.5)
Forced Fumbles: Eric Gentry/Max Williams (2)
Kick Returns: Tahj Washington (3 ret., 75 yards, 25.0 avg., 0 TD)
Punt Returns: Michael Jackson III (11 ret., 70 yards, 6.4 avg., 0 TD)
Kicking: Denis Lynch (15-22 fg/fga., 68%, 74-74 xp/xpa., 119 pts.)
Punting: Aadyn Sleep-Dalton (30 punts, 1208 yards, 40.3 avg., 8 in20)
Projected Offensive Starters:
QB: 13 Caleb Williams (JR/TR)
RB: 6 Austin Jones (RS SR/TR)
WR: 10 Kyron Hudson (RS SO)
WR: 15 Dorian Singer (JR/TR)
WR: 4 Mario Williams (JR/TR)
TE: 87 Lake McRee (RS SO)
LT: 79 Jonah Monheim (RS JR)
LG: 70 Emmanuel Pregnon (RS SO/TR)
OC: 57 Justin Dedich (RS SR)
RG: 52 Jarrett Kingston (RS SR/TR)
RT: 71 Michael Tarquin (RS SR/TR)
KR: 1 Zachariah Branch (FR)
PK: 46 Denis Lynch (RS SO)
Projected Defensive Starters:
DE: 51 Solomon Byrd (RS SR/TR)
NT: 00 Bear Alexander (SO/TR)
DT: 99 Jack Sullivan (RS SR/TR)
DE: 10 Jamil Muhammad (RS SR/TR)
LB: 13 Mason Cobb (SR/TR)
LB: 25 Tackett Curtis (FR)
NB: 19 Jaylin Smith (JR)
CB: 22 Ceyair Wright (RS SO)
CB: 1 Domani Jackson (SO)
FS: 4 Max Williams (RS SR)
SS: 7 Calen Bullock (JR)
PR: 1 Zachariah Branch (FR)
PT: 37 Eddie Czaplicki (JR/TR)
Team Grades:
Offense
Quarterbacks: A
Running Backs: B
Wide Receivers: B
Offensive Line: B
Defense
Defensive Line: B
Linebackers: B
Secondary: B
Special Teams
Kick Returners: C
Punt Returners: C
Kickers: B
Punters: C
Schedule:
08/26 SAN JOSE STATE SPARTANS | USC leads the series 5-0. The Trojans won (30-7) the last meeting between schools in 2021.
09/02 NEVADA WOLF PACK | USC leads the series 5-0. The Trojans won (66-0_ the last meeting between schools in 1929.
09/09 STANFORD CARDINAL | USC leads the series 65-34-3. The Trojans are 6-5 since 2013 and their last series loss (28-42) was in 2021.
09/23 @ Arizona State Sun Devils | USC leads the series 25-14. The Trojans are 6-4 since 2013 and their last series loss (16-31) was in 2021.
09/30 @ Colorado Buffaloes | USC leads the series 16-0. The Trojans are 9-0 since 2013 and they won (55-17) last season’s meeting between schools.
10/07 ARIZONA WILDCATS | USC leads the series 38-8. The Trojans are 10-0 since 2013 and their last series loss (36-39) was in 2012.
10/14 @ Notre Dame Fighting Irish | USC trails the series 38-50-5. The Trojans are 3-6 since 2013 and their last series loss (16-31) was in 2021.
10/21 UTAH UTES | USC leads the series 13-9. The Trojans are 5-6 since 2013 and their last series win (33-17) was in 2020.
10/28 @ California Golden Bears | USC leads the series 72-33-6. The Trojans are 7-2 since 2013 and their last series loss (14-24) was in 2021.
11/04 WASHINGTON HUSKIES | USC leads the series 52-30-4. The Trojans lost (14-28) the last meeting between schools in 2019.
11/11 @ Oregon Ducks | USC leads the series 39-22-2. The Trojans lost (24-31) the last meeting between schools in 2020.
11/18 UCLA BRUINS | USC leads the series 52-33-7. The Trojans are 6-4 since 2013 and their last series loss (33-62) was in 2021.
Predictions:
Home: 6-1
Away: 1-4
Neutral: 0-0
P12: 5-4
Non-P12: 2-1
Overall: 7-5 (3rd in PAC12 South)
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