2005 Statistics

Quarterback
The Trojans number one priority is replacing Leinart, but after Matt replaced Palmer to start his career, skepticism flew then, too. USC has options here. The lone experienced quarterback on the roster is junior John David Booty, the first prep player in history to graduate a year early and enroll at a major university. But we feel the real star on the horizon is redshirt freshman Mark Sanchez, the national high school Player of the Year in 2004. Booty has played OK in his limited appearances mopping up for Leinart, but he hasn’t shown the physical skills to stand out. Of course, neither did Leinart, who was really just a superlative game manager with a ton of talent around him. Sanchez is the real deal - a 6-foot-4, 215-pound stud who should develop into a great pocket passer more in the mold Palmer. Junior Michael McDonald, junior walk-on Tom Harwood, and prep star Garrett Green are the other options. Expect Pete Carroll to pay lip service to Booty early, while secretly hoping the more talented Sanchez takes hold of the position.

Running Back
Tailback is wide open, too, and due to who left (Bush, White), this unit won’t be the nation’s best anymore. Two players coming back from injury, senior Hershel Dennis, who tore knee ligaments prior to the 2005 Orange Bowl and junior Desmond Reed, who suffered torn knee ligaments in last season's Notre Dame game, are the top returning players. Dennis has the big advantage in that he will be ready for spring ball. While Dennis doesn't have great size (5-11, 200) he runs hard and is a proven commodity as a part time starter in 2003. The Trojans think Reed, who will not be ready until the fall, has some Bush like qualities but that's a stretch until proven. Reed is undersized and was very quick before the injury but he doesn't have the natural cutback skills that made Bush a nightmare for opponents. Sophomore Michael Coleman has been compared to White and he has the size and natural strength to be an imposing move-the-chains-type back. He will also be getting a late start in 2006 while recovering from hip injury. Junior Chauncey Washington is another big, bulky back but has less wiggle than Coleman. There will also be a new fullback for USC; the likely choice will be senior Brandon Hancock, a strong blocker and capable receiver. The Trojans lack depth here and plan to move Ryan Powdrell from linebacker to back up Hancock.

Receiver
Whoever the new quarterback at USC will be, rest assured he will be very happy when he looks outside and sees Dwayne Jarrett and Steve Smith. Easily the best wide receiver tandem in the nation, Jarrett and Smith are nearly impossible to matchup with. Jarrett is a big, strong, acrobatic receiver with superlative hands who uses his size and body control to dominate smaller corners, especially in the red zone. Smith is a lightning fast senior who can stretch the field and create havoc in the plethora of cover-two defenses that dot the college landscape. Depth is a concern. Senior Chris McFoy and juniors Whitney Lewis and walk-on Brad Walker are pedestrian at best. The team feels 6-foot-5 sophomore Patrick Turner has a bright future and should race up the depth chart this spring.

Tight End
Another position where the Trojans must start anew. Juniors Fred Davis, Gerald Washington and Dale Thompson will be the first in line, with Davis having the significant edge. The Trojans feel Davis is more than capable of developing into an adept blocker and a dangerous receiver. Washington is a 2005 junior college All-American who enrolled at USC this spring with the talent to push Davis. Sophomore Jimmy Miller and senior Nick Vanderboom are afterthoughts at this point.

Offensive Line
Originally, this figured to be one of the strengths for ‘06. But Matua and Justice decided to head for the NFL early leaving the Trojans with just two returning starters. Junior left tackle Sam Baker and senior center Ryan Kalil are the returning starters and both are technically solid players who will be in the running for postseason honors. Baker's forte is pass blocking while Kalil is an excellent run blocker. Sophomores Jeff Byers, a starter in 2004 who missed last season with a hip injury, will be back to man one of the guard spots while Chilo Rachal and juniors Alatini Malu and Drew Radovich will be battling for the other interior position. Rachal held up well in his playing time last season so he has to be the favorite. Competing for the open right tackle job are senior Kyle Williams, junior Matt Spanos and redshirt freshmen Charles Brown. Brown has the most physical ability and if he can handle the mental aspects he should be the winner. Prep all-American Zack Heberer will also be on hand in the fall and is a future star. Coming together as a unit will be the key to USC’s entire offense.

OFFENSIVE BREAKDOWN
Can USC continue to roll up historic numbers without Leinart, Bush and White? On paper, the answer might be yes, but the key to any offense at any level is the quarterback position and whether it's John David Booty or Mark Sanchez, someone will have to step up and play at a high level. Otherwise, this will be a very disappointing season for USC. The receiving corps is the best in the nation and with Lutui and Matua still around to anchor the line, while both quarterbacks should be afforded plenty of time to carry out Carroll’s effective game plan(s). In fact, Sanchez has the arm to do more with the USC offense than Leinart ever did. The Pac-10 is not the most defensive conference, so there should be plenty of progress and this unit will be in full swing quickly.

Defensive Line
Junior end Lawrence Jackson and junior nose tackle Sedrick Ellis are back to anchor the line for the embattled Trojans defense. Jackson has the potential to be a dominating edge pass rusher and figures to be a candidate for all-American honors while Ellis is an effective run stopper against lesser competition. His job will be to pick up his play when the Trojans are facing better teams. Both players will get in the opponents' backfields early and often. A number of players will be fighting for Frostee Rucker's vacant end position: Juniors Jeff Schweiger and Alex Morrow along with sophomore Kyle Moore are at the top of the depth chart but none of them stand out. Senior Travis Tofi and sophomore Fili Moala are the leading candidates for the other tackle position. Tofi has shown the ability to get off the ball quickly and penetrate in limited playing time, and seems small for the interior until you see his results. Finding consistency, he’ll be a very solid player for the Trojans.

Linebacker
This is the one position that USC has championship experience returning. Six players who started at the position last year return. Senior Oscar Lua returns as the starter in the middle but he will be pushed by sophomore Rey Maualuga, a 2005 freshman all-American. Lua is nothing special and Maualuga has a chance to be in the upper echelon of college linebackers, so you can expect more and more snaps to be going Maualaga's way. Junior Keith Rivers is back on the weakside and may be the Trojans' best all-around defender. Senior Dallas Sartz will be back from injury to take over the strong side. Junior Thomas Williams, who started on the outside and in the middle last season, should be the all-purpose backup. Sophomore Brian Cushing is also on hand if anyone falters. This area will have to guide the entire back seven to start (see below), but these guys should be able to handle dual roles, if needed, especially due to the deep rotation and therefore fresh legs.

Defensive Back
Three-fourths of last year's secondary is gone. Junior Josh Pinkard will be a starter, the only question is where. Pinkard began last season as a safety, but moved to cornerback and held up. His fate likely depends on who else steps up for the Trojans in the spring. At corner, talented junior Terrell Thomas, who is coming off a knee injury, sophomores Kevin Thomas, Cary Harris and Mozique McCurtis are the candidates. All are well sized and speedy. At safety, senior twins Brandon Ting and Ryan Ting, along with sophs Kevin Ellison and Will Harris, are in the mix. This looks like the Trojans' biggest weakness especially if Thomas has trouble coming back form the injury. Expect their efficiency (pass defense) number to outrank their basic pass defense number again, meaning this group will know how to (least of all) bend and not break.

DEFENSIVE BREAKDOWN
This is a strange group. There is enough athletic ability to be a top 10 unit, but they had even more ability last season and the results just weren't there (if you saw the final TD run by Vince Young to win the BCS, you know what we mean). Six starters from the woeful/marginal 2005 defense return but change was obviously needed so virtually no one is concerned about the new blood being a bad thing. New coordinator Nick Holt will be looking to shore up a defense that was embarrassed against Young. . Run stopping is of concern, especially from the quarterback position on broken plays. This group has to become more aggressive and stop thinking about the bend-but-don't-break mentality.