Spring practice kicked off March 28 for the USC football team, and the biggest question facing the Trojans is how they will replace 13 starters, including eight on defense. The spotlight undoubtedly will be placed on the open quarterback position, but not to be forgotten are all the new faces on a defense that has some very big shoes to fill. Here are just a few players to keep an eye on.

 

QB: Aaron Corp

With Mark Sanchez departing a year early, Corp finds himself in a competition with Arkansas transfer Mitch Mustain for the starting quarterback job. Corp offers something the Trojans haven’t featured in the Pete Carroll era: a running threat at QB and the potential for some new looks on offense, which at times last year was sorely missing.

It remains to be seen how accurate a passer Corp can be (he completed just two passes for 14 yards in ’08), but speculation out of winter workouts is that he has a slight edge going into the spring.

 

QB: Matt Barkley

The true freshman isn’t likely to be a threat for the starting gig right away, but he’s already considered to have the strongest arm out of all the quarterback hopefuls. And with third-stringer Garrett Green shifting his focus to include wide receiver and special teams duties, it most likely bumps him up a spot on the depth charts and that much closer to seeing game action at some point in 2009.

If nothing else, Barkley’s worth watching for what he could do two years from now.

 

WR: Brice Butler

The graduation of Patrick Turner means the Trojans need to find a third wide receiver to complement starters Damien Williams and Ronald Johnson. The frontrunner may just be Butler, a redshirt freshman who has good size (6'3") and has the ability to catch the ball over the middle of the field. David Ausberry and Travon Patterson are considered his main competition for the job.

 

OT: Tyron Smith

A five-star recruit coming out of high school, Smith served as a backup his freshman year but could now be in line for a starting job. He will be in competition with returning starter Charles Brown for the left tackle position, so nothing is a given, but it will be interesting to see if this is the year Smith, who at 270 pounds has been said by scouts to have the physique of a tight end, can live up to the hype.

 

MLB: Chris Galippo

The Trojans lose their entire starting linebacker crew to the NFL, and my money is on Galippo, a sophomore, to fill the vacancy left in the middle by Rey Maualuga. While he battled a case of mono that slowed his workouts in the winter, Galippo has deemed himself healthy and ready to go for the spring. A former top recruit, it’s worth seeing if his strength has returned enough for him to win a job, or if he’s a step slow.  

 

OLB: Michael Morgan

The junior saw limited action in 12 games last year and most notably performed well when Maualuga was out due to injury. He should have an inside track on one of the remaining linebacker spots and has shown the ability to get into the backfield to make plays. The Trojans need someone quick who can disrupt opposing offenses like Clay Matthews did last year and Morgan could be that guy.

 

DE: Armond Armstead

The D-line is another area where the Trojans are re-tooling a bit, and Armstead could emerge as a factor at strong defensive end. Just a sophomore, he played limited minutes in nine games last year, collecting 10 tackles. At 290 pounds, he’s got a significant weight advantage over his main competition, redshirt freshman Wes Horton (245 pounds), so it may come down to if he has the quickness to get after the quarterback.