USC Football: The Offseason To-Do List for the Trojans

Now that the recruiting season has been put to bed for the Trojans for the class of 2012, is it too early to turn our attention to the upcoming football season?

For those who know Lane Kiffin, the answer is a resounding "no!"

Always prepared, Kiffin probably had an eye on this year before the ink was dry on the last recruits signed letter of intent.

And with good reason too.

The Trojans are expected to be a top-five team this year, and there are visions in Trojan fans' minds of a possible national championship.

But are there flaws? Where are the areas of concern? What still needs to be addressed before the Trojans take the field for this season?

This slide show will attempt to identify those aspects of the program and team that will need to be taken care of at some point.

There will be others, but here are five things immediately on USC's to-do list.

No. 5: Bolster Depth at Running Back

The Trojans were going to be marginally thin at running back anyway, but when Amir Carlisle surprised everyone by transferring during the offseason, the need for depth became glaring.

Of course, Curtis McNeal will return as the Trojans 1,000-yard rusher and will likely be backed up by D.J. Morgan, but beyond that, the cupboard is bare experience wise.

The George Farmer, Jr. experiment may or may not continue, and Javorious (Buck) Allen will be a good one...eventually.

It should be noted that Nelson Agholor, the talented 2012 recruit from Florida will also get a long look as a change of pace guy but he will be a true freshman so too much can't be expected from him right away.

This is an area that needs to be addressed by Kiffin and his staff.

No. 4: Start Grooming Matt Barkley's Successor

Enjoy him while you can, Trojan fans, because Matt Barkley will be gone all too soon.

And when he leaves, USC will be scrambling for someone to step into those humongous shoes.

The good news is that the Trojans have a trio of capable quarterbacks to accept the mantle of greatness that is thrust on their signal-callers.

Better still, all of these hopeful gunslingers will have a minimum of two years in the system.

Whether it is redshirt sophomore Jesse Scroggins or redshirt freshmen Cody Kessler and Max Wittek, one of these guys will have to step up in preparation for 2013.

And it will be Lane Kiffin's job to identify that person.

No. 3: Evaluate Incoming Freshmen

This one is kind of a "no-brainer," but the Trojans coaching staff will need to decide who of the incoming 2012 freshman can help them this season.

Some, like athlete Nelson Agholor, defensive lineman Leonard Williams and safety Gerald Bowman, will be counted on to contribute minutes from the moment they arrive at USC, but others will have to be scrutinized closely.

With the roster of scholarship players capped at 75, depth is now and will continue to be an issue for the Trojans brain trust.

But there also needs to be discernment on who to redshirt for those same depth issues that will need to addressed beyond this year.

It's a dilemma, and one that will be high on the list of things to do for USC.

No. 2: Settle on a Left Tackle to Protect Matt Barkley's Blind Side

Let's be clear on this, you don't replace a guy like left tackle Matt Kalil.

When he hears his name called at this year's NFL draft, Kalil will hear that proper noun uttered within the first five picks.

So, expect a drop-off from whomever attempts to fill the big fella's shoes.

Nonetheless, it must be dealt with, and offensive line coach James Cregg will be pulling out his hair to find the new left tackle.

Some think it might be 2011 right tackle, Kevin Graf. Others like the chances of mammoth sophomore Aundrey Walker.

And though it is not likely, could it be one of the incoming freshmen?

Its a big question, and it will need a big answer.

Soon.

No. 1: Replace the Missing Coaches

There is no more pressing issue on Lane Kiffin's plate than to replace two critical members of his coaching staff.

Kiffin already knew that he would have to make a final decision on who replaces receivers coach Willie Mack Garza, who left abruptly in the middle of last season.

Although graduate assistant Sammy Knight stepped in to take Garza's place (along with Monte Kiffin), he has yet to be offered the position as of this writing.

Since then, linebackers coach Joe Barry has also resigned, and on Tuesday receivers coach Ted Gilmore added his name to the list of coaches leaving the program just before the start of spring camp.

The task of replacing these coaches will be of the utmost importance for USC.

Conclusion

There they are, this writer's opinion of five things the Trojans to address sooner rather than later.

As spring ball draws near, this list will increase multi-fold, and new problems will arise that demands priority on a list such as this.

In fact, there are a number of things that this list doesn't address, and I am sure that some readers will be all too happy to point that out, which I am grateful for.

Still, there are tons of programs that would love to trade places with the Trojans, sanctions and all.

And when all is said and done, USC has a coach that has proven he can handle the twists and turns that are handed to him.

For that, Trojan fans should be abundantly grateful, and more importantly, secure in the knowledge that these issues and anything else that crops up will be deftly dealt with.