USC Football Spring Practice Schedule 2012: 5 Pressing Issues

The 2011 college football season may have just ended, but that doesn't mean that the players and coach's go sit on the couch for seven months. No, first it was the recruiting process, and now it's time to begin preparing for spring practices.

These practices are extremely important, as they will help the coaches answer questions and help them put together their depth chart for the upcoming season. This is also a chance for the younger players to prove themselves and earn more playing time than they probably would have normally received.

The Trojans' first practice takes place on March 6th, and the spring game happens on April 14th. Here are five things we should be paying attention to when these events take place.

Defensive Line

The Trojans weren't bad at all rushing the passer last season, as they finished the year with 30 sacks. Although, the leading sack leader last season in defensive end, Nick Perry, decided to leave early for the NFL draft. He also wasn't the only one, as defensive tackle DaJohn Harris and Christian Tupou also left the team. 

This leaves several question marks on the defensive line, and many young players will need to step up and help contribute right away. Defensive ends Wes Horton and Devon Kennard have to make a huge impact on the line this season.

Will the Secondary Please Stand Up?

USC is a national championship contender, and they have what it takes to be one of the most dominant teams we've seen in recent memory. But if there's one chink in the armor, it's the secondary that allowed a ridiculous 263 yards in the air per game. That means that only 18 teams in the entire country were worse last year.

What makes matters worse is that USC is way too talented to be giving up so many yards in the air.

The talent is there. The Trojans return seven starters on the defensive side of the ball, and all but one of the entire secondary is made up of seniors.

Watch this unit closely, because it could be the difference between a national championship and bust.

Quarterback Depth?

Now, if there's any team that doesn't have to worry about the starting quarterback, it's obviously USC with Matt Barkley running the show. But what happens if he catches the flu one week or isn't able to go for whatever reason? Who in the world is going to back him up?

There is not one quarterback on this roster that threw a pass last season. Not one single quarterback. Even running back Marc Taylor threw a pass last year.

I know that offensive line is pretty tough to break through, but it's always nice to know that you have a backup quarterback that could at least manage the game in case something happens.

How Much Will the Trojans Miss Matt Kalil?

USC has one of the top offensive lines in college football, but at the same time, they lost one of the top offensive linemen in Matt Kalil. This does draw questions on the line, particularly at the offensive tackle position. 

Junior Kevin Graf, who originally played right tackle, will likely switch to left. And sophomore tackle Aundrey Walker will probably play right tackle. It's really going to be interesting to see how Graf makes the adjustment and if they can both jell together quickly in time for the fall to kick in.

How Much of Nelson Agholor Will We See?

One of the Trojans' top recruits is Nelson Agholor, and we should see a lot of him this coming season. He is extremely versatile and has the ability to play safety, wide receiver, running back and, with his speed, he can also be a major factor in the return game as well.

With Marc Tyler leaving at running back and the Trojans ranked 79th in the kickoff return game last season, don't be surprised if you see this young man all over the field. He's an exciting player, and he has the ability to be a game-changer for the Trojans this season.

Randy Chambers is a B/R featured columnist that covers college football and the NFL. You can contact him @Randy_Chambers or [e-mail].