USC Football: 10 Things to Work on over the Summer

The USC Trojans will take the next couple of months off before opening up fall camp and preparing for the regular season. This team returns the nucleus from last season that has many believing it can win the Pac-12 and reach the national championship this season.

But while this team may look great on paper, there are some things that need some extra work. Spring ball only provides so much time for the teams to iron out some of their weaknesses, and that's why fall camp is so important.

As we inch closer to August, here are a few things the Trojans have on their to-do-list.

Finding Depth at Every Position

Discovering depth at every position is the goal for every team heading into the fall, but for the Trojans, it is a must. Because of the sanctions laid down on the program, USC is playing with 10 less players on its roster because of the lack of scholarships the school currently has.

“It'd be pretty hard for me to pick a team preseason No. 1 that's going to play with at least 10 less players than everybody else,” Kiffin said of the Trojans. (Via Fox Sports)

This means that players that likely wouldn't have been seen the field, will need to step up. The more players that can help this team out in the season and help fill in some of the holes, the better this team will be during their national championship run.

Soma Vainuku

With the lack of depth at the fullback position, Soma Vainuku is the starter at the position by default. He was redshirted last season but has all of the tools to be successful in this offense from Week 1. He's a physical player, is big at 6'0", 245 pounds and has a great pair of hands. (During the spring game, he caught four passes for 66 yards and a touchdown)

Vainuku should be a great addition to this team but will have to continue improving throughout the fall. Freshman Jahleel Pinner should arrive in fall camp and compete for playing time as well.

How the New Coaches Will Adjust

USC made three coaching changes during the offseason. Scottie Hazelton replaced Joe Barry as linebackers coach, Marvin Sanders will coach the defensive backs this year and Tee Martin replaces Ted Gilmore as the wide receivers coach.

So far head coach Lane Kiffin is very impressed with all three coaches. (Via Annenberg  Digital News)

“I’m very, very pleased with all three,” Lane Kiffin said. “All three coach very hard.”

He also said that there is still work to do, and it will start with the small details in fall camp.

“We’ve gotta make sure we continue giving a great effort and cleaning up the small details,” he said. “That’s what’s really big coming into fall camp.”

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. J.R. Tavai and Antwaun Woods will also continue to battle throughout the fall for the starting nose tackle position.

Get Healthier

The fall will not only be important to the younger players that will have a bigger impact this season, it will also be valuable to some of the veterans that missed a majority of the spring with injuries. Wide receiver Robert Woods and George Farmer were limited, along with Tre Madden suffering a season-ending injury. (Via ESPN)

"We couldn't have something like what has happened this offseason to us in the fall," Said head coach Lane Kiffin. "We wouldn't be very good. So we need to make sure we keep our guys healthy."

Things were so bad for this team during the spring, that they held a spring game that featured no tackling. Getting healthy in time for the regular season is a victory in itself.

Backup Quarteback

USC has arguably the best quarterback in college football with Matt Barkley running the show, but who's behind him remains a question. Redshirt freshmen Cody Kessler and Max Wittek both played well in the spring game, so this is a battle that will last well into the fall.

Although the backup will be determined sometime throughout the fall, the Trojans are hoping they won't have to use any of them for significant time until next season. USC also landed a 4-star recruit in Max Browne, who will join the team next year and compete for playing time.

Who Has Barkley's Back?

Along with not knowing who will backup quarterback Matt Barkley, finding out who will protect his blindside remains a question as well. It was supposed to be Aundrey Walker and Kevin Graf battling it out throughout the spring, but Walker saw a majority of the reps at the position, while Graf moved over to the right side. 

Walker is a physical player, who says he's getting comfortable at his new position. Although, you have to wonder if it's set in stone that he will be the guy protecting the Trojans star quarterback.

Running Back Depth

USC will once again be one of the top passing teams in the country with Barkley and tons of talented receivers around him. But the questions at the running back position could make this offense one-dimensional.

The Trojans do return a 1,000 yard rusher in Curtis McNeal; although there really isn't another back this team can truly count on. D.J. Morgan would be next in line, but he only touched the ball 42 times last season. Javorious Allen was a redshirt last season and Nelson Agholor has yet to arrive on campus.

With the injury to running back Tre Madden, somebody must step up to help this offense out and take some of the pressure off the potential Heisman quarterback.

Don't Fall into the Trap

There is no question the Trojans are one of the more talented teams in the entire country. They return several starters on both sides of the ball and have an offense that can compete with anybody. But part of accomplishing your goals is not falling into the trap and getting all caught up in the hype.

ESPN has recently ranked them No. 1 heading into fall camp, and it seems like the Trojans have been the talk of college football lately. Everybody is wondering if this is truly the team that can snap the SEC National Championship streak.

It's critical that Lane Kiffin and company keep this team focused on one week at a time and keeps them level headed going into the season.

Prepare for the Season Opener

Part of not getting caught in all of the hype is getting off to a fast start.

The Trojans open the season against subpar teams in Hawaii and Syracuse, but that doesn't mean they can joke around and come into the game looking ahead. USC got off to a really slow start last season, beating Minnesota by only two points, letting Utah put up a fight and getting pounded by Arizona State.

If this team wants to win the Pac-12 and reach the national championship, it's important they treat every game with the same importance and try their best to run the table. They must get off to a better start, and that all starts with a great fall camp.