USC Football: 5 Sophomores Who Need to Make Year 2 Count

The growth from a player's freshman to sophomore year is critical. Now that they have had a year underneath their belt, they can really begin to make serious progress and subsequent contributions to their team. But if they struggle for another year, it might lead to a transfer. 

The Trojans had an exceedingly young team last year, so many of them will be merely in their second year and needing to step up to the plate. Some of them already have, but others need to start following suit.

There are five in particular that really could be of good use to the Trojans. Each of them are in very different situations. Let's examine.

Buck Allen

2011 Results: Redshirted

There isn’t a position group shallower than the tailbacks at USC. Allen is one of three scholarship tailbacks, and he hasn’t taken a single rep in a college game. The Trojans need him to stay healthy once and for all and make up for lost time.

The other two, Curtis McNeal and D.J. Morgan, are smaller, faster backs. Allen, at 6’2” and 207 lbs, is the prototype power back that USC loves to use in tandem with their faster backs. But he has to actually be healthy long enough to make progress in order to be of any use.

By the end of spring, Lane Kiffin noted that Allen still had a long way to go. And he doesn’t have a lot of time to get there, either. He needs a successful fall camp in order to be able to help the Trojans.

George Farmer

2011 Results: 4 receptions for 42 yards, 5 carries for 15 yards, 0 touchdowns

Farmer came in a highly touted 5-star receiver, and though the coaching staff understood that such a label doesn’t mean instant success, some fans did not. No, Farmer’s biggest problem isn’t lack of skill.

It’s staying healthy.

But that is what he had to now. Everyone knows the kind of athlete he can be when he is healthy, but he will never make progress if he doesn’t stay that way. He needs to be the man who can step in for either Robert Woods or Marqise Lee without anyone skipping a beat.

He could easily help fill the void once Woods graduates. But before he starts his junior season, he needs to prove himself during his sophomore year.

Lamar Dawson

2011 Results: 25 tackles including 2 for a loss and 1 sack

Woods missed four games due to a sprained ankle, but managed not only find his form again, he went from backup to starting middle linebacker the last four games. Though he split much of that time equally with veteran Chris Galippo, he knows what it is like to have the pressure all on him.

But now he doesn’t have Galippo to learn from or lean on. Wearing the legendary No. 55 comes with high expectations. He can’t just be a good “mike” back next year. He has to start to show signs of being one of the best to ever come through Los Angeles.

Aundrey Walker

2011 Results: Appeared in 11 games as a back offensive tackle and special teams player.

Walker received what most sports gurus would call “meaningful reps” last season. In layman’s terms that means he got a lot of practice in, and not just when the Trojans had already walked away with the game and needed somebody to go in and do clean-up duty. Though offensive linemen usually have a tougher time adjusting to the college level, Walker was one of a few freshmen who had no choice but to step up last season.

But now the 6'6" beast of man has a new role as starting left tackle. Though he might be literally able to fill Matt Kalil’s shoes, doing it figuratively is going to be a lot tougher. You can’t exactly expect an All-American season right away, but you should expect exactly what the coaches are expecting.

Walker needs to protect Matt Barkley at all costs. The trimmed down sophomore has the skill set. Now it’s time to develop it and put it to good use.

Marqise Lee

2011 Results: 73 receptions for 1,143 yards, 11 touchdowns

Is there any question that Marqise Lee is going to have an All-Americn-caliber season?

Not at all.

But that is exactly what he will need to try to help USC get all the way to the national championship. Matt Barkley can’t throw every pass to Robert Woods.  With a tailback rotation that lacks depth, this tandem needs to work together to make it nearly impossible to shut down the Trojans’ aerial attack.

Lee spent much of the spring with the track team, and it will interesting to see how that cross training translates to results in the fall. He has significantly bulked up in the offseason. Maybe the two combined will give Lee the perfect combo of “better, faster and stronger.”