USC Football: Top 10 Players for the 2012 Season

Every successful college football program has important players who have to perform well in order to win football games. Some of these players are more successful than others, as they may have a bigger workload or they are just simply more talented than the rest.

The USC Trojans return 17 starters from last year, including nine starters on the offensive side of the ball. Many of those starters are key contributors, while some may be more replaceable with an experienced reserve or a talented freshman coming in. With depth being a major issue for this team, it is key that certain players take their game to the next level in order for USC to accomplish all of its dreams.

As we inch that much closer to September, here are the Top 10 most important players for the 2012 USC Trojans football season.

10. Defensive End: Wes Horton

USC has serious depth issues along the defensive line, which means that players that aren't used to starting so many games will see a ton of action this time around. The last time Wes Horton started more than seven games was in 2009 when he was a redshirt freshman. Now that he enters his senior year, he will be one of the key defensive linemen for the Trojans.

Despite playing off and on last year, Horton still made second-team All-Pac-12 and finished the year with 22 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and four sacks. He is one of the more experienced players on the defensive side of the ball and will see the most playing time he has ever received at USC. It is critical he continues to produce at a high level for this defense.

9. Linebacker: Dion Bailey

Bailey made the transition from the safety position to linebacker last season, and it paid dividends for this Trojan team. He ended up finishing the year tied with Hayes Pullard for the most tackles with 81. He also had two interceptions, two sacks and two passes broken up.

Bailey is not a huge linebacker at 6'0", 200 pounds, but he has a lot of speed and is not afraid to get in the middle of the action despite his smaller frame. It is safe to say that Bailey has found his home at linebacker and should get some love for the Butkus award if he has another season like last year.

8: Cornerback: Nickell Robey

Robey enters his third season with the Trojans and will start for the third year at the cornerback position. He is not the biggest player you are going to see at 5'8", 165 pounds, but he is a playmaker on the football field and the definition of a lock down corner. As a freshman in 2010, he led USC with four interceptions. In 2011, he had two interceptions, nine broken up passes, two sacks, 3.5 tackles for loss and 63 tackles.

Robey was a 2011 All-Conference player and enters this season as a Thorpe Award candidate. He will once again be a key member of this secondary heading into the regular season.

7. Wide Receiver: Robert Woods

Robert Woods took his game to another level last season, hauling in 111 receptions for over 1,200 yards and 15 touchdowns. Quarterback Matt Barkley and Robert Woods are probably the best quarterback and wide receiver combination heading into the 2012 season.

Woods has been a consistent receiver from the moment he stepped on campus and catches everything thrown his way (He caught 17 passes for 177 yards and three touchdowns in last year's season opener against Minnesota). Another monster season for Woods is expected as this offense looks to reach new heights.

6. Defensive End: Devon Kennard

A great defense includes a solid pass-rush and the Trojans had one last season, totaling 30 sacks on the year. The problem is that majority of that production has either graduated or left early for the next level. The defensive line is now young and that is why USC will need a player like senior Devon Kennard to step up and help replace a player like Nick Perry.

Kennard started his career at the linebacker position, but switched to defensive end last season. In five starts he finished last year with 29 tackles, four tackles for loss and two sacks. He has shown that he has the ability to rush the passer with some consistency and will be a huge part in trying to replace several losses on this defensive line.

5. Wide Receiver: Marqise Lee

What, Marqise Lee above Robert Woods? No, this is not a typo.

I understand what Robert Woods means to this team and have seen his incredible stats he produced last season. I also know that he is probably Barkley's favorite target, but Lee is not too far behind and caught 73 passes his true-freshman season. He averaged over 15 yards a reception and caught 11 touchdowns, while averaging over 28 yards a kickoff return.

Sure, Woods has more experience and the more impressive stats, but Lee is the more complete receiver and is explosive as anybody in the country. He has big play ability and could possibly be the fastest player in all of college football. Also, having played the safety position in high school, he can get physical and go up and get it with the best of them.

You may call me crazy, but Lee is the receiver that USC wants on the football field at all times. He stretches the field and is extremely talented.

4. Safety: T.J. McDonald

USC has to do better in pass defense if it would like to accomplish all of its goals this season, but returning eight starters on that side of the ball, including safety T.J. McDonald should help. He is known as one of the hardest hitters in the game, but is just as good in pass coverage as he is in hitting the poor ball-carrier.

He finished last season with 67 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and three interceptions; it was the second year in a row he finished in the top three in tackles for USC (In 2010 he was the leading tackler with 89). McDonald enters the season as a serious Thorpe Award candidate and is on the Lott IMPACT Trophy watch list as well.

If the senior free safety has another huge year, expect to see him taken in the first round of next year's NFL draft.

3. Running Back: Curtis McNeal

We know the Trojans have an extremely explosive offense, but they have a banged up backfield that lacks experience. With Tre Madden suffering a season-ending injury and Marc Taylor no longer on the roster, the only proven running back this team has is last year's leading rusher Curtis McNeal.

McNeal averaged nearly seven yards a carry last season and rushed for over 1,000 yards, while scoring six touchdowns. The problem is that he is only 5'7", 180 pounds, so he isn't a workhorse running back that will get well over 200 touches this season. But he is the only answer at the position right now, so he has to remain healthy and productive all year so this offense isn't one-dimensional.

2. Left Tackle: Aundrey Walker

When talking about the offensive line, the left tackle is probably the most important position. It protects the quarterback from suffering a devastating blow that he can't see when looking down the field. With the lack of depth at the quarterback position, it is extremely important that quarterback Matt Barkley has solid protection all season long and doesn't take any unnecessary hits. 

With left tackle Matt Kalil in the NFL now, it looks like sophomore Aundrey Walker will take over at the position. He was a backup tackle last season as a freshman, but saw most of his time at special teams. He has dropped a ton of weight during the offseason and says he feels comfortable playing any position the coaches ask him to play.

Right now that position is left tackle and he needs to fill in nicely or things can get real ugly.

1. Quarterback: Matt Barkley

The top and most important player for the 2012 USC Trojans is quarterback Matt Barkley. He is arguably the best quarterback in the country and would have been a Top 10 pick in last year's NFL draft if he decided to leave a year early. He also should have been a Heisman candidate, throwing for 3,528 yards and 39 touchdowns last season.

Barkley will make this offense go and will be a huge reason for the Trojans success this season. With no experience at the quarterback position behind him, it is extremely important that he stays healthy and plays as well as he did in 2011. If he can do those two things, there is no reason why USC shouldn't be in the national championship hunt at the end of the year.