USC Football: What You Need to Know About Key Trojans Reserves for 2012

With the Trojans fall camp just a few days away from starting, fans of the program are gearing up for what promises to be a very exciting college football season.

Considered by many to be one of the favorites for the BCS title, USC fields a fabulously talented team led by Heisman hopeful quarterback Matt Barkley.

But while the Trojans and their fans salivate at the prospects of the 2012 campaign, they are not without issues, and one of the biggest concerns for head coach Lane Kiffin continues to be depth along a roster that has been reduced to 75 scholarship players, courtesy of the NCAA and the sanctions they imposed in the Reggie Bush scandal.

Because of this, Kiffin and his coaching staff will have to rely on a stalwart corp of reserves, each of whom will be counted on to spell what many consider to be the most talented group of starters in college football.

This slideshow will look at some of the questions surrounding this squad of key reserves and offer some insight as to what role they will play in the upcoming season.

Because although USC will live and die with its starters, the play of the reserves may dictate just how far it goes this year...

The Trojans Defensive Backfield Reserves Will Be Talented and Experienced

The Trojans secondary is expected to be very good in 2012, as they will be led by not one, but two prospective All-Americans in safety T.J. McDonald and cornerback Nickell Robey.

Joining them will likely be cornerback Isiah Wiley and safety Jawanza Starling.

But when the Trojans do need to spell this very talented group of starters, they will do it with a group of reserves that would start almost anywhere else.

At safety, red-shirt senior Drew McAllister will rotate in with junior Demetrius Wright, and they will be joined by transfer Josh Shaw and stud junior college transfer Gerald Bowman.

Meanwhile, the cornerbacks will catch a breather when Torin Harris, Brian Baucham, Ryan Henderson or Anthony Brown get some PT.

This group is deep and is not a concern for the Trojans in 2012.

The Linebacker Reserves Will Need to Learn on the Job

A very young starting linebacker unit, led by true sophomore middle linebacker Lamar Dawson and redshirt sophomores Dion Bailey and Hayes Pullard, will be backed up by a very inexperienced group of reserves.

True freshman Scott Starr is expected to spell Dawson, while converted safety/cornerback Tony Burnett will likely be the one to give Bailey his breathers.

For Pullard, either Marquis Simmons or red-shirt freshman Anthony Sarao is the likely candidate as the No. 2.

Beyond those players, the Trojans also have some very capable 'backers including the reliable Will Andrew and senior Dallas Kelly.

This group of reserves should be excellent by the halfway point of the season, if not earlier.

On Defense, the Interior Line Reserves Will Be Critical to USC's Success

For 2012, the defensive line will present the biggest concern for Monte Kiffin's defense.

Very thin on the interior, tackle Geroge Uko will be joined by either J.R. Tavai or Antwuan Woods, but beyond that, it gets really dicey.

Red-shirt freshman Christian Heyward and possibly true freshman Leonard Williams will try to give the interior linemen some quality rest.

On the edges, with Devon Kennard's unfortunate injury, Greg Townsend or possibly the aforementioned Leonard Williams will get a shot at Kennard's spot and Kevin Greene or Morgan Breslin will likely be the backups.

Devante Wison and Charles Burks may also be heard from, but they are both coming back from injuries.

Trojans Offensive Backfield Is in Somewhat of a Period of Flux

Depending on what a certain running back from Penn State (Silas Redd) decides about his college future, likely starting tailback Curtis McNeal will look to the oft injured and somewhat fumble-prone D.J. Morgan to back him up when he needs a blow.

If Redd does decide to venture west, then it could become a McNeal-Redd "two-headed monster," something that would make Kiffin and his offensive coaches very happy indeed.

Probable starting fullback Soma Vainuku will be pushed by true freshman Jahleel Pinner, although it is possible that Hunter Simmons will break fall camp as the initial back-up.

Meanwhile, if Matt Barkley ever takes a play off at quarterback, either Max Wittek or Cody Kessler will take the snaps, but exactly who of the two it is remains a year-and-a-half long mystery.

Receiving Corps Is Deep in Some Areas, Not so Much in Others

Usually, the wide receiver unit is a deep and talented group for the Trojans.

This year, it's one of two for USC, as a thin group of reserves still have the quality, if not the quantity.

Backing up the dynamic duo of receivers for the Trojans (Robert Woods and Marqise Lee), George Farmer, Jr. will try to match his incredible potential with some long sought after consistency.

The other two receivers in the mix are De'Von Flournoy and Victor Blackwell, two guys who have flown under the radar but who have a lot of talent as well.

Where USC is stacked however, is at tight end, where co-starters Xavier Grimble and Randall Telfer can count on quality rest minutes from star-in-the-making Junior Pomee and true freshman Jalen Cope-Fitzpatrick.

Offensive Line Depth Is Not the Worry It Once Was

What a difference a year makes.

Going into the 2011 season, the primary concern on the team was the state of the "big uglies" in the trenches.

Now, a year later, USC returns four of the five starters from a line that was surprisingly effective a year ago.

While the starters are set, exactly who backs them up remains a work in progress.

The returning reserves, Jeremy Galten, David Garness, Cyrus Hobbi, Gio DiPaolo, etc., will be pushed by the terrific group of true freshmen O-linemen, Max Tuerk, Jordan Simmons, Chad Wheeler and Zach Banner.

Special Teams Doesn't Have Too Many Special Needs

With a tip of the cap to special teams, it should be noted that many reserves are expected to play important roles on kick coverages, but exactly who those players are is still to be determined.

It also should be pointed out that while Craig McMahon is super sophomore kicker Andre Heidari's backup, fans of the program should pray for Heidari's continued health, which is not so much of an indictment of McMahon, but rather, a testimony to Heidari.

Last year's punter, Kyle Negrete, had a great 2011, but will be pushed this year by red-shirt freshman Kris Albarado.

But the one player who must stay healthy this year is true freshman long-snapper Peter McBride, because he really has no qualified backup.

Conclusion

As the Trojans continue to negotiate their way through the NCAA mandated scholarship reductions, some in the program and many of their fans have adopted a very brief yet powerful slogan:

With these simple five characters, those who follow the men of Troy are shouting their belief that USC's allowed 75 scholarship players are better than the 85 allowed to programs that the NCAA hasn't hammered.

To make this catch phrase true, USC will be relying on less players to count on when times get tough and starters need a rest for whatever reason.

This slideshow has offered a brief overview of some of those key reserves and identified who those players are that will be relied on when the chips are down.

For the Trojans to get where they want to go, they will have to count on these players and others to perform when needed.

Are the 75 Trojans better than others' 85?

Fans of the program better hope so.