Peek into the Future: USC Football in 2010 (Defense And Special Teams)

When we last peered into our crystal ball, we found that the Trojan offense, despite losing several key players, still had a lot to look forward to in 2010.

The Trojan defense, so young in 2009, will be seasoned in 2010. Those new linebackers, replacing the triumvirate that took their game to the NFL and a question mark in 2009, will enter 2010 as a strength.

While some units will take a hit, there are young studs just itching to take their place and build a new legacy of Trojan prowess on the defensive side of the ball.

Before we look at personnel, we need to clarify some schematic defensive philosophy that Carroll and Trojans employ.

Without going into detail, one of the elements of defensive philosophy that makes Pete Carroll so effective is his ability to match his talent with his defensive sets.

Pete Carroll has been known to employ a 3-4 (two tackles and a nose guard with four linebackers), a 4-3 (two tackles, two defensive ends with three linebackers), a 4-2-5 nickel package (primarily a third down obvious passing situation) and even a hybrid formation known as “elephant,” where the defensive ends will “stand up” and shift back and forth to take advantage of match ups.

It is Carroll and his staffs ability to find these favorable match ups and exploit them, that makes a Pete Carroll defense so hard to manage for opponents and it is for this reason that Pete and his staff will be salivating going into 2010.

Now lets take a look at the Trojan defense and special teams and see why Pete Carroll and his defensive staff will be all smiles when the 2010 season opens.

Defensive Line:

Speaking of match ups, the defensive line, inexperienced in 2009, will have a year under its belt in 2010.

Armond Armstead, the 6’5”, 290 pound sophomore who came into 2009 as strictly a tackle, wowed the defensive staff with his athleticism and was moved to defensive end to take advantage of his speed. Armstead will see time at both positions and will be an anchor in 2010.

Jurrel Casey, 6’1” and 280 pounds, built in the mold of Mike Patterson, was the 2008 scout team player of the year. That means Casey has put in the work that Carroll loves and his reward is that he will see plenty of time at both nose guard and tackle. Casey is a sophomore, so he too returns.

DaJohn Harris, another massive (6’4”, 295 lbs.) redshirt sophomore, is extremely talented and can play either the nose guard or tackle positions. He will be utilized at both and will see a lot of playing time, especially in 2010.

Christian Tupou, a 6’2”, 285 pound nose guard/tackle who played a lot in 2008, will play even more in 2009 and will be counted on in 2010 when he comes back as a senior. Tupou has a motor that never quits and his coaches love him for that.

Also due in the fall is Hebron Fangupo, a massive 6'2, 330 lb behemoth, who will clog the middle, especially when the Trojans are in their 3-4 set. 

Fangupo, a JC transfer, is one of those special players that are good enough to warrant a scholarship offer from the Trojans, who rarely go the JC route. He will be a senior in 2010.

Derek Simmons, a 6’4”, 285 lb redshirt junior tackle should be back in 2010 and provides quality back up at either interior positions.

At defensive end, we start with Everson Griffin, the 265 pound stud whose freakish speed and athleticism has had Trojan fans drooling since he arrived as premier recruit from Arizona two years ago.

Now with the return of defensive line coach Jethro Franklin, Griffin seems to have focused on the job at hand.

He had a brilliant spring and drew raves from Pete Carroll. 2009 should be a break out year for Griffin, and if it is, he may not be back. If he does come back in 2010, he will be a senior.

As mentioned before, Armond Armstead will play a lot at defensive end.

However, the Trojans are grooming a trio of defensive ends for 2010 and they will see playing time in 2009 also.

Malik Jackson is a 6’5”, 245 pound speedster who just needs to add some bulk to become an extremely effective defensive end. With extra time in the weight room, Jackson will be a factor in 2010.

Wes Horton, a 6’5”, 255 pound redshirt freshmen is a beast and will be counted on in 2010.

Nick Perry, the 6’5”, 250 lb, redshirt freshmen from Michigan is supremely talented and will see plenty of action in 2010.

Devon Kennard, the number one ranked high school defensive end in 2009 and James Boyd, a multi talented sack artist, both are scheduled to arrive in the fall and they will both be studs for the Trojans in the future.

Linebackers:

This is a fascinating group. Young and talented, the linebacking corp will be one of the very best nationally in 2010.

Michael Morgan, a speedy 6’4”, 220 lb. redshirt junior, will be the senior member of the linebacking group that returns in 2010. Able to track down anything that gets behind the defensive line, Morgan will shine in 2009.

Chris Galippo, the 6’2”, 255 lb. beast that takes over for Rey Maualuga, is simply a load against the run. Quick and physical, Galippo punishes runners with joyful abandon. Galippo is a redshirt sophomore and will be back in 2010.

Malcolm Smith, younger brother of Steve, is a monster. 6’ 2", 225 lbs, fast and mean, Smith is extraordinarily athletic. A true junior, Malcolm Smith, in my opinion, is the most likely of those in this group who may leave early.

These guys will be the starters going into 2009. If Smith and Morgan return, this group has a chance to be truly special in 2010.

The backups are very good also, but in some cases, very young. Look for Pete Carroll to do some roster manipulation to accommodate depth.

Luthur Brown, a very talented linebacker when healthy, is a senior in 2009.

Marquis Simmons and Frankie Telfort, both 2009 recruits and very highly regarded, will be heard from soon. Telfort, though undersized, has been timed in a sub 4.4 forty.

Jarvis Jones, a 6’3”, 220 lb. linebacker recruit from Georgia has mega upside and will be enrolling in the fall.

The future looks very bright for this group. USC is also pursuing Ronald Powell, a top high school recruit and others.

Defensive Backfield:

Any talk of the defensive backfield has to start with Taylor Mays. The 6’2”, 235 lb, sub 4.3 forty freak of nature is a regular Saturday highlight film.

This year he will be featured closer to the line of scrimmage to showcase his run stuffing ability for his future projection as a NFL star.

Taylor Mays, however, is a senior and like his safety cohort Josh Pinkard, won’t be back.

Josh Pinkard, the extremely talented free safety, who has done it all for Pete Carroll, including playing a very effective corner, is coming back from yet another injury.

However, in spring practice, he was the second fastest player timed so hopes are high that his hard luck has ended.

Shareece Wright, a talented redshirt junior, is expected to start at one corner in 2009 and may be back in 2010.

Kevin Thomas, a 6’1” senior will man the other side and he too is a lockdown corner.

This unit is the one that will be hardest hit by graduation in 2009.

However, at the risk of sounding redundant, sympathy should not be afforded to the Trojans.

The back-ups, who will see a lot of playing time in 2009, are extremely talented in their own right.

T.J. Bryant is an extremely gifted cornerback who will be a redshirt sophomore this year. Bryant will start at one corner in 2010 and if anything should happen to either Wright or Thomas, he will be one of the first Carroll will tab as their replacement.

Omari Crittendon, a JC transfer from Modesto, is very talented and will see playing time both this year and next at cornerback.

Brian Bauchman, a redshirt freshman cornerback has impressed coaches with his athleticism and will push for playing time also in 2010.

Marshall Jones, who came to USC as a heralded safety, is now listed as a cornerback, which better suits him for playing at the next level. Jones will be seriously considered as a starter next year.

The backups at safety are an incredibly talented bunch, who, like almost every other position at USC, would be starting almost anywhere else.

Will Harris, who also can play cornerback, might very well end fall practice as the starter. Harris, a senior, is very athletic and will see plenty of playing time regardless of where it is at.

Drew McAllister played quite a bit last year and will seriously be considered next year.

Jawanzaa Starling is a very talented late signee from Florida who enrolled early and will get a long look, especially in 2010.

Byron Moore Jr., T.J. McDonald (son of former Trojan great Tim), Torin Harris and Patrick Hall are all top rated defensive backs or safeties who will be enrolled and available for fall practice. This group is outstanding.

While the defensive backfield will undergo major changes for 2010, the future is very bright for this group. Pete Carroll will have to focus on this unit as his most significant area of concern for 2010 but “concern” is a relative term when one considers the talent available.

Special Teams:

To some extent, the special teams will undergo significant changes in 2009, where both kicker David Buehler (The human touchback machine) and Greg Woidneck, last years punter must be replaced.

At kicker, Jordon Congdon, a senior, will be challenged by Joe Houston, a JC transfer and Jacob Harfman, another JC transfer, for the starting position. Both Houston and Harfman are the frontrunners, with Houston given a slight edge. Both Harfman and Houston will be back in 2010.

Matt Darr, a highly coveted punter/kicker, has given the Trojans a verbal commitment and will challenge at both positions in 2010. Darr is a very good athlete in the mold of David Buehler, something that Carroll loves in his kickers.

Billy O’Malley, a redshirt junior, and Boomer Roepke, a redshirt sophomore, will compete for the punting duties with Roepke the favorite going into the fall. However, Darr will be the favorite to claim the job in 2010 unless Roepke or O’Malley really shines in 2009.

Cooper Stephenson will be the long snapper, with Chris Pousson as his backup. Both will be back in 2010.

Return duties in 2009 will be shared by Stafon Johnson (gone after 2009), Ronald Johnson (may be gone after 2009) and Joe McKnight (if he stops fumbling and if he doesn’t leave after 2009), so the return game will be in flux for 2010.

Leave it to Pete Carroll and his staff to cultivate a very capable return game from the bevy of talent he will have available in 2010.

Summary:

With the exception of the defensive backfield, the 2010 defense will be loaded. Even in the defensive backfield, USC will have a ton of talent for Pete Carroll and his coaches to choose from.

Look for Pete Carroll to give his safety and cornerback reserves a ton of playing time to prepare them for 2010.

2010 could be a year, similar to 2008, where USC’s defense could lead the nation in a variety of categories and be one of the very best overall units in the nation.

Although the loss of key starters such as Taylor Mays will hurt, the pain will be brief and prognosis for a full recovery is excellent.