USC Football: Depth Chart Analysis, Complete 2015 Preview and Predictions

It's fair to say that every college football team anxiously awaits the start of the 2015 season, but USC might be a little more eager than others to get to the games themselves—if only because it will turn the focus toward the on-field action rather than what's happening outside the lines.

The Trojans enter this fall with high expectations, both internal and in the form of high rankings in the polls—USC is eighth in the preseason Associated Press media poll and 10th in the Amway Coaches Poll. And the Pac-12 media picked them to win the conference title.

Yet that also brings extra scrutiny, something that's already high being in a major media market such as Los Angeles.

This came to a head on Saturday night when coach Steve Sarkisian was pulled off the stage during a speech at the school's Salute to Troy event after appearing intoxicated. He said Tuesday that the incident was the result of mixing alcohol and medication and that he will seek treatment for his alcohol use, per Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times.

With the core of a team that went 9-4 last season back for another year, USC has the pieces in place to contend for a national title for the first time since losing to Texas in the 2006 championship game.

Below is our in-depth look at the Trojans heading into the 2015 campaign:

Coaches

Name	Title	Year With Team
Steve Sarkisian	Head Coach	2nd
Clay Helton	Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach	6th
Justin Wilcox	Defensive Coordinator	2nd
Bob Connelly	Offensive Line Coach/Run Game Coordinator	1st
Keith Heyward	Defensive Backs Coach/Defensive Pass Game Coordinator	2nd
Tee Martin	Wide Receivers Coach/Pass Game Coordinator	4th
Johnny Nansen	Running Backs Coach/Special Teams Coordinator/Assistant Head Coach	2nd
Peter Sirmon	Linebackers Coach/Recruiting Coordinator/Associate Head Coach (Defense)	2nd
Marques Tuiasosopo	Tight Ends Coach/Associate Head Coach (Offense)	2nd
Chris Wilson	Defensive Line Coach	2nd
Ivan Lewis	Strength and Conditioning Coordinator	2nd

USC's staff is still on the new side from an overall standpoint, as Sarkisian overhauled the roster with his own people when he took over the program in December 2013. Only offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Clay Helton and receivers coach/passing game coordinator Tee Martin remain from the previous regime, but that makes sense since the Trojans have been a pro-style team since the Pete Carroll days and continue to operate the same offense under Sarkisian.

The only staff change for 2015 was the hiring of Bob Connelly to coach the offensive line and coordinate USC's ground game. Connelly—who replaces Tim Drevno, now offensive coordinator and line coach at Michigan—spent last season coaching Oklahoma State's line, and he has previous stops at Arizona State, UTEP, UCLA, Alabama, Washington State and San Jose State.

Sarkisian, defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox, assistants Keith Heyward, Johnny Nansen, Peter Sirmon and Marques Tuisasosopo and strength coach Ivan Lewis have all been together since Sarkisian's tenure as Washington head coach. Their collective familiarity should be a major bonus for USC this season.

What to watch for on offense

Position	1st String	2nd String	3rd String
Quarterback	Cody Kessler	Max Browne	Sam Darnold
Tailback	Justin Davis	Tre Madden	Dominic Davis
Fullback	Soma Vainuku	Jahleel Pinner	N/A
Slot	Steven Mitchell	Adoree Jackson	Jalen Greene
Flanker	Darreus Rogers	Isaac Whitney	Robby Kolanz
Split End	JuJu Smith	De'Quan Hampton	George Katrib
Tight End	Connor Spears	Taylor McNamara	Tyler Petite
Left Tackle	Toa Lobendahn	Chad Wheeler	Roy Hemsley
Left Guard	Damien Mama	Nico Falah	Erick Jepsen
Center	Max Tuerk	Cole Rodgers	Cole Smith
Right Guard	Viane Talamaivao	Chris Brown	Jordan Austin
Right Tackle	Zach Banner	Chuma Edoga	Clayton Johnson

With eight returning starters, expect USC to look and operate very much the same as it did in 2014 when that unit averaged 457.5 yards and 35.8 points per game. And as long as Cody Kessler is at quarterback, the Trojans can expect to be one of the most efficient teams in the country.

Last year Kessler completed 69.7 percent of his passes for 3,826 yards and 39 touchdowns, with just five interceptions on 452 attempts.

The fifth-year senior is the latest in a string of prolific passers for USC, dating back to Heisman winners Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart in the early 2000s, and he also finds himself in Heisman contention with 12-to-1 odds according to OddsShark.com. However, last year he was only an honorable mention on the Pac-12's all-conference team because of Oregon's Marcus Mariota and UCLA's Brett Hundley.

The Trojans did lose their top running back (Javorius Allen) and No. 1 receiver (Nelson Agholor), but neither position is thin in terms of available talent. JuJu Smith had a strong season as a true freshman, catching 54 passes for 724 yards and five TDs, and appears ready to take over as Kessler's top target, while Adoree' Jackson will see time at receiver in addition to his duties on defense and in the return game.

Lenny Ignelzi/Associated Press

The running back situation isn't as clear, as either junior Justin Davis or senior Tre Madden will serve as the starter. Davis ran for 595 yards and five TDs as Allen's main backup last year, while Madden missed all of 2014 with a toe injury. True freshmen Dominic Davis and Ronald Jones, part of USC's second-ranked 2015 recruiting class, are also likely to see action early and often this fall.

USC returns its entire starting offensive line from a year ago, a group that was very young in 2014 with three freshmen but now is considered mature and experienced after holding up well together. The line is anchored by senior center Max Tuerk, who has also played guard and tackle in his Trojans career.

The only major question mark for USC's offense is at tight end, where the graduation of Randall Telfer, Bryce Dixon's dismissal and a second straight season with junior Jalen Cope-Fitzpatrick sitting out to focus on academics means it could end up starting walk-on Connor Spears. Another candidate is Taylor McNamara, a graduate transfer from Oklahoma who has one career reception.

Dixon, who caught four TD passes as a freshman last year, was expelled from USC in May for violating the school's sexual conduct policy but reinstated in early August. He hoped to return to the Trojans for 2015 but on Monday a Los Angeles Superior Court judge denied his request to hold the school in contempt for keeping him off the team, per Scott Wolf of the Los Angeles Daily News.

What to watch for on defense

Position	1st String	2nd String	3rd String
Nose Tackle	Antwaun Woods	Cody Temple	Jordan Simmons
Defensive Tackle	Delvon Simmons	Kenny Bigelow	Noah Jefferson
Defensive End	Claude Pelon	Greg Townsend	Malik Dorton
Rush End	Scott Felix	Porter Gustin	Jabari Ruffin
Sam Linebacker	Su'a Cravens	Quinton Powell	Uchenna Nwosu
Mike Linebacker	Lamar Dawson	Cameron Smith	Michael Hutchings
Will Linebacker	Anthony Sarao	Olajuwon Tucker	Osa Masina
Strong Safety	John Plattenburg	Leon McQuay III	Ykili Ross
Free Safety	Chris Hawkins	Marvell Tell	Matt Lopes
Cornerback	Adoree' Jackson	Jonathan Lockett	Isaiah Langley
Cornerback	Kevon Seymour	Iman Marshall	Jalen Jones

USC ranked 78th in total defense last year, giving up 407.9 yards per game, but on a game-by-game basis the results were all over the place. The Trojans held Stanford to 10 points on the road, then a week later allowed Boston College to rush for 452 yards in an upset loss. Strong performances against Arizona State and Arizona's ground games were offset by lackluster pass defense, which enabled the Sun Devils to score three touchdowns in the final four minutes including on a horribly defended Hail Mary pass in another befuddling defeat.

Explosive defensive lineman Leonard Williams is no longer in the trenches for the Trojans, having turned pro after his junior year and going sixth overall to the New York Jets in the 2015 NFL draft. He is one of four starters that USC has to replace, along with leading tackler Hayes Pullard at linebacker and safety Gerald Bowman.

But USC still has its best all-around defender to lean on in junior Su'a Cravens. The former safety has made the full transition to outside linebacker, and last season he had team highs in tackles for loss (17) and interceptions (three). A potential high draft pick if he decides to leave school after this season, Cravens is instead focused on becoming more of a leader than what his pro future holds.

"I'm taking on the leadership by not focusing on just my game, but also on those around me, especially the young ones," Cravens said last month at Pac-12 Media Days in Burbank, California (h/t Julian Lopez of SB Nation). "Last year we were a young defense. This year, we are big on finishing, so when we get to the fourth quarter, we have to finish."

Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

The Trojans defensive line will miss Williams' dynamic play, but senior tackles Delvon Simmons and Antwaun Woods are a strong core to build around while several veterans are ready to step in at the end positions.

USC's secondary has been boosted by newcomers, including 5-star cornerback Iman Marshall and 4-star safety Marvell Tell, to go with established starters in corners Adoree' Jackson and Kevon Seymour and safety John Plattenburg. Depth on the back line will make it possible for Jackson to spend more time on offense.

What to watch for on special teams

Position	1st String	2nd String	3rd String
Punter	Kris Albarado	Reed Budrovich	N/A
Kicker	Matthew Boermeester	Alex Wood	Wyatt Schmidt
Holder	Conner Sullivan	Cody Kessler	N/A
Long Snapper	Zach Smith	Nick Schlossberg	N/A
Punt Returner	Adoree' Jackson	Darreus Rogers	Steven Mitchell
Kickoff Returner	Adoree' Jackson	JuJu Smith	Justin Davis

Sophomore Matthew Boermeester and junior walk-on Alex Wood are battling to replace longtime kicker Andre Heidari, who handled USC's field-goal and point-after duties from 2011 to 2014. He finished his career with 49 field goals and is the Pac-12's all-time leader in extra points with 187.

Punter Kris Albarado averaged 41.4 yards per attempt last season, up from 37.9 as a sophomore in 2013, and is set to handle that job for a third straight year.

Adoree' Jackson will be the main return man on both punts and kickoffs, after handling mostly kickoffs in 2014. He ranked fifth in FBS with a 29.7 average on kick returns, with two TDs. 

Injury news

Player	Injury	Expected Return Date
Claude Pelon	Knee	September

USC has been fortunate to this point in that it hasn't suffered any significant injuries during training camp that will result in players missing extended time. Several key contributors have had minor bumps and bruises along the way, including running back Justin Davis (ribs), linebacker Lamar Dawson (ribs), safety Ykili Ross (shoulder) and offensive tackle Chad Wheeler (knee/head), but they're all expected to be available for the Trojans season opener.

The only notable player unlikely to be ready to go on Sept. 5 is senior defensive end Claude Pelon, who sprained a knee on Aug. 19 and underwent surgery. 

X-factor

USC is one of the more straightforward teams in the country in terms of its scheme—as close to a pro-style gameplan on both sides of the ball as any program around. The exception would be Adoree' Jackson, the multi-way threat who figures to be used all over this fall after showing what he was capable of last season.

The 5'11", 185-pounder started 10 games at cornerback, once at wide receiver—starting both ways against Notre Dame—and handling most of the Trojans kickoffs. He finished the year with five TDs, three via the pass and two on kickoff returns, while also registering 49 tackles and four tackles for loss.

According to Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times, Jackson also apparently made a field goal during a practice this month, adding to his growing legend. 

Though his primary responsibility will be to cover some of the best wide receivers in the Pac-12, Jackson figures to get even more looks on offense than a year ago while remaining one of the most dangerous return threats in the country.

2015 schedule

Date	Opponent	Location
Sept. 5	Arkansas	Los Angeles
Sept. 12	Idaho	Los Angeles
Sept. 19	Stanford	Los Angeles
Sept. 26	Arizona State	Tempe, Arizona
Oct. 8	Washington	Los Angeles
Oct. 17	Notre Dame	South Bend, Indiana
Oct. 24	Utah	Los Angeles
Oct. 31	California	Berkeley, California
Nov. 7	Arizona	Los Angeles
Nov. 13	Colorado	Boulder, Colorado
Nov. 21	Oregon	Eugene, Oregon
Nov. 28	UCLA	Los Angeles (home)

USC gets the benefit of playing its first three games at home, but Sun Belt schools Arkansas State and Idaho don't figure to provide enough competition to have it battle-tested for the Sept. 19 conference opener against Stanford. A win in Palo Alto last year during Week 2 was supposed to be an early momentum-builder, but a week later the Trojans laid a stinker at Boston College to set the tone for an up-and-down season.

The first road game of 2015 will be a major challenge in that Arizona State is loaded on offense and defense and has the confidence that came from last year's comeback win in Los Angeles to feed off of. That outcome will either send USC into its lone bye week riding a high or looking to regroup.

The remaining schedule sets up as very winnable at home through October and early November but rigorous on the road. Visits to Notre Dame on Oct. 17 and a Halloween trip to California are both potential pitfalls, as is the Nov. 21 game at Oregon which could serve as a preview of the Pac-12 title game two weeks later in Santa Clara, California.

The Trojans end with the annual crosstown clash against UCLA, this time at the Los Angeles Coliseum. The Bruins have won three straight in the series for the first time since a streak of eight consecutive wins from 1991 to 1998, and this meeting could determine the South Division crown.

Prediction

There's no question the talent is there for USC to have a big year, which is why it's ranked so high and the division and conference predictions favor the Trojans. But the 2014 team was the same way, and it stumbled far too often to be considered a legitimate contender. That brought back talk of coach Steve Sarkisian's reputation for not being able to win big games.

Sarkisian went 35-29 in his five years at Washington, peaking at nine wins in his final season with a team that had three eventual first- or second-round NFL draft picks on defense. He's got even more talent with USC, but last season's results didn't match what the Trojans were capable of.

The coach's recent alcohol-fueled incident has suddenly added more concern over whether he was the right pick to take over the program following the Lane Kiffin/Ed Orgeron-led 2013 season, but ultimately he'll be judged on the wins and losses starting with those that occur this fall.

The veteran presence of Cody Kessler on offense and Su'a Cravens on defense will keep USC from slipping in most games, but the schedule is too daunting to expect perfection. Assuming the Trojans lose a few times, who those setbacks are to and when they happen will determine if they can land a playoff bid.

Overall record: 10-2

Conference record: 6-2

All recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports. All statistics provided by CFBStats.com.

Follow Brian J. Pedersen on Twitter at @realBJP.