JT Daniels, New Air Raid Offense Highlight USC's 2019 Spring Showcase

The USC quarterback battle took center stage Saturday in the Trojans' spring showcase at Cromwell Field in Los Angeles as incumbent starter JT Daniels attempts to hold off competition from Jack Sears, Matt Fink and Kedon Slovis ahead of the 2019 season.

USC hired former Texas Tech and NFL quarterback Graham Harrell in January to become its new offensive coordinator under head coach Clay Helton, who enters the year on the hot seat after the Trojans posted a 5-7 record in 2018.

Sears said when spring ball began in March he was expecting a true competition for the quarterback job within Harrell's Air Raid system.

"I sure hope so. We're going to see how that plays out, but I really hope it is. They've sat down with everybody, and they've talked to us, and they've explained it to us, but that's a little bit above my pay grade. That's for the big guy over there," he told reporters, referring to Helton.

Unlike most programs, USC holds more of a glorified practice to close out spring ball as opposed to a true spring game. It's tougher to make a snap evaluation of progress—at all positions, not just quarterback—with the lack of a game-like structure.

The Trojans opted to feature some seven-on-seven work during the session, which was partly necessitated by a lack of available offensive linemen.

As a whole, the USC quarterbacks played well Saturday. Sears was picked off by true freshman Drake Jackson, but that was more of a terrific read by the defensive end than a poor read by the QB.

Jackson's pick-six was the play of the day:

Here's a look at some other highlights from the showcase:

All told, USC isn't viewed as a top championship contender heading into 2019, but it's still on the fringe of the conversation. The Trojans own 100-1 national title odds, which is tied for the 20th-best preseason line in the country, per Vegas Insider.

USC kicks off the regular season with a home game Aug. 31 against the Fresno State Bulldogs at the Memorial Coliseum.