The Trojans continued the momentum from Tuesday and had a spirited Thursday practice.
- TE Xavier Grimble will miss the remainder of spring ball. Grimble suffered a chest fracture. The status of Marqise Lee remains day-to-day. RB D.J. Morgan injured his knee towards the end of practice.
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WR George Farmer caught a long pass from QB Max Browne. Farmer, who has previously been plagued with injuries, has been able to remain healthy during spring ball. "George has stayed healthy for the most part. He is doing well and making plays," said head coach Lane Kiffin. "We need George to make the hard plays down the field, go up and get the ball, take it away and be physical. We know how fast he is and we know he can run by people but you got to make those plays. He's doing that." - The addition of Mike Summers (pictured right by John McGillen) has been an easy adjustment for the Trojan offensive line. "I think Mike [Summers] has really captured the group really well. I think that him and James [Cregg] balance off each other. They come from two different systems," Kiffin said. "It has worked out exactly like we hoped. We have two guys watching the most important group on the team because five play every snap."
- Though the Trojans are only halfway through spring practices, Summers sees great improvement already with the offensive line. "This position on every football team is filled with guys that are pleasers and that are concerned about the team. They have a selfless attitude," Summers said. "This group of guys are good people. In every coaching situation, once we have been able to develop trust and strengthen our relationship with each other then the production goes up on the field. We are still in that process but I see a lot of good signs right now."
- Without former defensive leaders like T.J. McDonald and Nickell Robey, linebacker Hayes Pullard has asserted himself into that leadership role. "Hayes definitely has [stepped up as a leader]. I think that started to happen in the bowl practices," Kiffin said. "He made a decision that this was going to be his defense and he became more vocal. You could see him taking over and that is when he moved to Mike also."
- Pullard credits his spring ball success to the coaching style of new linebackers coach Mike Ekeler. "Coach Ekeler has really been helping me out on my footwork, staying low, playing fundamentally sound and not just going off of raw talent," Pullard said. "I feel good but I still have a lot of room to improve in trying to be a peak performer."
- Here is Kiffin after practice...
