- Injury report per head coach Clay Helton: S Marvell Tell III (hamstring), S Chris Hawkins (close to being back), S Matt Lopes (close to being back), S John Plattenburg (concussion protocol), OLB Jordan Iosefa (ankle), OT Chad Wheeler (plantar fasciitis)
- WR JuJu Smith-Schuster (pictured) is one player who's been fighting through injuries lately. The Biletnikoff Award hopeful dislocated his pinkie in Monday's practice while already dealing with a toe, but is feeling better about both. "My pinkie being dislocated isn't as bad as I thought it would be," Smith-Schuster said, adding that he's figured out his toe issue: "It was the cleat. My feet are too wide, so I have to find wider cleats."
- Smith-Schuster explained that he doesn't have the time to sit out for injuries. "If you feel sick and you take time off work, you've got to be able to provide for your family," he said. "I feel like if I take time off work then I'm not here putting in the same work as my team because everybody is working just as hard. That means you can't have food and a house for your family."
- The wideout also stressed that the uncertainty at quarterback doesn't affect his day-to-day and that he's thankful to have such a deep and talented receiving corps to give him some rest at practice.
- Helton reiterated his plan to release a depth chart by Aug. 20, but noted that he'd like to see improvements in both QBs before naming a starter. "Watching the film of the quarterbacks, I thought both guys need to get better with the assignment parts," Helton said. "We missed some opportunities that were out there for big plays. It was not one. It was both."
- Despite Helton's critiques, Smith-Schuster named QBs Max Browne and Sam Darnold and DB-RET Adoree' Jackson as the players he sees as team leaders through one week of Fall Camp.
- RB Justin Davis, entering his final year at Troy, says he feels the need to be a leader now more than ever "because our team is much younger than it was in the past." Davis wants to "lead by example, so they know the 'Trojan Way.'"
- Sophomore RB Aca'Cedric Ware is one young player whom Davis is mentoring. He called the Texas import "a tough, gritty running back." And added, "He's going to hit you in the mouth. Ced really gets in your face and that's an element that could help out our team a whole lot." Ware hails from DeSoto, Tex., about half an hour from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, where USC will face Alabama in Game 1.
- Davis has had his eye on Alabama since last season ended. "Every day it's getting closer," he said. "I just keep looking at that date because that date is definitely circled on my calendar."
- Helton noted that "Alabama does a lot of similar things that we do on offense. Knowing Coach [Lane] Kiffin and being around him, that inside zone running, that power football, gap schemes, it's a lot of the things that we do also."
- Here's the full Helton press conference:
