University Southern California Trojans
2017 Fall Camp #17: Notes
August 18, 2017 | Football, USC Ripsit Blog, Features
The Trojans hit the field for a light practice in jerseys and helmets on Friday before Saturday's situational scrimmage at the Coliseum.
- USC head coach Clay Helton said he's looking forward to seeing his younger players play in a scrimmage situation, and wants them to get more comfortable playing in the Coliseum tomorrow.
- Helton also explained that he's keeping an eye on three position groups in particular during tomorrow's scrimmage: wide receivers, nose tackles and special teams.
- CB Jack Jones will take some reps on special teams as a punt and kickoff returner. Though he's still competing with CB Ajene Harris and WR Velus Jones Jr., he's confident in his ability to get the job done. "If I am back there, I feel like I'm going to be the best in college football to do it," Jones said.
- Jones and the rest of the secondary are perhaps the most vocally confident unit on the team. CB Iman Marshall said the DBs have "natural swagger" that shows on the field.
- Marshall says that confidence is key to a DB's success. "You have to have that mentality when you're on the field," he said. "You've always got to feel like you're the best, and I feel like I'm playing with the best in the backfield. I'm excited for what we've got coming up this next year, and I feel like we're going to show the world what we're about and what our secondary's about."
- The secondary will have to replace Adoree' Jackson, who became USC's first true CB to be drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft this year. Marshall, who said that Jackson allowed him to "grow and better [his] craft" over their two seasons together, will likely step into the No. 1 role.
- Helton said that in Jackson's absence, CB Isaiah Langley will likely see an increased role this season.
- On the other side of the ball, Helton acknowledged that Deontay Burnett, Jalen Greene and Steven Mitchell Jr. have been getting the majority of reps with the 1s, and that he's interested to see who will step into Michael Pittman Jr.'s shoes after the sophomore injured his ankle this week.
- Helton says he's looking for more consistency in the offensive skill positions, but is happy with the state of the team two weeks out from Game 1. "It's just another year of being in our culture and in our system and kids knowing what we expect from them," he said. "I really like where this team is at. We've got two more weeks of work before Game 1, but they're in a good place right now."
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