2019 Spring Practice #14: Notes

The Trojans held a spirited session on Thursday afternoon with plenty of back-and-forth competition between the offense and defense.

Freshman DE Drake Jackson was released to the media for the first time today after making the play of the day in Saturday's Spring Showcase. Defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast called Jackson's one-handed pick-six after blowing up a screen "spectacular." For the teenager, it was just practice paying off. "I just kind of put it out there and looked it in," he said. "I always, when I'm by myself, I'm always practicing one-handed catches."

Long before the play, Jackson had opened the eyes of anyone watching the early enrollee practice. He is drawing lofty comparisons only a few weeks into his USC career. "He's been physical in the running game, and he shows the ability to transition and rush against tackles in the passing game," Pendergast said. "He reminds me a lot of Cam Jordan, who I coached at Cal, and Leonard Williams, who we had here. He's a very similar athlete to those guys at that age."

The coaches paired Jackson up with rising sophomore Palaie Gaoteote as roommates. Jackson described the linebacker as "a serious guy," saying, "They put me in a room with him because he's a dominant player, so he taught me the playbook."

Halfway through last season, Gaoteote walked into Pendergast's office and said, "I want to be the best linebacker that ever played at USC." That made an impression on the defensive coordinator. "You've got to love his heart and what he brings to the table," Pendergast said. "He wants to do anything he can to help us win."

To help the Trojans win this season, Gaoteote is moving from the middle linebacker spot to the weak side, which is where he played against Notre Dame last November. "He's better suited in the position where he's at now behind the 3 technique where he can keep him covered up and let him run and hit," Pendergast said.

Running and hitting has never been a problem for Gaoteote who became a fan favorite as a freshman for his physical style. He is still "adjusting to the new position," but he's enjoying the role. "It's much simpler," Gaoteote said. "There's definitely a lot of thinking taken out on my part. It allows me and the other guys to play fast."

Gaoteote wants all the linebackers to set a physical tone, especially in the run game. "Get to the point where we establish that we're the hitters. As a unit, we are all doing that pretty well."

Hunter Echols has been another bright spot defensively this spring for the Trojans. "He's done a nice job setting the edge in the running game, and he's explosive versus the pass," Pendergast said. "He's really grown up, so to speak, on the practice field and in the weight room. I've seen a real change in his demeanor and how he's playing."

The Trojans have one more practice this spring. Come on out to Howard Jones Field on Saturday at 10 a.m. to watch it.

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