2019 Mock Game Thursday: Notes

The Trojans capped off another physical week of practice as they continue to prepare for Fresno State on August 31.

USC head coach Clay Helton commended the team for its competitiveness at practice this week. "It's been as good a Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday as I've seen," Helton said. "They're going 1,000 miles an hour all day."

Helton explained that this week has been especially productive because the players finished summer school and haven't yet started the fall semester. With no classes, the student-athletes have been able to catch up on sleep and spend more time in the weight room and meeting rooms.

After naming JT Daniels the starting quarterback for USC's game vs. Fresno State, Helton reiterated how thankful he was to witness such an impressive competition. He likened the situation to one his father went through while he was the offensive coordinator at Miami from 1979-82. "He remembers a time when he had Jim Kelly, Vinny Testaverde and Bernie Kosar in the same room," Helton said. "[My father told me], 'It's hard when you've got really good players and you've got to tell them, 'You're in this position. This is your role right now.'"

Now that the QB depth chart is solidified, Helton has modified the reps in practice. All four quarterbacks take reps during individual drills, and the top three on the depth chart participate during team segments. Helton explained that during a 20-play team segment, Daniels will get about 12 of the reps.

Three running backs — Vavae Malepeai, Stephen Carr and Markese Stepp — are taking the majority of reps at practice. "We've got a pretty good stable right now of very, very talented running backs," Helton said. "The one thing that you learn in this game, especially in college when there's a possibility of playing 15 games, you better have three or more backs, because they're going to get dinged."

Helton expects to rotate players at the cornerback position during the season opener. "Because they're so young, I don't know if any guy is ready for 80 plays right off the bat," he explained. "We do plan on playing multiple corners in that first game and letting kids get a feel for game action."

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