USC football’s fall training camp began Friday, and although it may have felt like a party with the blaring music, the Trojan football team was all business. Practice continued into Saturday with a multitude of storylines, but the receivers have had a particular spotlight on them.
After star receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown departed for the NFL along with Tyler Vaughns, who is also known for his deep-ball ability, there were already questions about who might be USC’s next big-play receiver. Things became even more uncertain when redshirt sophomore Bru McCoy was arrested for intimate partner violence with injury in July and suspended indefinitely from team activities.
While junior Drake London is an obvious star for the team and expected to be one of the top receivers in the nation, there’s another receiver to look out for who should be making even more noise than the loudspeakers at Howard Jones Field. This receiver may have only secured seven receptions for 51 yards across four appearances as a freshman last year, but this season he’s primed for a breakout year.
That receiver is sophomore Gary Bryant Jr., who connected on some deep balls with junior quarterback Kedon Slovis during 7-on-7 drills Saturday. Bryant spoke with reporters after practice about his deep ball connection with Slovis.
“The connection for the spring was kind of new,” said Bryant, who added that Slovis has become a more vocal leader since last season. “[I] just try to go in there with my head down and [compete for] every ball. So we’re still working on it. Obviously we had a little success today, so that’s good to see, and I hope we keep building on that.”
Bryant was also a speed demon on the punt return as the team focused on special teams for a portion of Saturday’s practice.
Another receiver who has excelled at both catching and punt returning is Los Angeles Rams receiver DeSean Jackson. Bryant mentioned that he’s often heard himself compared to Jackson and tries to emulate his playmaking ability on returns.
“I want to be dynamic on kickoff returns [and] punt returns,” Bryant said. “Whenever I’ve got the ball in my hand, I want to make a play.”
Head coach Clay Helton discussed the versatility of this season’s receiving corps and how USC’s bigger tight ends are able to impact the passing game.
“What really stuck out to me was how we kind of invested in some of the bigger bodies,” Helton said. “You see a Malcolm Epps out here, a Michael Trigg … Jude Wolf being back out here [who] wasn’t out here in spring … Erik Krommenhoek, Lake McRee. Those body types are going to come into play.”
Between their size and star power, this group of receivers will be a threat among the nation’s best, but Bryant may take the biggest leap of all with his big play ability.