It may seem hard to believe, but USC’s 2021 football season opener is just 15 days away. There are just two days remaining in fall camp, and while the Trojans’ roster continues to take shape with each practice, the team announced the composition of another key group on Thursday: the 2021 captains.
Those are junior wide receiver Drake London, redshirt senior safety Isaiah Pola-Mao, redshirt senior running back Vavae Malepeai and redshirt junior punter Ben Griffiths.
Griffiths is perhaps the most unique member of that group: He’s the first USC specialist to be named a captain since kicker Adam Abrams in 1998, per Ryan Kartje of the Los Angeles Times.
“Rightfully so,” Malepeai said of Griffiths earning the rare distinction. “You’ve seen it since the moment he stepped in the building. Being an older dude, he really did a great job of taking the younger cats in and really showing them the way. Not just telling them ‘this is how it’s done,’ but showing them and leading by example.”
It’s not as if Griffiths’ leadership isn’t supplemented by on-field success. The Australian punter, who came to USC following a career in Australian rules football, earned the starting job as a redshirt freshman in 2019. He followed that up with a strong 2020, in which he earned AP All-Pac-12 First Team recognition and an All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention from the conference. Those efforts landed him on the watch list for the 2021 Ray Guy Award, given annually to college football’s best punter.
USC’s captains are voted upon by the players, a process that Griffiths said makes the honor particularly humbling.
“The beauty of playing here is that we have so many leaders in the group,” Griffiths said. “When you’re looking at our squad as a whole, there’s so many core guys that make up what we’re about. To be voted just one of the four, as many leaders as we have, is a real honor.”
Joining Griffiths as one of the nation’s best players at his respective position is Pola-Mao — and this season was no guarantee for the safety. He had the option to forgo his senior year for the NFL Draft, ultimately deciding to return, providing some stability to a unit that lost Talanoa Hufanga to the league.
Pola-Mao is the lone defensive representative among USC’s four captains.
“Even though I’m the only defensive captain, there’s still other guys on the defensive side that can still speak up and lead with me,” Pola-Mao said. “Nothing’s different. I just happened to be picked. I’m blessed and honored to be that guy, but at the end of the day, we’re all a part of this.”
Malepeai said that Taylor Mays, a Trojan safety from 2006-09, recently addressed the team about earning respect, and for his part, Malepeai has certainly done that throughout his first four seasons at USC.
As he enters his fifth, the veteran running back said the recognition from his peers in naming him a captain is especially significant, also praising his teammates for helping keep him accountable and making his role that much easier.
London cited Malepeai’s tenure at USC when speaking on his leadership in the offense.
“Vae means everything to us,” London said. “That’s my brother right there.”
Malepeai also returned the praise to London, USC’s top receiving option for the 2021 season and a potential candidate for the Biletnikoff Award. London is perhaps the most anticipated player on USC’s offense; NFL Draft analyst Todd McShay listed London as the No. 25 draft prospect entering the 2021 season.
London hauled in a team-high 502 yards on 33 receptions last season and will see his role expand even further following Amon-Ra St. Brown and Tyler Vaughns’ departures.
“I’ve kinda just seen his work ethic remain the same. That’s something that’s never changed about him,” Malepeai said. “From the moment he stepped in here, he was a worker. Captain or not, he was the same guy every day. If you just look at his progression and how he’s grown as not just a football player but as a person outside, it’s amazing, and I’m honored to be a part of his journey.”
Perhaps the greatest surprise when USC’s captains were announced was one not of inclusion, but rather of omission. Junior quarterback Kedon Slovis is the only returning 2020 captain who won’t retain that role in 2021. (The other two captains last year, alongside Slovis and Pola-Mao, were St. Brown and offensive tackle Alijah Vera-Tucker, who were since drafted into the NFL.)
Helton said that more than just the four selected captains received multiple votes.
“One of the things I was amazed with this time around in the players’ voting was how many leaders there were up top,” Helton said. “It was really cool. But these four were at the very, very top.”