As the USC Trojans enter their last week of practice before their much-anticipated 2023 season opener, Lincoln Riley and his squad are looking forward to their Saturday matchup against the San Jose State Spartans. With 72 returning players, including 2022 Heisman award-winning junior quarterback Caleb Williams, an impressive recruiting class and the entire returning full-time coaching staff, the expectations for the season are as high as the energy on the practice field.
“There is a lot of youth on the team, even with all these returners,” coach Lincoln Riley said. “There will be a lot of work to be done; we got some growing to do in the early games.”
The offensive team conducted multiple 2-minute offense drills, practicing advancing the ball down the field, while the defensive team, led by defensive coordinator Alex Grinch, worked on countering the routes and communicating. The special teams squad also saw some extensive action with an emphasis on field goals and kick returning.
The practice had a relaxed tone compared to the 85 degree Southern California heat and the business of the first week of classes, as it seems like the entire campus is gearing up and getting ready for the home-opener and the start of its farewell football season in the Pac-12. Not far away from where the team practiced, on Allyson Felix field, the Trojan marching band rehearsed around the same time, tuning up for Saturday.
The Trojans look to extend their home-opener win streak to 16 on Saturday. They are ranked No. 6 in the AP preseason poll, the highest they have been ranked to start a season since 2017, when they were ranked No. 4.
Although the official depth chart has been released, Riley said he welcomes some competition for minutes, especially on the defensive end.
“The defensive line looks and feels different…there’s a little more competition across the board, a bit of position battles,” he said. Our secondary team is deep, we have guys that have asserted themselves for their playing time like Tackett but we also have a handful of talented players that are eager to show their willingness to play.”
After a historical 2022 season where Riley led the Trojans to their biggest one-season victory turnaround ended in a heartbreaking loss to Tulane in the Cotton Bowl, the 39-year-old and his coaching staff had high expectations for both the returning players and the new additions, including 15 transfers.
“We obviously want to put the best 11 on the field,” Grinch said. “In order to feel confident, there’s only one way to get better, and that is practice and game reps.”
“For all the guys we bring in, we bring them in with high expectations,” Grinch said. “We want to know the ceiling on all the transfers because we have seen all their work on film. We have been very pleased with them from a consistency and competitiveness standpoint. They are strong and skilled, but again, we will get them some games.”
The transfers spoke about their excitement to represent the Trojans and play in the coliseum for the first time.
“We want to play today,” Mason Cobb, a senior linebacker and transfer from Oklahoma State, said. “Guys are excited; the energy is high; we practice hard everyday. We are going to play fast and aggressively without hesitation, and we know that’s what the fans like to see.”
“Playing in front of the home crowd will be different,” Jamil Muhammad, a redshirt senior transfer from Georgia State, said. “There is going to be a lot of new things happening this weekend, and I am excited.”
Senior defensive lineman Kyon Barrs, a transfer from Arizona, talked about the excitement felt among the players.
“This D-line is going after it all day every day,” Barrs said. “We are all on the same page to disrupt offenses and create problems for the opponents. We have been watching films. It’s game one at the Coliseum. We are all ready to go out there and showcase our energy and talent.”
Lincoln Riley also commented on the recent announcement to hire Jennifer Cohen, who spent the last seven years as the athletic director at Washington, as the new Director of Athletics.
“We shared a lot of the same perspectives,” Riley said. “This is an elite job. We are positioned to get to our very best. I think she will do extremely well. We are fired up.”
The Trojans will face San Jose State Saturday with kickoff at 5 p.m. PST.