USC Releases Post-Spring Depth Chart, Barkley to Remain Starter

Ok, ok, there wasn’t a lot of high drama with the annual release of USC’s post-spring depth chart this season. Unlike Bob Maplethorpe in Wes Anderson’s “Bottlerocket” There’s not a real air of mystery about the 2012 Trojans. USC is a projected a preseason top 5 team for a very simple reason: The 10-2 2011 team that finished #6 AP, is returning 9 starters on both sides of the ball.

There was not a significant battle for any starting slot at any position (except maybe fullback) that touches the football. With the skill positions all stitched-up a year ago or more by possible All-Americans like Matt Barkley, Robert Woods and Marquise Lee, spring ball didn’t offer much for high drama this season. We know what the Trojans are going to look like this season (and it will probably be pretty awesome).

But graduation and this month’s NFL Draft won’t leave the 2012 Trojans completely unscathed. Left Tackle Matt Kalil is expected to be the first non-quarterback selected in the draft this month, and his early departure will leave a huge void at a critical position.

Defensive end Nick Perry is also departing early for the NFL and is expected to be selected in the first round and looks to already be a better than average NFL level pass-rusher.  The Trojans also lost the leadership of two starting captains (FB/TE) Rhett Ellison and (DT) Christian Tupou who are also good enough to play on Sundays.

For the Trojans, spring practice this year was mostly about 1)staying healthy and 2) finding replacements for those four stalwarts.

As for replacing Kalil, prior to spring practice, the coaching staff seemed to be leaning toward moving Jr. Kevin Graff, to the LT from the RT spot he started in all last season.  But by the end of spring practice, true Sophomore Aundrey Walker had wowed the staff and earned the #1 spot at Left Tackle going into Summer Camp. Walker played primarily on Special Teams last year, but looked excellent at left  tackle playing with the 1st team at the Coliseum on Saturday’s scrimmage. Aundrey is the biggest player on USC’s squad at 6-6 320, but moves shockingly well for a man that size.

It would certainly be a boon to USC’s program to be able to get solid play at the most important position on the O-line from such a young player. If Walker produces at LT,  that would both allow the Trojan coaches to have  a critical position locked-down for two or three years, and allow Graff to remain at the RT position where he excelled last season.

On the defensive side of the ball, Nick Perry’s presence will be missed, but USC is hardly lacking for pass rushing. Devon Kennard (5 starts) and Wes Horton (7 starts) split time starting opposite Nick Perry last year and both wreaked their share of havoc in opposing backfields. It’s hard to see how USC could improve at that position after losing an incredible talent like Perry, but if USC’s defense has a problem next season it will not be a lack of edge pass-rushing.

The biggest change for the Trojans this year will be in the middle of the D-line where USC will have two new starting Tackles: George Uko and JR Tavai. Uko is a redshirt Sophomore from Chino who played in all twelve games for USC last season, usually to provide extra pass rushing from the Tackle position on 3rd downs. He recorded had three tackles each in games against Oregon and UCLA and forced a fumble in each.

Tavai is a true Sophomore from Redondo Beach where he was All-CIF his Sophomore, Junior and Senior seasons at Mira Costa High. He played in 7 games for the Trojans last season while battling a hamstring and ankle injuries. He had 4 tackles on the season, including 2 against Stanford.

Behind the Line, of course, the Trojans D. looks more than solid with returning players at every position. Lamar Dawson, Dion Bailey and Hayes Pullard will return to form what  should be the best group of linebackers in the Pac-12 and  Nickell Robey, Isiah Wiley and TJ McDonald are all back to anchor a fast, deep and experienced secondary.

All the stability on USC’s roster didn’t make for a real intriguing spring, but the Trojan’s wealth of talent and experience should make for a mighty entertaining Autumn. September 1 can’t get here soon enough.