Welcome to the 13th part in our series looking at the rosters of every Big Ten team as we head ever closer to opening day.
The order is organized by my team talent rankings. For more information on how those numbers came about, check out the intro for the Maryland post. And while you’re there, go ahead and read the whole thing then come back. We’ll wait for you.
Past Teams
Tier 5— 18. Maryland Terrapins, 17. Purdue Boilermakers
Tier 4— 16. Iowa Hawkeyes, 15. Minnesota Golden Gophers, 14. Northwestern
Wildcats
Tier 3— 13. UCLA Bruins, 12. Illinois Fighting Ilini, 11. Washington Huskies, 10. Rutgers Scarlet Knights, 9. Indiana Hoosiers, 8. Michigan State Spartans, 7. Wisconsin Badgers
(Names in bold are projected starters by Phil Steele. Otherwise, names are listed in order of scoring in the talent ranking system)
Average 247 Composite Rating of Phil Steele Starter: 0.8957 (5th)
Average # of Snaps Played by Phil Steele Starter: 811 (9th)
Average Career PFF grade of Phil Steele Starter: 66.0 (10th)
TOTAL OFFENSE- 1,158 (6th)
Quarterback- 171 (6th)
Starter- Sam Huard (78)
Reserves- Jayden Maiava (71), Husan Longstreet (58)
Well this is awkward. I’ve documented in a lot of places that the hardest thing for my system to handle is a highly rated player who accumulates stats at the FCS level and then transfers back up to the power conference level. That’s why Huard ranks first here despite the almost certainty that he’ll be 3rd on the depth chart after not playing at Utah last year.
Former UNLV transfer Jayden Maiava was promoted to the starter after Miller Moss was benched following a loss to Washington (Moss subsequently transferred to Louisville). Their yards per attempt were almost identical though with Maiava making more explosive plays but also committing more turnovers. If Maiva can’t improve on his production from those last 4 games then expect to see 5-star true freshman Husan Longstreet sooner than later.
Running Back- 119 (10th)
Starter- Eli Sanders (79)
Reserves- Bryan Jackson (57), Harry Dalton III (47), Riley Wormley (45)
This is probably the most depleted I’ve ever seen USC’s running backs room. The starter is almost certainly going to be New Mexico transfer Eli Sanders who started his career at Iowa State but broke out for 1,057 yards on 7.2 YPC plus 9 TDs for the Lobos last year. It’s probably reasonable to expect him to finish somewhere between that 7.2 YPC and the 4.4 YPC he averaged in 3 seasons with ISU.
Only one other RB on the roster has ever played a snap in college before and that’s redshirt freshman Bryan Jackson who ran in just 36 times last year at 5.2 YPA as USC’s #3 back. Even in a down year at the position USC still finishes 10th in the conference but there’s not nearly as much as star power or depth as we’re accustomed to seeing from the Trojans.
Wide Receiver- 332 (3rd)
Starters- Makai Lemon (94), Ja’Kobi Lane (80), Jay Fair (70)
Reserves- Zacharyus Williams (70), Prince Strachan (58), Corey Simms (50), Romero Ison (50)
Meanwhile, USC saw multiple former five-star receivers transfer out of the program last offseason (as is tradition) and yet they still should be right near the top of the league again. Makai Lemon is the truth after he averaged better than 3 yards per route run which was second in the conference behind only Jeremiah Smith. Lemon only caught 3 touchdowns as he wasn’t their red zone option at 5’11 but should be among the best slot receivers in the country.
They also bring back Ja”kobi Lane who at 6’4 was USC’s only red zone option and caught 12 touchdowns out of 43 total receptions. They combine to make one of the more well-rounded duos in the country. Steele has Lemon as 2nd team all-conference and Lane as 4th team.
Numbers 3 through 7 in receiving yards from last year are all gone though. #10 was Jay Fair who transferred in from Auburn and struggled to break into the rotation after starting 6 games in the SEC previously. New transfers Zacharyus Williams (Utah) and Prince Strachan (Boise State) will try to pick up the mantle as the 3rd and 4th options.
Tight End- 102 (7th)
Starter- Lake McRee (65)
Reserves- Walker Lyons (53), Joey Olsen (42), Taniela Tupou (39)
USC returns Lake McRee who has started 16 games for the Trojans and has 697 receiving yards in 4 seasons playing in an offense that doesn’t really throw to the tight end position. There are several former four-star recruits here led by Walker Lyons who has started 3 games which by default makes this one of the better TE rooms in the conference but there’s not much upside given the way they’re used by Riley.
Offensive Line- 434 (9th)
Starters- LT Elijah Paige (82), RG Alani Noa (64), LG DJ Wingfield (64), C J’Onre Reed (58), Aaron Dunn (54)
Reserves- RT Justin Tauanuu (54), Alex Payne (54), Elijah Vaikona (44), Tobias Raymond (36), Micah Banuelos (35)
(A note that my listed starters here are the 5 highest scorers even if some of them play the same position. If the backup right tackle has a higher rating than the starting left guard, the LG gets bumped to reserves above.)
It was a major blow for several reasons for USC to lose starting LG Emmanuel Pregnon in the portal to Oregon. The Trojans are trying to replace him plus departing draft pick Jonah Monheim through the portal as well. DJ Wingfield slots in at LG after starting for Purdue last season as their best lineman despite the terrible season. Syracuse transfer J’Onre Reed is the projected starter after starting 25 games at an average level in the ACC.
USC brings back a pair of starters with class of 2023 signees LT Elijah Paige and RG Alani Noa who each started all 13 games for them last season. Paige was both the more highly recruited player out of high school and also has played better while on the field. Steele projects the last RT spot to go to Justin Tauanuu who played 85 snaps last season as a true freshman. There’s basically no experienced depth here if something should happen to one of the main starters with no one other than the top four having played 175 snaps in their career.
[DEFENDER PHOTO]
TOTAL DEFENSE- 1,174 (4th)
Defensive Line- 209 (8th)
Starters- Keeshawn Silver (73), Jide Abasiri (59)
Reserves- Devan Thompkins (57), Jamaal Jarrett (55), Kobe Pepe (44), Floyd Boucard (43)
This is yet another case where Phil Steele doesn’t list a player as a starter but then puts him on an all-conference team. That’s what is happening for former five-star Keeshawn Silver who transfers in after starting 23 games between North Carolina and Kentucky. We’ll see if USC can fully unlock his raw talent. They also brought in former four-star Jamaal Jarrett from Georgia where he had struggled to see the field through two season in college.
The only returning DL to start a game for USC is Devan Thompkins who started 6 of them as a jumbo defensive end. Also back is Jide Abasiri who played 92 snaps as a four-star true freshman last year plus Kobe Pepe in his 6th year of college. No one else has played a defensive snap in college yet.
Edge Rushers- 245 (4th)
Starters- Kameryn Fountain (87), Braylan Shelby (81)
Reserves- Anthony Lucas (74), Jahkeem Stewart (58), Elijah Newby (39)
USC brings back three edges who have started at least 3 games for USC which provides some decent experience. We’ll see how much good news that is considering no USC player had more than 3 sacks or 20 QB pressures last season. Braylan Shelby though led them in both marks and is back. So too are Kameryn Fountain (15 QB pressures) and Anthony Lucas (14 QB pressures). Throw in true freshman Jahkeem Stewart and there’s your 2-deep.
What’s so special about that group? All four of them were at least a 0.9609 in the 247 sports composite coming out of high school. It’s right up there as one of the rooms with the most raw talent as any in the country at any position. Now we’ll see if USC can actually put it to good use (spoiler alert: probably not).
Linebackers- 195 (8th)
Starters- Desman Stephens II (70), Eric Gentry (69)
Reserves- Ta’Mere Robinson (56), Matai Tagoa’i (56), AJ Tuitele (43), Jadyn Walker (23)
The two starters listed here took very different paths. Eric Gentry transferred in from Arizona State and will be in his 5th year of college football with 20 career starts between ASU/USC. He was having a breakout year with 27 tackles and 2 sacks through USC’s first 4 games before getting injured and missing the rest of the regular season and is on Phil Steele’s preseason all-conference 4th team. Stephens meanwhile only played 105 snaps as a four-star true freshman last year but had 1 INT and 2 PBU in coverage.
Backup Ta’Mere Robinson transfers in from Penn State where he played minimally over 2 seasons. He is 2nd among the LBs in snaps played with just 107 total. Otherwise USC is relying on freshmen the rest of the way.
*Although Steele bizarrely includes 4 LB on each of his teams so it’s almost more difficult to not have a LB make one of his preseason all-conference teams.
Cornerbacks- 297 (7th)
Starters- DJ Harvey (90), DeCarlos Nicholson (73), Chasen Johnson (58)
Reserves- Trestin Castro (53), Prophet Brown (51), Marcelles Williams (49), Alex Graham (48)
Gone are the days when USC seemingly always had at least one if not multiple five-star CBs on the roster. Sure they have 6 four-stars but none with better than a 0.936 composite rating. The likely star of the bunch is DJ Harvey who transfers in from San Jose State where he broke out as maybe the best G5 corner in the country with 4 INTs and 7 PBUs. Steele has Harvey on his preseason 3rd team all-conference list.
Gone are all four of USC’s top CBs in snaps from last year which elevates former Mississippi State transfer DeCarlos Nicholson to a starter from the #5 spot. He came to L.A with a ton of hype but struggled a bit last season to find his footing. USC also added UCF transfer Chasen Johnson who will compete for the last starting spot with returner Prophet Brown and his 2 career starts. Four-star true freshman Trestin Castro and four-star redshirt freshman Marcelles Williams will also be in the mix.
Safeties- 229 (3rd)
Starters- Kamari Ramsey (95), Bishop Fitzgerald (81)
Reserves- Christian Pierce (54), Kennedy Urlacher (53), Kendarius Reddick (51)
This will be year #3 in this defensive system for Kamari Ramsey after he followed DC D’Anton Lynn across town from UCLA to USC last year. He has 22 career starts at a nearly elite level and makes Phil Steele’s preseason 3rd team all-conference list. I have him as my #3 safety and #11 player overall in the conference. USC will pair him with NC State transfer Bishop Fitzgerald who has 16 career starts as a rising true junior. They’ll be one of the best safety pairs in the country.
Only one other player on the depth chart has 120+ career snaps with Anthony Beavers and his 5 career starts. Former four-star Christian Pierce has seen a little bit of playing time through two seasons with the Trojans and Kennedy Urlacher (son of Brian) transferred in this offseason from Notre Dame.
OVERALL TEAM- 2,332 (6th)
There’s a significant bump up from #7 Wisconsin to #6 USC. The gap between those two schools is almost the same as the gap between #7 Wisconsin and #12 Illinois. There’s still another leap to go before getting to the true elite of the conference in terms of talent accumulation but getting to USC here marks the beginning of the upper crust.
And yet we find ourselves in a place where Lincoln Riley will legitimately be on the hot seat if he can’t find a way to be in CFP contention this season. Riley made his mark as a QB whisperer and he will need to work his magic to get the most out of this group. There are no sure things at that position on the roster. Maiava was merely okay for USC last season after he took over the starting job, Longstreet is a true freshman even if a five-star, and Huard hasn’t started more than 1 game in a season outside of the FCS level. If Riley can’t find a way to get better than 8.0 YPA from someone in that group (entirely possible) then it’s tough to see this team competing for anything.
There are definitely some stars on the rest of the roster. Six players made one of Phil Steele’s preseason all-conference teams and they have 10 of the top-105 players overall in the conference. The secondary in particular should be a strength with Ramsey, Fitzgerald, and Harvey helping to lock down opposing passing games. The proven production is lacking but if USC figures out how to unleash the raw talent along the defensive line then the potential is there for this to be a terrifying top-15 type unit.
On offense it’s not difficult to imagine a world in which Makai Lemon, Ja’kobi Lane, and Eli Sanders all put up big numbers despite the potential limitations at the quarterback spot. But the #8 QB room combined with the #9 offensive line means it also wouldn’t be surprising to see another season where USC is able to out-athlete the worse teams on the schedule and fail to hold up in the trenches versus the true big boys.
The schedule is a mixed games. Road games at Notre Dame and Oregon will obviously be tough. Travelling to both Nebraska and Illinois are also clearly losable games if they don’t play their “A” game. But USC misses both Ohio State and Penn State this year while getting Michigan at home.
If Michigan gets back to form this season then it’s entirely possible that USC could be a top-ten caliber team and still go just 9-3. It’s also possible to imagine the passing game misfiring yet again and USC once again going just 7-5 with deafening roars for Lincoln Riley to be run out of town. I’m optimistic it’ll run towards the better end of that range but I certainly won’t be sad if the Trojans crash and burn again.
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Top-10 Players (with position rank and overall conference rank)
- S Kamari Ramsey, 95 (3rd, 11th)
- WR Makai Lemon, 94 (2nd, 16th)
- CB DJ Harvey*, 90 (4th, 31st)
- ED Kameryn Fountain, 87 (6th, 46th)
- OT Elijah Paige, 82 (9th, 78th)
- ED Braylan Shelby, 81 (12th, 80th)
- S Bishop Fitzgerald*, 81 (13th, 89th)
- WR Ja’Kobi Lane, 80 (16th, 97th)
- RB Eli Sanders*, 79 (8th, 103rd)
- QB Sam Huard*, 78 (9th, 105th)
*Incoming transfer
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