USC's Jacobi Lane carries the ball during the USC spring football game at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Saturday, April 20, 2024 in Los Angeles. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
LOS ANGELES – Sitting in his office at the end of March, trying to figure out how to somehow quantify the physical leap created by the massive 6-foot-4 ball of energy in his wide receiver room, Lincoln Riley's eye landed on the item. I jumped on it. on his desk.
Jacobi Lane, Riley said on a Zoom call with the media, was “very thin” when USC started recruiting him a few years ago. So Riley picked up a black plastic fork that sat on his desk and grabbed the tip with his right hand. He looked like this folk, Riley said. Before that.
“Right now he looks like this water bottle,” Riley said, picking it up with her other hand. rear.
In a moment of real poetry, there were only a few sips of water left at the bottom of that bottle, about 5% full, representing a player who had only briefly reached his potential. Lane entered USC in the fall at 180 pounds. His current weight is 195. That combination of massive size and body control jumped off the paper at the Holiday Bowl in December, when Lane, then a freshman, caught two touchdowns, one of which was a simple touchdown. too small Two Louisville defenders in the back of the end zone.
And in USC's spring game on Saturday, Lane re-emerged after spring training and continuing his rise as perhaps USC's top outside threat heading into the fall. On a first down on USC's second series, UNLV transfer QB Jayden Maiava hesitated in the pocket, pretended to throw a few times, then swung a rope into the lane on a deep crossing route about an arm's length behind him.
As if stretching, Lane reached behind his body and made a toss with one hand out of thin air.
On this day, he had three catches for 36 yards. If he continues to develop in a room full of young receivers, working with incumbent Miller Moss, it could lead to a huge breakout campaign this fall.
After a month of spring football and Saturday's spring showcase, here are four more things Southern California News Group learned about the interesting USC program, including Lane's breakthrough.
1. Miller Moss is USC's starting QB, but watch out for Jaden Maiava
Let's be real. Moss threw six touchdowns in the Holiday Bowl. There was no true QB1 contest for him around USC this spring. After months of dancing around the topic, Riley confirmed as much after the University of Southern California's spring game on Saturday. If they played football today, Moss would start.
“Obviously, given the number of snaps he’s taken in this system, it’s not surprising,” Riley said of Moss, a junior.
And after a few haphazard practices before the start, Moss “completely wiped out” the rest of spring ball, Riley said. But he hasn't looked particularly dynamic as he did in the Holiday Bowl in December, and Maiava, who committed to UNLV, took the snap Saturday with some intense play-action looks and a level of touch and playmaking that rivals or exceeds Moss. Showed off.
Maiava threw for 3,085 yards as a true freshman at UNLV last year, and Riley praised his poise throughout the spring. Moss is the de facto No. 1, but expect Maiava to follow in his footsteps in the fall.
2. Marcells Williams, Kamerin Fountain and Elijah Newby could be immediate difference-makers on defense as true freshmen.
USC was targeting defensive depth in the 2024 class, and the results are quickly showing.
Williams, a corner out of St. John Bosco, was a very impressive pick for USC's spring game and may take the cake as the most talked about player coming out of spring training. The 6-foot-6 Fountain has already gained about 20 pounds since arriving at USC and wreaked havoc in the run game off the edge Saturday. Newby primarily profiles as an inside linebacker, but he showed incredible speed Saturday by forcing USC quarterback Jake Jensen out of the pocket on one play. Riley hinted that he might move around a lot during his Trojan career.
Newby and Fountain definitely need more years of development, but all three have the potential to earn meaningful snaps at USC this fall after outstanding springs.
3. USC has improved size but needs more depth in front on both sides
Earlier in the spring, defensive tackle Isaiah Lykes, who committed to Texas A&M, told the media that he knew USC needed a defensive lineman and was looking for a situation where he could “immediately make a difference” in the portal. Ta.
The need in the midfield has become even more apparent now that Raikes has hit the portal again for the first time in months. Bear Alexander established himself as the primary returner at nose tackle after much discussion about a potential transfer, but he spent most of spring training rehabbing an injury. USC's current options next to him include sophomore Elijah Hughes, freshman Jido Abashiri, and Vanderbilt transfer Nate Clifton, who could play more on the outside. There is sex.
And after making significant offseason additions, Riley asserted Saturday that USC's offensive line is “starting to resemble what I feel the USC O-line should be.” But coach Josh Henson still relies on his underclassmen for much of the Trojans' depth. USC is clearly committed to playing more physical football in preparation for the Big Ten, but it will need a few more pieces and continued development in fall camp to make Riley's vision a reality. be.
4. Running back room and secondary are big strengths.
At first glance in the spring, USC's running back group looked thin. Only one member, Jokuvias “Woody” Marks, a transfer from Mississippi State, had any legitimate primary back experience.
But after a few weeks, it's clear the mix has gotten even deeper. Mark fits into a variety of roles as a ball carrier, pass catcher, and blocker. Sophomores Quinten Joyner and Amarion Peterson appear ready to take on additional roles, and freshman Brian Jackson got the most reps on Saturday (10), although he struggled with efficiency. 13 yards on a carry).
And USC's most noticeable group on Saturday was its secondary. After two years of uncertainty, it's suddenly looking like one of USC's biggest strengths under new defensive coordinator Danton Lin and defensive backs coach Doug Berg.
DeCarlos Nicholson, a transfer from Mississippi State, John Humphrey, a transfer from UCLA, and returning Prophet Brown and Jacob Covington all look like starting-level corners. Kamari Ramsey, a transfer from UCLA, and Akili Arnold, a transfer from Oregon State, will be instant starters at veteran safety. And that's all without factoring in the return of Holiday Bowl standout Jaylin Smith, who missed most of the spring with an injury.
“Two of the best in the business are coaching them,” Riley said Saturday. “And if we do that, we’ll see the results.”
