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One of the benefits to getting USC coach Lane Kiffin in a room for 30 minutes where he's obligated to listen to a never-ending stream of questions and answer most of them is it equals an opportunity to get some long-standing questions answered. Here are notes going off of his most interesting answers:

Scholarship count

By now, it's well-known that the Trojans have to be at 75 total scholarships or fewer by the time fall camp comes around in August. Kiffin has said it over and over in recent months as a reminder that his USC team is still very much under sanctions.

But he refuses to reveal where his squad is at right now, after taking on 12 more signees this week and five as January enrollees. The only hint he would give to the team's roster status was telling a reporter who asked about it Wednesday that it's not quite as grim as he might imagine.

Luckily, we can do the math and get a tentative number for where the Trojans stand right now.

With the 17 new players added to the 60 scholarship returners, USC has 77 players on scholarship as of now, as far as we know. That number does not include players like Armond Armstead but does include the former walk-ons who were given scholarships, like linebacker Will Andrew.

We'll get into who else is no longer part of the program further down. But 77 is a manageable number.

Scroggins' future?

It might end up being 76 if Jesse Scroggins can't get his academics together. The redshirt sophomore quarterback from nearby Lakewood High has "fallen behind" in school, per Kiffin, and "has a lot of work to do" to become eligible for the 2012 season.

Of course, the Trojans also put on a huge late recruiting push for Colorado prep quarterback Cyler Miles, a similar signal-caller to Scroggins. So it's obvious that USC isn't exactly counting on Scroggins being a part of the team in the long term.

And, in front of him on the depth chart Cody Kessler and Max Wittek, who are both a year younger too. That could be an issue.

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National Signing Day is in 16 days, on Feb. 1.

On that day, USC plans to sign 15 players, the most it's allowed to sign under NCAA-mandated limitations because of the sanctions. But will that work, considering the NCAA is also mandating the Trojans keep their total number of scholarships handed out at 75?

It's going to take some finagling. Looking at the updated scholarship math after the latest wave of transfers, USC will still have to create some more spots by the time the 2012 season comes around in one way or another.

Position by position, as of Monday, the Trojans have four quarterbacks, three running backs, two fullbacks, five receivers, four tight ends, four offensive tackles, four guards, three centers, four defensive ends, four defensive tackles, eight linebackers, six cornerbacks, five safeties and three special-teamers on scholarship.

That's 59 players, not including Amir Carlisle, Brice Butler, Kyle Prater, Armond Armstead, T.J. Bryant and Patrick Hall, who have all left the program or are very near leaving.

Then add six more players who are expected to begin attending classes at USC by the Jan. 27 spring-semester deadline: Morgan Breslin, Scott Starr, DeVante Wilson, Gerald Bowman, Chad Wheeler and Josh Shaw.

That's 65 players. With a 75-man cap and 15 players presumably coming in the summer in the class of 2012, that means five more players still have to go. Where will those five players come from?

There are a few possibilities -- let's run through some of them.

-- Three former walk-ons who earned scholarships could have them revoked: offensive lineman Abe Markowitz, linebacker Will Andrew and safety Tony Burnett.

-- Bowman may not finish his junior-college requirements in time to enroll for the spring. That would push him back to the summer and lower USC's total.

-- One or two or a few players could still transfer. Prime candidates would appear to be those locked in at their spots behind younger players.

Those are three primary ways USC could get down to the maximum. Other more-creative, less-likely options are the oft-thrown-around ideas that (1) certain players could give up their scholarships for a year or (2) players who participate in other sports could get supported on scholarships from those sports.

But neither makes much sense -- firstly, it's not just the cost of attendance that a scholarship covers, it also provides the chance to eat in the athletic cafeteria and other similar privileges. And, secondly, there aren't too many football players still playing other sports. There are a few Track & Field athletes, but scholarships are at a premium there too.

Of course, USC could also grey-shirt a signee or two who doesn't qualify and have him come in next January, by which time more current players could transfer. There are ways around it.

We've looked at the USC Trojans' top 10 moments from 2011 and the top 10 performers as well. Now, with the final days of the year approaching, we take a look at the five most pressing questions surrounding Lane Kiffin's Trojans in 2012. We'll unveil one each day this week, counting down from No. 5 Monday to No. 1 on Friday.

Question No. 5 covered the Associated Press preseason top 25. Question No. 4, then, is this: How will USC work around the NCAA-sanctioned scholarship limits set to hit in February?

Here's the deal: Signing Day is Feb. 2. Most schools around the country will sign in the range of 25 players to letters of intent that day, setting it up for them to enroll over summer and join the team in fall camp.

USC can only sign 15, by the NCAA's mandate in sanctions placed upon the school in June 2010. And, to make matters worse, the Trojans have to keep their overall scholarships under 75, per another aspect of the sanctions.

That is going to be an issue. By our count, USC has 66 players on its roster who were on scholarship in 2011 and who plan to play football at the college level next year. The Trojans have already signed four players this month to enroll in January and plan to sign two or three more, per coach Lane Kiffin. There are also seven players verbally committed to USC and many, many more who are being recruited by the school. Even with just seven, though, that's already more than 75.

So, what gives? Some players are going to have to be dropped off scholarship or transfer, whether by choice or suggestion. Armond Armstead, Brice Butler and T.J. Bryant seem likely candidates to fall in the transfer category. Three former walk-ons -- Will Andrew, Abe Markowitz and Tony Burnett -- could see their scholarships dropped.

Even then, though, if all six are no longer on scholarship next fall and USC signs 15 players in February and takes on two more early enrollees for January to make six, that equates to 81 players. Six more would have to go.

The problem isn't so much depth -- the last 10 scholarship guys on a college football team are largely insurance policies in case the first 75 get hurt. The problem is that cutting 20-year-olds loose is never easy.

The challenge for Kiffin and the Trojans will be to do it gracefully.

Check back Tuesday for question No. 3, which deals with the new offensive systems taking root in a few Pac-12 schools and how USC will adjust to them.

SAN FRANCISCO -- We're just about set to go here at AT&T Park (!) for the Trojans' 6 p.m. game against Cal. Here are a couple of last-minute things worthy of an update before kickoff:

• Two key injury updates: Linebacker Lamar Dawson (ankle) and cornerback Torin Harris (shoulder) did not make the trip to the Bay Area and will not play in Thursday's game. Both players had participated in minor portions of practice over the last week and a half and were considered game-time decisions heading into the game. In Dawson's place as the No. 2 middle linebacker will be Will Andrew and Shane Horton, who should both play as the USC coaches attempt to rest Chris Galippo.

• At Harris' second starting spot could be either Isiah Wiley or Anthony Brown, who started two weeks ago against Arizona. Regardless, it's likely both players will play and actually allow the Trojans to set up in the occasional nickel set-up, which they didn't do a single time against the Wildcats. Wiley, a junior transfer, has looked very good over the last week of practice.

• Unlike the Emerald Bowl, the last (and only other) time USC played a game here at AT&T, the teams are not sharing sidelines. USC will be occupying the east sideline; Cal the west. The Bears' side appears a bit more spacious but the Trojans have plenty of room as well.

• The temperature was hotter than expected during the day in San Francisco, but it's dropped significantly as game time approaches. It's expected to be 75 degrees by kickoff and roughly 68 by the time the game ends. And the entire field at AT&T will be covered in shade by the time the game starts.

Join us here on the USC Report on ESPNLA.com beginning at 6 p.m. PT as Mark Saxon and I keep you updated throughout the game in Trojans Live!, an interactive live chat where we provide updates on game action and answer any and all questions.

USC middle linebacker Lamar Dawson, a true freshman, got back on the practice field Friday for the first time since he sprained his left ankle late in the Syracuse game nearly three weeks ago, maybe the most important development of Friday's session.

Dawson's a backup, but he's probably the most valuable backup on this Trojan team. Without him, starter Chris Galippo struggled mightily to keep up with opposing offenses for 80 or 90 snaps a game the last two weeks and the USC defense struggled as a whole as a result.

He did only individual activities Friday and sat out of team drills, but it put him on pace to return in six days against Cal, which would give Galippo a break and allow him to play a more manageable amount of snaps. And after he played 91 snaps against Arizona last Saturday and fell completely apart in the fourth quarter, that'd be a welcome addition.

"I'm not making excuses for him, but a guy can't play 91 snaps of football in one day," linebackers coach Joe Barry said of Galippo's poor play. "A guy can't do that.

"If we ever get in that situation again, there's a big difference between a player to play 60 plays a game and getting 91. So if we can just give him a few breaks here and there, it's going to help him in the long run -- especially in the fourth quarter."

It wasn't as bad the previous week against Arizona State, but it was still bad. Galippo played most of the second half fatigued. After that game, head coach Lane Kiffin implied that the Trojans would insert someone else in as his backup for the Arizona game if Dawson wasn't ready to play, but they never did that.

Now, it's an order. If the 6-2, 235-pound Dawson is not ready, someone else is definitely going to play in his place -- whether that's Will Andrew, the former walk-on third-stringer, or an outside 'backer is still to be determined. But it won't be all Galippo again.

"If Lamar's healthy, great," Barry said Friday. "But we also have a bunch of able linebackers besides Lamar Dawson.

"If he's still not ready this week, then we'll get someone in there to give Chris a blow."

Monte Kiffin said it quietly Saturday, in passing, almost as if it were an established fact.

The 2011 USC Trojans' defense, Kiffin said, is better than the 2010 USC Trojans' defense -- and sizably better, at that. According to Kiffin, a 71-year-old considered a defensive mastermind, his unit was just in the process of finding its way early in this season and on its way to sustained success.

But is it really? Is this defense really all that much better than last year's?

The coaches say yes. But the evidence, in the fallout of Arizona's 41-point performance on Saturday, says no. In 13 games last season, the Trojans gave up 5,200 total yards to their opponents, an average of exactly 400 yards per game. In five games this season, the Trojans have given up 1,898 total yards, an average of roughly 380. Points figures are similar, too.

Last year, USC opponents averaged 26.7 points. This year, they're averaging 26.4 points.

They're simply not doing much better -- if even better at all. Defensive turnover numbers are down and tackles for losses are down, as is the performance in the run game, where teams are finding the Trojans are susceptible in the red zone. The only area noticeably better is tackling, which is shown in USC opponents' average catch yardage. Last year, teams gained 12.1 yards per completion, but that number is down significantly to 10.4 this year.

That can be mostly attributed to tackling in practice. The other thing the USC coaches keep repeating as evidence that the defense is improved is a lack of big plays from opponents, but the truth is that is only a typical indicator of defensive success -- not an end-all-be-all.

Sure, the Trojans didn't give up a single play that went more than 27 yards on Saturday against Arizona. But they gave up 37 first downs, which easily broke the previous opponent record of 32, and 554 total yards of offense.

And that's evidence enough that Kiffin's style wasn't working.

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We're just about set to go at Sun Devil Stadium for the much-anticipated matchup between the Trojans and Sun Devils. Here are a couple of last-minute things worthy of an update before kickoff:

• First off, the kickoff time has been pushed back a bit from 7:15 to 7:26 p.m. to accommodate TV scheduling on ESPN. The projected temperature at that time is 100 degrees. Saturday's high in the Phoenix area was 107.

• It's ASU middle linebacker Vontaze Burfict's 21st birthday, which Arizona State student section signs astutely noted pregame. Burfict, a junior out of Corona Centennial near Los Angeles, has been the topic of much conversation with the Trojans this week and stands to dominate the team's in-game focus Saturday as well.

• USC middle linebacker Lamar Dawson, a true freshman, did not make the trip to Tempe, meaning the Trojans will have to rely on former walk-on Will Andrew as Chris Galippo's primary backup Saturday. Galippo has typically played all three downs so far this season, so it will be interesting to see if USC shuffles around its nickel packages to incorporate more of Dion Bailey.

• Arizona State safety Eddie Elder, questionable heading into the game after suffering a concussion, is slated to start for the Sun Devils. Starting running back Cameron Marshall has an ankle injury and is warming up with the team but does not look 100 percent.

• Jersey updates: USC is wearing white socks for the first time this season after sporting black socks at each of the three home games. Arizona State is in all maroon uniforms.

Join us here on the USC Report on ESPNLA.com at 7 p.m. PT as Arash Markazi and I keep you updated throughout the game in Trojans Live!, a full-blown interactive chat.

Freshman middle linebacker Lamar Dawson missed Thursday's practice and continued to wear the walking boot on his sprained left ankle, lessening the possibility that he'll play Saturday against Arizona State in reserve of starter Chris Galippo.

He hasn't practiced since suffering the injury late in last week's win over Syracuse. So what will the Trojans do if Dawson can't go?

There are two ways they could go about it.

The first is relying on redshirt sophomore Will Andrew, a former walk-on who earned a scholarship in fall camp after taking a number of snaps in spring practice while Galippo was out. Andrew, at 6-2, 230 pounds, has the size and has some experience playing middle 'backer in game situations late last season and early on this year. But could he play meaningful snaps -- 12-25 is the range they're looking at -- early and often in Arizona.

The second is moving over Shane Horton from weakside linebacker temporarily. Horton hasn't started this year and is viewed as Hayes Pullard's insurance on the outside, but is versatile enough to take on new duties in an emergency. Kiffin said he's been taking snaps at middle this week in practice. That, of course, would mean Pullard would take more snaps than usual. And backup strongside linebacker Marquis Simmons (neck) is likely out for Saturday's game as well, which could muddle up the mix even more.

There's also a third option, but it's less than ideal. The Trojans could simply keep Galippo on the field throughout the game, which they did in the season opener against Minnesota.

But Tempe temperatures are expected to approach 100 degrees at game time, so that's being looked at as a last-ditch possibility.

USC coach Lane Kiffin handed out scholarships to two walk-ons in team meetings Saturday night: receiver Robbie Boyer and linebacker Will Andrew.

Both players had been in the program for the last two seasons; Boyer joined the team in the fall of 2008, a semester before his cousin, quarterback Matt Barkley, and has logged time in three games since. Andrew made his debut as a reserve middle linebacker last season behind Chris Galippo after impressing with his big-play ability in practice.

"We had an opportunity to do something pretty special, and, so, last night, in a team meeting, we were able to do that," Kiffin said Sunday after the Trojans' scrimmage at the Coliseum. "Those guys were very deserving. There's others, too, that are very deserving, but you can't give them to everybody."

Two other current scholarship players for the Trojans began their careers as walk-ons: cornerback Tony Burnett and guard Abe Markowitz. Both Burnett and Markowitz started at their respective positions Sunday.

Following a similar practice as the presentations for Burnett and Markowitz, Kiffin first scolded his team in an evening meeting, arranged it so only Boyer and Andrew were left standing in the auditorium and then singled them out for solid camp performances.

He closed the interlude by announcing that both had received full scholarships.

"We're proud of those guys, and it's really neat when you see those things happen, when you see the team's reaction," Kiffin said. "These guys work just as hard as the scholarship guys the whole time they've been here and, now, all of the sudden, they get to have the same benefits."

USC now has 81 players on scholarship, which would appear to put it in bad shape for impending scholarship limits next season. It's worth noting, however, that Boyer's and Andrew's awards are both technically on a one-year basis -- as is true with all college scholarships, but especially in situations such as these.

Two main stories out of the sixth day of fall camp Tuesday: with Demetrius Wright out with a hip pointer, safety Jawanza Starling impressed coach Lane Kiffin for the second straight day and freshman Aundrey Walker moved from right tackle to right guard, where it seems he could start the season opener.

Looking back at Barkley

A hot topic of conversation Tuesday, as it often is, was Barkley's most recent performance -- in this case the Trojans' first scrimmage of the fall, held at the Coliseum Monday.

Asked about it after Tuesday's practice, Kiffin reiterated what he said immediately after the scrimmage Monday: it was just OK, in his eyes.

“There were some things he could have done better, some decision-making,” Kiffin said. “He’s got to continue to run the offense and not try to do too much."

The coach was then asked to clarify what he meant by trying to do too much. Was he, in other words, thinking too much on the field and not letting his instincts guide him into making the right throw?

"I don’t think he’s thinking too much, I just think he tries too hard," Kiffin said. "Sometimes you just get in the moment and you’ve done these plays so many times and you just kinda get bored of completions sometimes, in that setting. In a game you hope that wouldn’t happen.

"And you have to try to keep him out of that.”

For his part, Barkley agreed with Kiffin, saying that he was at times bored with Monday's offense -- although he stopped short of saying he forced any passes on the Coliseum turf, as Kiffin had said earlier.

"It's true, it's true," Barkley said about it being boring. "And we were still pretty limited last night with the playcalling. I was just trying to not be creative but do a little more, rather than just be happy with what the defense gave me."

Highlights

Two freshmen connected on an 65- or 70-yard strike during team drills: quarterback Cody Kessler and receiver Victor Blackwell. Redshirt freshman Kyle Prater caught back-to-back passes from Barkley at one point, including one impressive leaping grab on the sidelines.

Walk-on Will Andrew had the only interception of practice when he picked off freshman Max Wittek. Running backs Curtis McNeal and Dillon Baxter each broke off a few long runs.

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Two main stories out of practice today: Marc Tyler sounds as if he's going to miss the spring because of his hamstring injury, and coach Lane Kiffin is just about set on moving fall practices to the morning. We'll have more on a new Trojans' signal-caller in a traditional day-after post Friday, but here's the rest of what went on Cromwell Field early Thursday morning, in tidbit form:

• There were two more interceptions thrown by quarterback Matt Barkley and another by freshman Cody Kessler. Max Wittek is still interception-free for two days of spring practice. Barkley's first pick came by the hands of sophomore corner Nickell Robey, who has shined early in the spring. His second was a short throw picked off by walk-on Will Andrew, who has been serving as the starting middle linebacker so far with the Trojans' top four 'backers temporarily out because of injuries. "We've gotta do a better job on offense of protecting the ball," Barkley said afterward. "We've gotta get our chemistry down. It'll come."

• Kiffin talked about the work Kessler, Wittek and Scroggins must put in throughout the spring to avoid days like they had Thursday, but it's clear Kiffin's mind is focused on the defensive end much more than usual in the spring. The goal is to eliminate the big plays that the Trojans gave up with regularity in 2010, and create more turnovers. It's spring, obviously, and there are a ton of backups and walk-ons on the field, but, so far, it's working pretty well. "It’s obviously a huge emphasis," Kiffin said Thursday." I think we led the world in explosive plays last year at any level. It was good to see through two days us get better at it. We’re going to get better at it this year." There's more to do, clearly. Many of the players -- especially the new ones -- have a lot of the playbook still left to learn, and the coaching staff is thus introducing it bit-by-bit in the spring. First up is the late-game defense, which the Trojans had well-documented struggles with in 2010. "As soon as we get our whole two-minute in, you’ll see it every single day and it will be an emphasis," Kiffin said. "If we just play two-minute defense decent, we’re 11-2 [last year.]"

• Early enrollee freshman kicker Andre Heidari continued with his strong performance Thursday, two days after making 3-of-3 field goals in live game situations. “He’s got a strong leg," said Kiffin, before mentioning freshman long snapper Peter McBride's performance as well."The snapper and the kicker, for guys that were supposed to be seniors in high school, are really at the top of their game ability-wise, from the speed of the snap to the kick and the leg. It’s great to have them here already."

• USC completed its second straight day of practice in helmets and shorts. The Trojans will move to full pads for Saturday's practice, which could also be back on the team's regular practice field, the real-grass Howard Jones Field. They have been practicing on the turf of Cromwell Field this week because of heavy rain the nights before the practices.

• Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio was in attendance alongside son Luke, a sophomore quarterback at Episcopal High in Jacksonville. The Del Rios visited with a number of USC assistants after practice, including Kiffin, linebackers coach Joe Barry, running backs coach Kennedy Pola and assistant head coach Monte Kiffin. Del Rio also introduced his son to Barkley. Young 14-year-old quarterback David Sills -- the subject of quite a bit of controversy after the Delaware native committed to USC last year -- was at practice for the second straight day.

There are two Mondays left until spring practice officially kicks off for USC on March 22. On each of those Mondays, we'll preview one-sixth of the Trojans' depth chart and eye potential risers and fallers during the monthlong springtime. We began four weeks ago with quarterbacks and running backs and continued three weeks ago with receivers and tight ends, two weeks ago with offensive linemen and last week with defensive linemen. This week, we look at both linebackers and defensive backs as we begin to close up shop, keeping in mind that all freshman who can't practice until the fall are automatically at the bottom of the depth chart:

Strongside linebacker

1. Chris Galippo, redshirt senior
2. Ross Cumming, senior
3. Lamar Dawson, freshman (won't enroll until fall)
4. Charles Burks, freshman (won't enroll until fall)

Galippo could, honest to goodness, end up starting at any of three positions on the linebacking corps -- or all three, too. But the strongside is probably the most likely place he'll start off at at, simply because he's better built for the position than any of the Trojans' other linebacking options aside from Devon Kennard.

Cumming's a very valuable backup and perhaps the best special-teams player on the roster. Burks is a sure bet to redshirt; Dawson is not at all and could very well end up playing significant snaps in 2011 as a first-year freshman.

Middle linebacker

1. Devon Kennard, junior
2. Dallas Kelley, junior
3. Will Andrew, redshirt sophomore
4. Anthony Sarao, freshman (won't enroll until fall)

Kennard playing middle linebacker in 2010 wasn't exactly the hit the Trojans' coaching staff envisioned it being, but it makes a lot of sense at this point to stick with it and allow one of the team's smartest players to mentally adjust to playing one position and one position only.

This is not a done deal, though. He could play strongside too, and he could also drop down and play some defensive end at times. Neither of those would surprise me. Kelley, although undersized, was a nice get as a junior college player because of his physical development. Unlike Sarao and even Andrew, a walk-on, Kelley could presumably hold his own in a pinch in a game in the fall.

Weakside linebacker

1. Shane Horton, redshirt senior
2. Marquis Simmons, redshirt sophomore
3. Hayes Pullard, redshirt freshman
4. Tre Madden, freshman (won't enroll until fall)

Horton's one of the least-talked about seniors on this roster, a guy who Lane Kiffin openly -- and memorably -- called out for poor play in 2009 but went on to earn significant praise over the course of the year as a spot starter and valuable reserve. He won't be a world-beater if he ends up starting, but he screams serviceable piece who makes a lot of a sense as a stop-gap measure while Madden and Dawson ready for prime time.

Simmons and Pullard are both very inexperienced; Madden could redshirt but is not a guarantee.

Left cornerback

1. Nickell Robey, sophomore
2. T.J. Bryant, redshirt junior
3. Patrick Hall, redshirt freshman
4. Ryan Henderson, freshman (won't enroll until fall)

Robey's a surefire starter, an undersized player who took a chance the coaches gave him in fall camp last year and ran with it all the way to December, starting every one of the Trojans' 13 games and performing fairly well overall. He had his bad moments and bad games, but Robey showed shades of early ballhawk-ness and consistently impressed as a tackler.

Bryant had a disappointing year and is nearing full-on bust status in Troy. He needs a big-time season in 2011, probably as either a nickel or dime back, to save himself in the coaches' eyes. Hall has a lot of work to do to get to a point where he could see legitimate defensive snaps.

Henderson will likely redshirt.

Strong safety

1. Drew McAllister, redshirt junior
2. Jawanza Starling, junior
3. Dion Bailey, redshirt freshman

McAllister missed all of last season with a hip injury and was able to redshirt the year after he underwent surgery in October. He was one of the players who seemed forgotten in some circles last year but was really a sorely missed piece on the Trojans' defensive unit. He is, for all intents and purposes, their best playmaking defensive back, and it'll be interesting to see if he retains that specific skill after his return from injury.

Starling started until the Oregon game before losing his spot to Marshall Jones, but he could still play an important role this season. His main issue last year involved mistaken routes to tackle ballcarriers, and it troubled him often in most of USC's games. Fix that, and he could easily start.

Bailey's interesting, as he is also playing some strongside linebacker in winter workouts and sounds set on finding his way into the lineup this season at that spot, not on safety. But he's still small for the linebacker spot, and he's probably a better fit at safety in the long term.

Free safety

1. T.J. McDonald, junior
2. Marshall Jones, redshirt senior
3. Demetrius Wright, redshirt freshman
4. Tony Burnett, junior

McDonald is probably the best player on the entire defensive unit, a junior to-be who will enter the season as a top underclassman. He has everything NFL scouts like to see in a young player, including the smarts for the position, and he still retains some ability to grow into his lanky frame. He'll be the cornerstone of the defensive backfield.

Jones is another solid backup but also a guy who will be jonesing for starting snaps. He didn't do badly in his opportunities last year, but, with McAllister back in the fold, there isn't really an obvious spot for him to play in 2011.

Same for Wright and Burnett, two players who looked good in their limited opportunities last season -- Wright in practice and Burnett in the Notre Dame and UCLA games.

Right cornerback

1. Torin Harris, redshirt sophomore
2. Brian Baucham, redshirt junior
3. Anthony Brown, redshirt freshman
4. Isiah Wiley, junior (won't enroll until fall)

This is probably the most unsettled spot on the defense, with Harris maybe the leading candidate to start on opening day but also a leading candidate to frustrate Kiffin and the coaches again and again with his inconsistent play.

Baucham has yet to put it all together in what will now be his fourth year at USC, but he has the size and athletic ability to start -- as does Brown, who has impressed in winter workouts but is still very inexperienced. Wiley will come in as a junior but will assuredly be hurt by the fact that he wasn't able to qualify for spring enrollment.

Any of these four guys could end up starting come September.

That's it for today. We'll be back next week, just one day before the official start of spring practice, for a quick, concluding look at the special-teams units.

Notes, quotes and video from Wednesday's practice:

• Coach Lane Kiffin called practice "sloppy" -- never a good word to be thrown around by a head coach, especially during game week. But that's exactly what the Trojans were Wednesday, with near-turnovers across the board from the offense and the defense appearing to lack discipline on a number of occasions.

• Injury report: Defensive end Wes Horton (back) and cornerback T.J. Bryant (undisclosed) were listed as "limited" after practice and offensive lineman Michael Reardon was out. Bryant appeared fine as he participated in a good amount of defensive drills, but Horton spent most of practice on the sideline.

• Two big practice plays: Walk-on linebacker Will Andrew lit up freshman running back Dillon Baxter after he caught the ball in first-team offense vs. second-team defense drills and tight end Blake Ayles viciously juked safety Marshall Jones on his way to scoring a touchdown. Andrew's hit was only one of several times that Baxter was hit -- hard -- by the defense Wednesday, prompting jokes on the sideline that USC's no-tackling mantra applied to everyone except the true freshman. After Jones was beaten by Ayles, safeties graduate assistant Sammy Knight gave all the members of the secondary a lecture on the sidelines, appearing to say that other players were out of position on the play and thus left Jones hung out to dry.

• Backup quarterback Mitch Mustain has been the Trojans' holder so far this season, getting quite a few chances to make something out of the point-after attempt with Kiffin's many calls to go for two. But even though Baxter would seem to be a natural choice if USC wants a dynamic player at that spot, Kiffin said Wednesday that Baxter will stay away from the spot for the time being. "We’re just trying to get Dillon to go to class, line up right and not fumble,” Kiffin said. “The last thing we’re going to do is let him do all our field-goal plays. There’s a lot of audibles that go with that. That’s why Mitch is in there.”

• The majority of the talk -- from players, coaches and the media alike -- in advance of this weekend's game has been centered on quarterback Jake Locker and coach Steve Sarkisian's ties to the USC program. But Kiffin tried to shift some of that over to rest of the Huskies squad Wednesday. Said Kiffin: "As we continue to watch film, we continue to see how dangerous these guys can be, obviously because of the quarterback, running back and receiver on offense but on defense because...they bring people from everywhere."

• About Locker, freshman quarterback Jesse Scroggins continues to portray the Washington senior in scout-team drills this week. Scroggins said Wednesday that he has learned through the process that the Washington senior is very competitive -- and very smart. "It's a privilege," Scroggins said of being chosen to play as Locker. "Basically, (the coaches) are giving you this role because they think you can play this role. To give it to a specific person, I think that's wonderful." We'll have more on Scroggins on Thursday.

• Final notes: One more practice this week -- Thursday at 4 p.m. ... Neither Marc Tyler nor Allen Bradford have received word that they will start this week's game at running back, Kiffin said, and the players are still listed as co-starters on the depth chart. Last week, you may remember, the starting role at the position actually went to fullback Stanley Havili -- who took the game's first carry as a single back and rumbled 59 yards for a score.

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Kiffin spoke to the media after practice, talking over the Trojans' jump in the rankings, that lack of discipline and how to fix it and a number of other topics.

See what he had to say:



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Defensive end Armond Armstead missed the Washington State game because of a shoulder injury -- the same shoulder injury he played with against Minnesota the previous week.

Armstead said Wednesday that he would've played had it been a bigger game, and he also assessed the status of the defensive line at this point in the season.

See what he had to say:

Notes, quotes and video from Thursday's scrimmage at the Coliseum, the Trojans' last before the regular season begins a week from today in Hawaii:

• Again, the Trojans were mediocre -- despite the new surroundings. The nearly empty Coliseum provided for an interesting backdrop, but the lack of energy Lane Kiffin lamented earlier in the week held true.

• Perhaps the most telling statistic of the starters' struggles Thursday is this one: the scout-team defense -- going against Barkley and the first teamers -- forced two turnovers. The first-team defense -- going against walk-on John Manoogian and the scout-team offense -- failed to force any. High-profile talents Dillon Baxter and Miami transfer Thearon Collier were on the scout team, though.

• In a bit of good news, freshman quarterback Jesse Scroggins has been officially cleared by the NCAA Eligibility Center to resume practicing with the Trojans. USC is still waiting on defensive back Demetrius Wright's case with the NCAA. Kiffin said Thursday that the Trojans had initially expected Wright's situation to be resolved prior to Scroggins'.

• Injury updates: both projected starting offensive guards -- Butch Lewis and Khaled Holmes -- remain limited, although Lewis appears on track to start next Thursday's game. Holmes' situation is a bit more fluid, although Kiffin said he would "hopefully" be back in practice Saturday. He's missed much of the last week with a neck stinger. Defensive end Nick Perry (ankle) is still out and getting close to the time he would need to return to adequately prepare to play against Hawaii.

• On-field highlights: redshirt sophomore receiver Brice Butler made an impressive grab of a 29-yard touchdown throw from Barkley, reaching up and over two defenders in the right corner of the end zone and making good use of his 6-foot-4, 195-pound frame. Walk-on linebacker Will Andrew jumped what looked to be an out-route throw from Barkley, picked it off and took it back for a 25-yard score -- creating quite a bit of noise from the scout-team sideline at the Coliseum. Left tackle Matt Kalil blocked a field-goal attempt from walk-on kicker Craig McMahon.

• A witty Kiffin, on a 2017-2018 home-and-home series with Texas, announced today by USC: "I'd be real excited if I was still here. We'll worry about that seven years from now. I hope I'm here, but I'm not really worried about the schedule seven years from now. We're worried abou the game seven days from now."

• The kick and punt return positions appear to be decided, judging by the allocation of reps Thursday: senior receiver Ronald Johnson will likely return punts; freshman receiver Robert Woods will be the primary kick returner. Both players could see time at both spots.

• Final notes: The Trojans are off Friday before returning to Howard Jones Field for 10:30 a.m. practices on Saturday and Sunday....A depth chart for the Hawaii game is expected to be released Friday afternoon. The position battles at running back, middle linebacker, split end and returner have been publicized throughout the fall, but Hebron Fangupo has put on a late rush to challenge for what was expected to be DaJohn Harris' job at nose tackle. The starter at that spot could be a surprise.

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Scrimmage stats:

Passing
Matt Barkley 15-24 255 yards 3 TDs 2 INT
John Manoogian 13-21 104 yards

Rushing
Marc Tyler 5-5, 1 TD
Allen Bradford 2-14
C.J. Gable 3-33

Receiving
Dillon Baxter 6-70
Ronald Johnson 3-38
Robert Woods 3-24, 1 TD
Jordan Cameron 2-75, 1 TD

Defense
Will Andrew 5 tackles, 25-yard INT returned for a TD
Cody Romness 4 tackles, 1 INT
Jurrell Casey 4 tackles, 4 TFL, 3 sacks
James Boyd 4 tackles, 2 TFL
Simione Vehikite 4 tackles, 2 TFL
Hebron Fangupo 3 tackles, 3 TFL, 2 sacks

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Devon Kennard has not been officially named as the Trojans' starter at middle linebacker -- but it's getting close. Chris Galippo spent essentially all of Thursday's scrimmage backing up Kennard at Mike.

After the scrimmage, Kennard talked about Galippo's ability to switch freely between the three linebacker spots, his own ability to cover slot receivers against a team like Hawaii and more.

Hear what he had to say: