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After USC's 2012 spring game had concluded, at the end of his post-scrimmage meeting with reporters, coach Lane Kiffin was asked about his star receiver Robert Woods, who sat out the entire spring while recovering from an ankle injury originally suffered a year ago.

Would Woods, Kiffin was asked, be ready to go by fall? After all, he was supposed to be fully healed in February after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on the ankle in December. Missing the entire spring wasn't even an option until midway through it.

"That's what we believe," Kiffin said.

USC is hoping -- or believing -- a lot of its other players will be ready for the 2012 season, too. Truthfully, the Trojans need most of them back for depth reasons.

"We couldn't have something like what has happened this offseason to us in the fall," Kiffin said after the spring game. "We wouldn't be very good. So we need to make sure we keep our guys healthy."

Here's an overview of who's been out and when they are expected back, going position-by-position:

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USC's spring practice is done and football is officially over until the first week of August. To bide some of the time from now until then, we're spending this week going over the five biggest things we learned this spring.

Our first is this: The Trojans might have seen their third receiver develop unexpectedly this spring.

Lane Kiffin had an easy answer when he was asked, after Saturday's spring-concluding Spring Game at the Coliseum, if there was any one player who had pleasantly surprised him over the course of the spring.

"De'Von Flournoy," Kiffin said right away.

The answer made sense. With Robert Woods missing all 15 practices with an ankle injury, Flournoy was consistently the second-best receiver practicing for the Trojans in spring ball, outplaying Victor Blackwell and putting himself into position to challenge George Farmer in the fall to be USC's slot receiver.

A redshirt junior, Flournoy has done almost nothing on the field since Kiffin's arrival in January 2010. But if he plays in the fall like he did in the spring, he will almost assuredly do something, whether it's as the third receiver or the fourth. His hands are reliable and his speed is enough, and he displayed a developed chemistry with quarterback Matt Barkley over the spring.

Basically, he was just good.

"I think, for a guy that really hadn't done very much here, he's been very productive," Kiffin said of Flournoy on Saturday. "Really, on special teams drills as well on offense he's done some good things."

One thing the spring also showed for USC: The Trojans may have the makings of a ridiculous receiver trio with Woods, Marqise Lee and Farmer, but there's a good chance that all three won't be able to stay healthy all season. And it's the same way with the talented tight ends -- Xavier Grimble, Randall Telfer and Junior Pomee.

So, even if it seems like Barkley already has enough targets, Flournoy's exactly the type of player the Trojans need in reserve.

Check back Tuesday for the second thing we learned, which is that this team's defensive back depth might be one of its biggest strengths.

LOS ANGELES -- Matt Barkley didn't have a great day at the Coliseum for the USC Trojans' annual spring game on Saturday, but he did do a lot more than expected, based on the other scrimmages USC has played this spring.

Two weeks ago, he didn't even attempt a single pass. A week ago, he largely gave way to backups Cody Kessler and Max Wittek.

This time, the senior signal-caller completed 23-of-39 pass attempts for 212 yards, one touchdown and one interception in what was by far his most participated-in scrimmage of the spring. He threw three times as many passes as Kessler (3-of-6 for 68 yards) and Wittek (3-of-7 for 27) combined.

USC coach Lane Kiffin indicated the decision to use Barkley so much was based on two factors: 1. The Trojans weren't tackling, to keep injuries at a minimum; 2. They were getting some offensive weapons back healthy that hadn't been on the field for a scrimmage in weeks.

Tight end Xavier Grimble and receiver De'Von Flournoy were among the players who participated who hadn't suited up in recent weeks.

For the game, score was kept in an offense vs. defense fashion, with the Trojans' defensive players awarded three points for stops on drives and five points for turnovers. The defense won, 34-27, with the offense scoring three touchdowns and two field goals and the defense stopping eight drives and collecting two turnovers.

Barkley was asked after the scrimmage if he felt as if, at the end of the spring, the Trojans are a national-championship contending team.

"Not yet," Barkley said. "Not anywhere close to that yet. We still have a lot of work to do to get there. Based off talent, you might say that, but there's a lot more that goes into that than talent."

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Notes off Thursday's practice that won't make into our other coverage off the session:

• USC coach Lane Kiffin seems pleased with his offensive line, which has taken shape this spring with Aundrey Walker manning the left tackle spot and Marcus Martin, Khaled Holmes, John Martinez and Kevin Graf slotting next to him in order. We'll have more on Walker's status later Thursday.

• Injury report: Tight end Randall Telfer (hamstring) returned to practice before re-aggravating the hamstring. Safety Drew McAllister (hip), running back Buck Allen (hamstring) and tight end Junior Pomee (foot) missed practice with their respective injuries. Linebacker Marquis Simmons (undisclosed) exited practice early and receiver De'Von Flournoy (undisclosed) was limited. Quarterback Max Wittek (foot) didn't participate in the 11-on-11 drills but is expected to be ready to go for Saturday's scrimmage.

• In more positive news, tight end Xavier Grimble returned to practice for the first time in a month. He hurt his toe during the Trojans' first Tuesday practice of the spring and had been rehabbing it since. His presence gave the Trojans their first healthy tight end for a full practice in weeks.

• Receiver Marqise Lee got into a bit of a shoving match with some of his defensive teammates following a route. He minimized the incident after the practice, saying he did it to raise the energy level of the practice. "You know how teams are," Lee said. "We were going after it and got a little bit too hyped and started pushing each other."

• Quarterback Cody Kessler threw his first interception of the spring to linebacker Tony Burnett. We'll have more on this Friday, including Kessler's reaction to breaking up his no-hitter, as the Trojans' coaches were calling it.

• Final notes: Saturday's 11 a.m. scrimmage at the Coliseum is open to the public, as previously reported. ...Matt Barkley was picked off by cornerback Isiah Wiley for his eighth interception of the spring. ...Several Marines from the Wounded Warriors West Battalion at Camp Pendleton visited practice and spoke to Kiffin, Barkley and Holmes afterward.

Here are notes from Tuesday's practice that won't make it into our other posts off the session:

• The MVP of the day, coach Lane Kiffin said, was junior safety Demetrius Wright, who took the place of Jawanza Starling at first-team strong safety after lighting up the special-teams portion of practice. Wright has backed up Starling for much of the last two seasons.

• Starling, in turn, produced the play of day when he knocked back Victor Blackwell after the receiver caught a pass thrown to the middle of the field. Blackwell got sandwiched between Starling and corner Anthony Brown, really, but Starling provided the big hit.

• Strongside linebacker Dion Bailey missed practice after undergoing dental work earlier Tuesday, but he watched from the sideline. Senior Tony Burnett has been switched to linebacker from safety and took Bailey's place with the first-team defense in scrimmage drills. We'll have more on Burnett's move later in the week.

• Injury report: A few once-injured players returned to practice, including center Khaled Holmes (calf), cornerback Ryan Henderson (concussion) and fullback Soma Vainuku (back). But receiver George Farmer (hamstring) and tight ends Xavier Grimble (toe), Randall Telfer (hamstring) and Junior Pomee (foot) all stayed out, with Farmer doing individual work at the start of practice, Grimble and Telfer doing rehab activities and Pomee sitting out altogether.

• Kiffin said Pomee's right foot injury is not a re-break of the same foot he broke last August, but he said the doctors have not figured out anything else on it. Pomee, a redshirt freshman, underwent more tests Tuesday.

• Senior safety Drew McAllister was the only player to come out of practice with an injury, having complained of hip pain midway through practice. McAllister has been bothered by other nagging injuries this spring and has had serious hip problems in the past, including an injury that forced him to miss 2010 spring practice and most of the regular season.

• Final notes: Former USC receivers Patrick Turner and Damian Williams visited campus and participated in the individual portion of practice, which Kiffin said helped give the Trojans' quarterbacks more targets to throw to with so many pass-catchers sidelined. ... Sophomore J.R. Tavai worked at three-technique tackle for the first time this spring, with Kiffin saying that redshirt freshman Antwaun Woods has shown continued improvement at nose tackle. Tavai could back up both tackle spots. ... Sophomore Aundrey Walker continued to work as the left tackle with junior Kevin Graf staying on the right side.

USC couldn't scrimmage last Saturday because of a lack of healthy skill-position players, and it looks as if the Trojans might be in the same boat again this week.

None of the injured offensive players' statuses have improved, and, to make matters worse, redshirt freshman tight end Junior Pomee went down because of an injured right foot midway through Thursday's practice. He was carted off the field before returning later on to watch practice from the sideline.

With Pomee and fellow tight ends Xavier Grimble, Randall Telfer and Christian Thomas all out last weekend, the Trojans were forced to use walk-on fullback Hunter Simmons as their only tight end and avoid a full-on scrimmage. If Pomee's not able to suit up Saturday, that'll be the same approach again.

"Unfortunately we can't seem to keep a tight end healthy," USC coach Lane Kiffin said after Thursday's practice. "The problem right now is the offensive skill players (being out) aren't allowing us to practice the way we'd like, but we're making the best of it."

Receiver George Farmer (hamstring) is also out, and Robert Woods (ankle) is out for all of the spring. With Marqise Lee set to be in Texas for a track meet, USC could have only two scholarship receivers available again in De'Von Flournoy and Victor Blackwell.

Asked if the Trojans will scrimmage at the Coliseum on Saturday, Kiffin said he didn't know.

"There are so many guys in question, we may just practice like we did last Saturday instead of doing a scrimmage," he said.

Here are notes from Thursday's practice that won't make it into our other coverage from the day's session,

• Receiver De'Von Flournoy had the day's prettiest plays on a big ball from Matt Barkley and other throws from Max Wittek and Cody Kessler. The redshirt junior continues to take advantage of the absence of Robert Woods and George Farmer in practice.

• Barkley was picked off on an ill-advised throw over the middle of the field by safety Demetrius Wright, which Lane Kiffin said was his seventh interception of the spring. We'll have more on this later.

• Sophomore Aundrey Walker practiced at left tackle for the fifth straight practice and kept Kevin Graf on the right side. Walker has looked better on the left than he did on the right in the first three practices of the spring.

• Injury report: Farmer (hamstring), cornerback Ryan Henderson (concussion), center Khaled Holmes (calf), running back Buck Allen (hamstring), fullback Soma Vainuku (back) and tight ends Xavier Grimble (toe) and Randall Telfer (hamstring) all missed practice. Tight end Junior Pomee missed the latter half of practice with a right foot injury, which we'll have more on later, and safety Drew McAllister also exited early with a leg issue.

• Linebacker Dion Bailey participated fully in practice after making a partial return on Tuesday from the hamstring injury that bothered him last week. He did all of the team drills and the post-practice running but lagged a bit behind in the running. Cornerback Torin Harris (shoulder) participated in limited individual work but rehabbed during team drills, as he has typically done this spring.

• Final notes: USC's Saturday scrimmage is open to the public beginning at 11 a.m. and free. Parking is $10. ... Five-star Class of 2013 quarterback Max Browne, who holds a scholarship offer from USC, was in attendance at practice and will also be at the Trojans' scrimmage. ... Defensive back Tony Burnett missed practice because he is in Texas to compete in the triple jump with the track & field team.

Here are notes from Tuesday's practice that won't make it into our other posts off the session:

• It was USC's shortest session yet of the spring, with most players off the field before 6 p.m. after starting up a bit before 4. Coach Lane Kiffin complimented receiver De'Von Flournoy for the second straight day, saying the junior receiver has stepped up his play in the absence of receivers Robert Woods and George Farmer.

• Another receiver who has stepped up is Marqise Lee. Kiffin showered the sophomore with praise Tuesday after he had another good day, saying again that Lee has the chance to be the best receiver to ever play at USC. And both the head coach and his quarterback, Matt Barkley, pointed out that Lee had just won the long jump in USC's track meet on Tuesday and was still recovering from that.

• Injury report: cornerback Ryan Henderson (concussion), center Khaled Holmes (calf), running back Buck Allen (hamstring), fullback Soma Vainuku (back) and tight ends Xavier Grimble (toe) and Randall Telfer (hamstring) all sat out of practice. Holmes, Allen and Grimble have sat out since before the spring break; Henderson and Telfer got hurt Thursday and missed Saturday's scrimmage. Vainuku hurt himself early in the scrimmage. Linebacker Dion Bailey (hamstring) returned after missing most of last week.

• Farmer (hamstring) was cleared to come back to practice earlier Tuesday by team doctors and participated fully in the first half of the session before pulling up with what he described as tightness in the muscle. He walked off the field gingerly but said he could see himself participating in Thursday's practice. Farmer has now taken part in just two of the seven spring sessions, counting two halves as one whole.

• Final notes: Tight end Junior Pomee was back on the field after missing all of last week because of a death in his family. ... USC president Max Nikias visited practice for the first time this spring. ... Newly minted running back Tre Madden fumbled for the second consecutive session, with the drop coming on a standard run without a big hit. Kiffin called it "normal."

Here are some notes that didn't make it into our other coverage from Saturday's scrimmage, the Trojans' first visit to the Coliseum since last November's 50-0 win over UCLA:

• USC had only two scholarship receivers and tight ends available on the field Saturday because of injuries, so De'Von Flournoy and Victor Blackwell got plenty of chances to show off to the coaching staff. Coach Lane Kiffin indicated that Flournoy, now a redshirt junior, was more impressive than Blackwell. Walk-on fullback Hunter Simmons took most of the snaps at tight end with everyone else out.

• So the track Trojans got mixed up a little bit. Nickell Robey, Marqise Lee and Tony Burnett had all planned to participate in the Trojan Invitational track meet on campus, but only Lee and Burnett ended up doing it. Kiffin convinced Robey that he needed to practice special-teams skills, so the junior cornerback skipped his long-jumping event, which Lee actually won. Burnett did the long jump on campus and then tried to golf-cart over to the Coliseum so he could participate in the latter half of practice but was turned down because of NCAA regulations governing two-sport athletes.

• Defensive tackle George Uko was "dominant" on Saturday, according to Kiffin, wrapping up a big week for the redshirt sophomore. He found out two weeks ago Saturday that he had been demoted to the second team and since then he has been the best player in USC's front seven and arguably the best player on the Trojans' entire defense.

• Injury report: Tight ends Xavier Grimble (toe) and Randall Telfer (hamstring), quarterback Jesse Scroggins (hip), running back Buck Allen (hamstring), center Khaled Holmes (calf) and receiver George Farmer (hamstring) all missed practice, and linebacker Dion Bailey (hamstring) missed almost all of it. Fullback Soma Vainuku hurt his back in individual drills and missed all of the scrimmage portion of the day.

• Final notes: USC resumes practice on Tuesday at Howard Jones Field. ... As Kiffin said he would, Matt Barkley did limited work and backups Cody Kessler and Max Wittek took the majority of snaps. ... Robey, D.J. Morgan and Curtis McNeal all practiced punt returning during individual drills.

A few notes that won't make it into our other coverage from Thursday's session:

• USC coach Lane Kiffin spotlighted safety T.J. McDonald for his improved play in the second week of the spring and also said defensive tackle George Uko has practiced well aside from an effort slip-up during the Trojans' first scrimmage. We'll have more on Uko's situation on Friday.

• Cornerback Nickell Robey, receiver Marqise Lee and defensive back Tony Burnett will participate in Saturday's Trojan Invitational track meet instead of scrimmaging with the USC team at the Coliseum. Running back D.J. Morgan, the other football-track participant this spring, will scrimmage instead of sprint. We'll have more on the foursome and their decisions on Friday.

• Defensive back Josh Shaw, a Florida transfer, said he will not practice for the rest of spring with a rib injury he suffered with the Gators. He participated in winter workouts for the Trojans earlier this year but had the situation flare up over the last few weeks, he said. Shaw also still awaits ruling from the NCAA on whether or not he'll be able to play this season with a hardship waiver.

• Injury report: Outside of the four Trojans sidelined with hamstring injuries, tight end Xavier Grimble (toe) and center Khaled Holmes (calf) also sat out of practice. Linebacker Marquis Simmons (shoulder) was very limited and quarterback Jesse Scroggins was limited with a hip injury. Safety Drew McAllister, who left Tuesday's practice early with a hand injury, practiced with a cast on his hand.

• Final notes: USC will scrimmage at 11 a.m. on Saturday in the Coliseum, the first time the Trojans will go back to the stadium as a team since November's 50-0 season-ending win over UCLA...Kiffin said quarterback Matt Barkley "won't play a lot" in the scrimmage, giving way primarily to backup candidates Cody Kessler and Max Wittek...Tight end Junior Pomee missed his second consecutive practice with a death in the family but could be back for Saturday's scrimmage.

The Trojans are five practices into the spring and four of their players have already suffered hamstring injuries: tight end Randall Telfer, receiver George Farmer, running back Buck Allen and linebacker Dion Bailey.

What gives?

"I don’t know what to attribute that to except for just not much depth at the skill spots where it’s happening," coach Lane Kiffin said after Thursday's practice. "They’re taking a lot of reps. That’s the only thing I can guess."

The reps make some sense, but only for certain players. Telfer, the latest player to injure his hamstring when he came up lame Thursday, had been taking the vast majority of tight end snaps this spring while Xavier Grimble (toe), Junior Pomee (undisclosed) and Christian Thomas (hip) have been nursing injuries; Farmer was working as the No. 2 receiver because of Robert Woods' ankle injury.

Allen was getting carries as the third-string running back, but not a ton. And Bailey was playing his normal strongside linebacker snaps.

Telfer said he had "no idea" why so many players were getting hurt in the same manner, but he said his was a "freak accident" involving a cut in the wrong direction.

Farmer said he will not participate in Saturday's scrimmage. Kiffin indicated Thursday that Bailey may not be ready and Allen might not either. Telfer said he still anticipated being able to, but it seemed questionable with the way he walked off the practice field.

A few notes from Tuesday's practice that won't make it into our other posts from the session:

• Offensive tackles Kevin Graf and Aundrey Walker switched sides, with Walker working on the left and Graf working on the right for the first time this spring. For the first week, Graf stayed on the left and Walker stayed on the right, but Trojans coach Lane Kiffin said he felt it was time to try out the other way. We'll have more on this move Wednesday.

• Injury updates: Center Khaled Holmes (calf), tight end Xavier Grimble (toe), running back Buck Allen (hamstring) and receiver George Farmer again missed practice after all missing the Saturday session before the break. We'll have more on Farmer later Tuesday.

• Defensive back Josh Shaw (rib), a transfer from Florida, has not yet practiced this spring as he awaits word from the NCAA on his request for a hardship waiver to play this season, but Kiffin said the reason he's staying off the field is the rib injury, not his status with the NCAA.

• Two players also went down with injuries during practice and were due to undergo tests afterward: safety Drew McAllister and linebacker Marquis Simmons. Simmons, who has had neck issues in the past, stood on the sideline with ice on shoulder for the second half of practice; McAllister hurt his hand and did not return.

• Players who impressed Kiffin over the first week of practice after he re-watched the film over the break: defensive tackle George Uko, receivers Marqise Lee and Farmer, linebacker Hayes Pullard and cornerbacks Isiah Wiley and Brian Baucham.

• Final notes: Kiffin said the Trojans had no off-field issues over the spring break, as far as he knew. The team took a week off before returning to meetings and conditioning on Monday...Tight end Junior Pomee missed practice because of a death in the family, Kiffin said...Lee and cornerbacks Nickell Robey and Tony Burnett are expected to participate in USC's Trojan Invitational track meet on Saturday morning before going to the Coliseum for the Trojans' 11 a.m. scrimmage.

Notes from Thursday's practice not covered in our other posts off the session:

• Lane Kiffin named an MVP of the day for the second-straight practice, this time picking sophomore receiver Marqise Lee. On Tuesday, it was fellow sophomore George Farmer who earned the honors. Lee had a number of tough catches on the field Thursday, including one ridiculous leaping grab on a mediocre throw from Matt Barkley. Asked about it after practice, Kiffin said he didn't even remember which one he was being asked about because Lee made so many impressive catches. "He makes a couple of those a day," Kiffin said. "He's a unique player, a great player." Lee's effort in the series of 100-yard sprints that concluded practice also impressed Kiffin.

• Farmer hurt his hamstring midway through practice and did not participate in the latter half of the session. Kiffin said he did not know how the extend of the injury, but it didn't appear to be serious. Farmer has been bothered by nagging injuries often since his arrival on campus last August.

• Injury report: Aside from Farmer and the players who are out for the entire spring, tight ends Xavier Grimble (toe) and Junior Pomee (undisclosed) did not practice again Thursday, and quarterback Jesse Scroggins (hip) participated very little. Receiver Robert Woods (ankle) did even less, and defensive lineman Greg Townsend Jr. (back) missed the latter half of practice.

• Interestingly, Kiffin said Thursday that he would be giving limited reps to Barkley this spring for two specific reasons: injuries and snaps for the other signal-callers. The coach said Tuesday provided a reminder of "how close stuff can be" in terms of Barkley getting hurt. There were times Thursday when Barkley went in for one snap and then gave way to Cody Kessler or Max Wittek.

• Another interesting note: Barkley said Thursday he never actually submitted his pre-draft paperwork to the NFL seeking an evaluation, although he said in November last year that he had. "I never heard anything from the NFL," he said, laughing. "We were planning on it, but it never happened."

• USC will practice with pads Saturday morning for the first time this spring, which Kiffin said he was looking forward to based on the lethargy of Thursday's session. He said it would provide a boost for the players. After the 8:45 a.m. practice, the Trojans will take the next nine days off and resume practice on Tuesday, March 20.

Notes from Tuesday's spring-opening practice not covered in our other posts off the session:

• Players expected to miss the entire spring because of injuries include tight end Christian Thomas (hip), offensive tackle Chad Wheeler (shoulder), defensive tackle Christian Heyward (shoulder), defensive end DeVante Wilson (knee), cornerback Torin Harris (shoulder) and punter Kyle Negrete (shoulder). All six underwent offseason surgeries. Negrete appeared to punt normally in practice but was announced as out for the spring by Kiffin.

• Players who missed all or part of Tuesday's practice because of injury but are expected to return soon include quarterback Jesse Scroggins (hip), running back Curtis McNeal (shoulder), receiver Robert Woods (ankle), tight ends Xavier Grimble (toe) and Junior Pomee (undisclosed) and defensive back Josh Shaw (back). Only Woods' appears anywhere near serious, and Kiffin himself said he at one point thought the junior would suit up Tuesday. He's still recovering from the same ankle injury he suffered last April playing pick-up basketball.

• Shaw, a talented transfer from Florida, has not received a final determination on his hardship waiver from the NCAA. He is petitioning to be able to play this season instead of sitting out a year based on the argument he returned home to be with ailing family members.

• Kiffin said the MVP of the day was receiver-turned-running-back-turned-receiver George Farmer, who we'll have more on later. Fullback Soma Vainuku made the play of the day with a diving catch on a Matt Barkley throw. Barkley called the play "Havili-esque" afterward after former USC fullback Stanley Havili, who graduated in 2011.

• Forty-one USC students participated in walk-on tryouts during the tail end of practice -- more than twice as many as have come out in the spring or fall in recent years.

• Weight gains and losses: right tackle Aundrey Walker says he is down to 320 pounds after measuring in at 375 on his official visit last January. McNeal says he is up to 195 pounds -- 10 more than what he was at during last season. Left guard Marcus Martin is now listed at 325, a 15-pound drop from last season.

We’re doing position-by-position previews in the two weeks leading up to spring practice, breaking down the depth chart for one position group each day, paying special attention to potential things that can change in the spring.

We’ve looked at the quarterbacks, running backs and receivers so far. Today, we analyze the tight ends.

Quick: Who started more games at tight end for the USC Trojans last season, Randall Telfer or Xavier Grimble?

Most would say Telfer because of the way he came on strong at the end of the year and finished with five touchdowns and 26 total receptions. But Grimble actually officially started seven of USC's 12 games in 2011, including most of the first half of the season. He's a better blocker than Telfer -- so, while his speed and hands might be a touch worse, he does have that going for him.

USC's tight ends, in general, have plenty going for them. The question with the unit isn't at all if someone will step up and fill a role -- it's, will there be enough roles for capable players to fill?

Behind Telfer and Grimble, the 1a and 1b of the USC tight end corps, are redshirt sophomore Christian Thomas and redshirt freshman Junior Pomee, both intriguing prospects themselves. Pomee, in particular, is about as enticing a player as you get, a 6-3, 235-pounder with the speed of a receiver and the size of a tight end.

Thomas has had recent injury issues of late was deemed ready enough as a tight end to play over both Grimble and Telfer as a first-year freshman in 2010.

The four will likely be coached by grad assistant Justin Mesa in 2012 and will certainly be without Rhett Ellison for the first time since the 2006 season. But there is new talent enrolling in Jalen Cope-Fitzpatrick, although he won't be at USC until the fall. So the spring will be about determining who the third tight end is and how much he will be used.

Especially with uncertainty at fullback for the fall, it wouldn't be too surprising if the Trojans took a page out of rival Stanford's playbook and resorted to a lot of two-tight-end sets. If that's the case, then Thomas and Pomee suddenly become very valuable as passing-game threats and injury insurance.

This one's a good one to watch.

Check back Monday for the offensive linemen.