ESPN College Football

The ninth of 12 quick updates on offseason Pac-12 goings on.

USC in a sentence

• The Trojans won't be eligible for the postseason because of NCAA sanctions, so the big question is how consistently motivated a team that is talented enough to win 10 games this season will be.

The big issue

• USC is loaded at the skill positions, with quarterback Matt Barkley leading a young but talented supporting cast, but the season likely swings on the play of the offensive line and linebackers, positions that are both questionable and thin.

Quick hit news

• Starting defensive tackle Armond Armstead, who missed spring practices due to an undisclosed medical condition, still hasn't been cleared to play but he told reporters he expect to be cleared before the season starts.
• Starting running back Marc Tyler is on indefinite suspension -- he definitely will sit out the season opener. He was suspended after saying stupid things to a TMZ reporter with a video camera, but his status is even more precarious because he is awaiting a ruling from the school's disciplinary committee on a pair of alcohol-related incidents from last year.
• Coach Lane Kiffin said over the weekend that junior Curtis McNeal, who was academically ineligible last season, leads the tailback competition.
• USC's backup quarterback, redshirt freshman Jesse Scroggins, is out indefinitely after suffering a thumb injury. True freshmen Cody Kessler and Max Wittek are competing to be Barkley's backup.
• USC has only one new assistant coach: receivers coach Ted Gilmore. He replaced John Morton, who left for the San Francisco 49ers.
• While the Trojans have 13 starters back, only 39 players on the roster saw action in 2010. 70 players on the 109-man roster have never played a down of college football. Only 14 Trojans have started at least 10 games.
• For the first time since 2000, USC plays seven home games, including the first three in the Coliseum.
• There are 35 scholarship players now practicing who didn't participate in spring drills: 23 new recruits and 12 returning players who were out because of injuries. The Trojans presently have 79 scholarship players. They can only sign 15 players this recruiting season because of NCAA sanctions and can have no more than 75 total scholarship players in 2012.
• USC outscored foes in each of the first three quarters last season but was outscored 118-72 in the fourth quarter.
• USC is in the process of constructing the $70 million John McKay Center, a 110,000-square foot building that will house the football offices, an academic center, weight room, athletic training room and digital media production.

Spring is supposed to be a time of renewal and hope, but USC coach Lane Kiffin seemed to be suffering a prolonged case of the winter blahs Monday. And for good reason. He said 20 players -- many of them projected starters or key contributors -- won't be available for full-contact work when the Trojans begin spring practices Tuesday.

Rebirth and renewal of the Trojan empire after a middling 8-5 finish in 2010? Humbug.

"There's too many questions," Kiffin said. "I think it would be a little tough to say this team is better than last year."

Most of these injuries are not expected to be issues when preseason practices begin in August. But you never know. And there were some troubling additions to the already long injury list we noted last week, including linebacker Chris Galippo, whose back is giving him trouble again. Toss in injuries to Devon Kennard (hip) and Shane Horton (hip), and none of the projected starting linebackers are ready to practice. In fact, when you toss in an injury to backup Ross Cumming, the only available linebacker from last year's depth chart is redshirt freshman Will Andrew.

Few position groups have been spared the injury bug. Defensive linemen are out: end Armond Armstead, tackle Christian Tupou and end Wes Horton. Offensive linemen are out: Khaled Holmes, tackle Kevin Graf and center Abe Markowitz. Defensive backs are out: safety Drew McAllister and cornerbacks T.J. Bryant and Torin Harris. And a receiver is out: Kyle Prater.

So while, officially, 13 starters are back -- 6 on offense; 7 on defense; no specialists -- there will be plenty of opportunities for young players to shine. Of the 86 players on the spring roster (that includes walk-ons), just 38 saw action in 2010 and 47 have never taken a college snap, so there will be a bit of "Hello, my name is..." this spring. Just 14 returning Trojans have started at least 10 games.

Further, because of the lack of bodies -- particularly on the lines -- Kiffin said that much of the work this spring will be 7 on 7 -- "You're not going to be able to have normal practices," he said.

What's Kiffin's chief concern? The offensive line, which he calls "a gigantic issue."

There is some good news in terms of continuity on Kiffin's coaching staff. The only change is the departure of receivers coach John Morton, who joined Jim Harbaugh's staff with the San Francisco 49ers. He was replaced by Ted Gilmore, who was at Nebraska last year.

The spring game is April 23 in the Coliseum.

Some other notes:

Spread? Kiffin talked last year about adopting some spread elements to his offense going forward, but that was more about one-back, four receiver sets, not a spread-option similar to what Oregon runs. The reasoning is largely about personnel. The Trojans lose the versatile Stanley Havili -- perhaps the best fullback in the nation -- and have little experience ready to step in at the position. And there's lots of intriguing young talent at receiver.

Position changes: Redshirt freshman Dion Bailey moved to linebacker from safety. Robert Woods takes over at "Z" receiver -- flanker -- the position Ronald Johnson played last season.

Positions to watch: Obviously, injuries all over the depth chart mean youngsters will get plenty of reps this spring, which means plenty of opportunities to impress. Here are some spots Kiffin made specific note of, other than the injury-riddled lines:

• Tight end: Rhett Ellison is back, but what will be the pecking order between Xavier Grimble, Randall Telfer and Christian Thomas? The Trojans would like to run more two tight end sets.
• Running back: Marc Tyler is the returning veteran, but he struggles to stay healthy. What will the pecking order end up between Dillon Baxter, Curtis McNeal and D.J. Morgan?
• Backup QB: Matt Barkley is the starter (duh), but with the departure of Mitch Mustain, who's his backup? Redshirt freshman Jesse Scroggins would seem to have an inside track, but touted true freshmen Cody Kessler and Max Wittek will both participate in spring practices.
• Linebacker: Great opportunity for guys to catch their coaches eyes: Bailey, Andrew, Dallas Kelly, Marquis Simmons, Simione Vehikite, Hayes Pullard, etc.

What about Barkley? Barkley, a true junior, took a step forward last season as a second-year starter, but he still missed too many throws, 12 of which ended up as interceptions. Kiffin said he expects Barkley's next step to be playing at a consistently elite level. "He's competing against the best in the country," Kiffin said. "He's competing against the Andrew Lucks. He's got to take that mindset in every practice."

What about that NCAA appeal? On Saturday, it will be nine weeks since USC president Max Nikias, athletic director Pat Haden and four other university representatives spent more than four hours talking with the NCAA infractions appeals committee in Indianapolis. Most appeals take four to eight weeks. Ah, but nothing in the USC case has moved quickly. Kiffin said he had no idea when USC would learn if the appeals committee will reduce the penalties that appear more draconian by the day, as other schools end up in headlines about alleged rules violations that appear far worse than the findings against USC.

Only Oregon and Washington didn't experience any staff turnover this offseason, so we're running through the staff changes for the other 10 Pac-12 teams.

Next up is USC , which only made a change at receivers coach.

Team in parenthesis is where the departing coach ended up.

Out
John Morton, receivers (San Francisco 49ers)

In
Ted Gilmore, receivers

Reaction: Coach Lane Kiffin snatched up Gilmore when he was dispatched during a staff purge by Bo Pelini at Nebraska, where Gilmore had coached six years. He's also coached at Colorado and Purdue. Morton, who joined the USC staff in 2007, was also the Trojans "passing game coordinator" in 2010, and that title was not attached to Gilmore when his hiring was announced. The likelihood is that Kiffin and quarterbacks coach Clay Helton will split that duty. Gilmore is considered a good recruiter, which surely played a role in his hiring. The Trojans also lost graduate assistant Keary Colbert, who apparently is looking to get back into the NFL. Colbert was considered a candidate for receivers coach. He officially was a "tight ends assistant" last season, so the Trojans still have a void there.

USC has hired Nebraska receivers coach Ted Gilmore to fill the same position for the Trojans, the school announced Thursday.

He replaces John Morton, who was hired away by the San Francisco 49ers.

Gilmore, 43, who was also the Cornhuskers recruiting coordinator, has been at Nebraska six years. In 2008, he was given the title of assistant head coach for offense.

“I’m thrilled to welcome Ted Gilmore to the Trojan football family,” coach Lane Kiffin said in a statement. “For years, he has been regarded as an outstanding recruiter and wide receivers coach. He comes to us highly recommended by a number of very prominent coaches. I’m excited for him to start working with our talented group of receivers.”

Gilmore arrived at Nebraska after spending the 2003 and 2004 seasons at Colorado. Before that, he spent two years at Purdue, one at Houston, one at Kansas and four at his alma mater Wyoming -- the first two as a GA -- where he played receiver from 1988-89.

With receivers coach John Morton's departure for the San Francisco 49ers, the last holdout from Pete Carroll's staff has left USC.

Morton previously worked with new 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh while the two were with the Oakland Raiders from 2002 until 2003 and also in 2005 when they coached at the University of San Diego. Morton had been with USC for four years and was called the "passing game coordinator" while head coach Lane Kiffin called the plays.

The Orange County Register speculates that Kiffin might promote former Trojans receiver Keary Colbert from graduate assistant (tight ends) to replace Morton. Kiffin and the school have not spoken on the matter.

More here from the LA Times.

USC opens preseason camp today. Here's a quick look.

Who's back: Six starters on offense, six on defense and punter Jacob Harfman.

Big names: QB Matt Barkley, C Kristofer O'Dowd, DT Jurrell Casey

What's new: Everything? Pete Carroll is out; Lane Kiffin is in. The only holdover from Carroll's staff is receivers coach John Morton. The postseason is out; NCAA sanctions are in. AD Mike Garrett is out; Pat Haden is in. Defending Pac-10 champions is out; finishing with four conference losses is in. Certain dominance is out; questions about the future are in.

Key competition: There are lots of areas of intrigue, starting with returning starter Chris Galippo trying to hold onto the job at middle linebacker against converted end Devon Kennard. Who will replace the injured Christian Tupou at defensive tackle: Either DaJohn Harris or Hebron Fangupo. What's the pecking order behind Allen Bradford at tailback? And what about receiver, where freshmen Kyle Prater, Robert Woods and Markeith Ambles figure to challenge returning veterans. The only certainty in the rebuilt secondary is CB Shareece Wright. Oh, and freshman Kevin Graf is listed ahead of returning starter Butch Lewis at left guard.

Breaking out: Wright, O'Dowd, WR Ronald Johnson and DE Armond Armstead will be all-conference if they stay healthy. What will Barkley in Year 2 look like after starting as a true freshman? Kennard looks like a rising star. Freshman RB Dillon Baxter had folks whispering "Reggie Bush II" in spring practices. Hopefully without the greedy parents and accompanying parasites.

Quote: Kiffin on the team's strengths and weaknesses: “I feel good about our defensive line. Depth in general is going to be an issue. We have to be extremely intelligent and smart. Seven of our 10 coaches have NFL experience. We’re going to have to be NFL-oriented because of our situation.

Notes: The Trojans were picked second in the preseason media poll. They received 12 first-place votes compared to 15 for Oregon. It was the first time in seven polls USC hadn't been picked first. ... 13 returning starters is the second fewest in the conference. ... Players who left the program after NCAA sanctions were announced: safety Byron Moore (junior college), linebacker Jordan Campbell (Louisville), wide receiver Travon Patterson (Colorado), fullback D.J. Shoemate (Connecticut), defensive end Malik Jackson (Tennessee). Also, the Trojans released touted offensive lineman Seantrel Henderson (Miami) and linebacker signee Glen Stanley (Florida State) from their scholarship commitments.

Got a couple of notes inquiring about USC's coaching staff.

It apparently is complete. Here it is as listed on the team's official site.

Lane Kiffin - Head Coach
John Baxter - Associate Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator
Monte Kiffin - Assistant Head Coach
Ed Orgeron - Defensive and Recruiting Coordinator/Defensive Line
John Morton - Passing Game Coordinator/Wide Receivers
Joe Barry - Linebackers Coach
James Cregg - Offensive Line Coach
Willie Mack Garza - Secondary Coach
Clay Helton - Quarterbacks Coach
Todd McNair - Running Backs Coach

Couple of notes.

Notice that Orgeron is listed as defensive coordinator and Monte Kiffin as "assistant head coach." Might that indicate a succession plan when the 7o-year-old Kiffin opts to step aside?

Also, note there's no offensive coordinator. Lane Kiffin will call plays, so he didn't bother to give the honorary title to an assistant.

Only two assistants from Pete Carroll's staff were retained: Morton and McNair.

You might recall that McNair spent a long stretch being interviewed by the NCAA infractions committee on Feb. 19 and 20.

Baxter was a great hire. Not only is he a highly regarded special teams coach, but he's a leader among coaches who care about the "student'" part of the student-athlete, having created a program, "Academic Gameplan," that helps players learn study skills and how to organize their time.

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

The decision to make Matt Barkley the first true freshman to start at quarterback for USC is simple.

Almost.

I asked USC offensive coordinator John Morton Thursday evening after practice if Barkley straight-up beat out sophomore Aaron Corp, who was No. 1 entering preseason practices.

"Yes," Morton said.

Three beats.

I started to ask another question.

Morton broke in, "Aaron can still come back and compete. He's not truly 100 percent right now, but he will be in a week or so."

Two things are at work here: 1. Corp is still hurt (fractured fibula); 2. Barkley has wowed the USC coaches.

Did Corp's injury play into this decision?

"A little bit, but the way Barkley has been, being such a great competitor as a true freshman, doing everything exactly the way you want him to do it," Morton said. "He just prepares like he's been here for three years."

But he hasn't.

So the next thought is whether the Trojans will be conservative on offense with a freshman quarterback, despite welcoming back nine starters and perhaps the nation's best collection of skill players.

In other words, is Barkley going to be primarily asked to manage the game and not take risks?

"We never talk about that -- that's negative talk," Morton said. "We say, 'You approach the game like you always have and we'll take care of you.' We can run the whole offense with Barkley. We're not going to hold anything back. We're just going to go."

So, why now? Why make the announcement today?

"It was suited to right now to get this going," Morton said. "We've got a scrimmage on Saturday so it was the best time to do it just to get it out right now before tomorrow, which is a down day, a walk-through, so Barkley can have a mindset that he's the starter so he can prepare like a starter and get ready to go in the scrimmage."

I asked whether Corp can compete to win the job once he gets healthy.

"Yep -- the competition is to always strive to be the starter," Morton said. "But right now, Barkley is the starter."

USC has never been shy about playing freshman -- in fact, they use it as a selling point during recruiting.

But the Trojans have never started a true freshman at quarterback.

I remember chatting with Mark Sanchez about whether he felt he got a fair shot as a redshirt freshman to unseat John David Booty, who was clearly less talented than Sanchez.

Sanchez was diplomatic but everything about his response suggested he felt he should have displaced Booty.

USC coaches, for all their "win-forever" hipness, don't make half-cocked decisions.

The decision to announce Barkley as the starter this early surprised a number of folks (including me).

While Barkley may turn out to be the ultimate quarterback prodigy, it seems likely there will be more intrigue at quarterback for USC this season. Heck, the Trojans play at Ohio State, California, Oregon and Notre Dame, a brutal road schedule that would tax any quarterback.

So it's not hard to envision Barkley faltering at some point and Corp getting a chance to show what he can do.

But the USC coaches appear to be going all-in with Barkley. At least until the San Jose State game.

"There is no doubt in our mind that he is well-prepared and ready to go," Morton said.

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

Coordinators often impact a team as much as a head coach.

Five Pac-10 teams changed one or both coordinators during the offseason for various reasons.

Here's a rundown:

California
Offensive coordinator

• Out: Frank Cignetti. Returned home to become Pittsburgh's OC after one year with the Bears.
• In: Andy Ludwig. Ludwig, who had just been hired away from Utah in December to be Kansas State's offensive coordinator, had previously followed Jeff Tedford as OC at Fresno State and Oregon.
• Skinny: Considering the Bears struggled to pass the football in 2008, losing Cignetti isn't that hard of a hit. Ludwig had an uneven ride at Oregon when Mike Bellotti wanted to reinvent the Ducks' offense, but he's respected among his peers and Utah did OK during his tenure, right?

Oregon
Offensive coordinator

• Out: Chip Kelly. Kelly just moved over into the corner office and became the head coach. He'll still call plays this season.
• In: Mark Helfrich. Helfrich, a Medford, Ore., native hired away from Colorado, learned the passing game from former Arizona State coach Dirk Koetter.
• Skinny: It will be interesting to see how this goes. Kelly is very hands on and, make no mistake, this is his offense. But Helfrich, 35, escaped a tough situation at Colorado and now can learn a spread offense from one of its maestros. Also, say what you want about his Tempe tenure, Koetter could really run a passing game, so Helfrich figures to contribute ideas.

UCLA
Defensive coordinator

• Out: DeWayne Walker. Walker, one of the best defensive coordinators in the Pac-10, not to mention an ace recruiter, was hired to right the perennially flagging New Mexico State program.
• In: Chuck Bullough. Bullough was promoted from linebackers coach, which should bring a high level of continuity.
• Skinny: Bullough, a former two-time All-Big Ten linebacker at Michigan State, will bring more fire than the laconic, cerebral Walker (though Walker always struck me as super-intense). Also, defensive bloodlines don't get much better than Bullough's. His father, Henry, an NFL defensive coordinator for 23 years, was called the "Doctor of Defense."

USC
Offensive coordinator

• Out: Steve Sarkisian. Sarkisian was hired as Washington's head coach.
• In: John Morton/Jeremy Bates. Morton was promoted from receivers coach to offensive coordinator. Bates, a former quarterbacks coach for the Denver Broncos, was hired as assistant head coach for offense and will call plays.
• Skinny: There's a lot to work with at USC, so the expectations are extremely high for any coordinator. A fair percentage of USC fans weren't particularly happy with Sarkisian, who will call plays this fall for the Huskies. Morton ensures continuity, while Bates brings new ideas. And, of course, Pete Carroll figures to have his say, too.

Defensive coordinator

• Out: Nick Holt. Holt was hired away from USC by Sarkisian to run Washington's defense.
• In: Rocky Seto. Seto was promoted from secondary coach.
• Skinny: Carroll calls the defensive plays, so this is his defense. But Seto has been with him since he arrived at USC and has always been a Carroll favorite. In terms of personality, the boisterous Holt is very different from the mellow, spiritual Seto.

Washington
Offensive coordinator

• Out: Tim Lappano/Jim Michalczik. The affable Lappano landed on his feet as the Detroit Lions' tight ends coach.
• In: Doug Nussmeier. He was hired away from Fresno State as quarterbacks coach but was promoted to coordinator when Michalczik bolted for the Oakland Raiders.
• Skinny: Sarkisian is running the show, but Nussmeier will play a big role in helping quarterback Jake Locker transition from a spread-option to a pro-style scheme. Losing Michalczik, who did a fantastic job coaching California's offensive line under Tedford, was a blow.

Defensive coordinator

• Out: Ed Donatell. He coached the Huskies one year, and injuries and a lack of talent likely made it one of his worst in coaching. Now the Broncos' secondary coach.
• In: Nick Holt. Holt was lured away from USC by Sarkisian with the promise the Huskies' D would be entirely his. And the big paycheck didn't hurt.
• Skinny: Holt has an opportunity to earn his bona fides after working in Carroll's shadow. He doesn't have a lot to work with now, but if he and Sark recruit like crazy and build a dominant defense, like the Huskies had in days of yore, then he'll get his own head coaching gig.

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

Ever wonder what a coach might say about a quarterback competition the day before he announces a pecking order?

You're in luck!

USC coach Pete Carroll stopped by for a chat with the Pac-10 blog on Monday, the day before he announced on his Web site that Aaron Corp would emerge from spring practices No. 1 on the quarterback depth chart, ahead of true freshman Matt Barkley and Mitch Mustain.

	Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images
	Pete Carroll boasts an 88-15 record since arriving at USC.

That bit of stolen thunder aside -- and the announcement was mostly a foregone conclusion -- it's never a bad time to talk with a coach who's 88-15 in eight years at USC and has finished ranked in the top four of the AP poll seven consecutive seasons.

After all, he's got a new book deal to benefit his charity, A Better LA, and a new Web site for kids.

And he's got a football team that likely will be favored to win its eighth consecutive Pac-10 championship and again compete for a national title.

Word on the street is you guys have an intense quarterback competition going on over there: Where does that stand?

Pete Carroll: Guys have really battled hard and done well. We're pleased with the play at the quarterback position. The competition is going to continue. We'll name a guy who's going to start the spring game for us and then the competition will just continue. We've got to call something here after a month of playing. We'll find out what happens when we get back to camp in the fall.

You've told me in the past you prefer to anoint a quarterback as early as possible to allow him to develop into a clear leader: How will that be a part of the decision in the fall?

PC: We'd like to do that [name a starter], but you've got to do the right thing and let the competition play itself out. What that means is, in the past when we named Matt Leinart over Matt Cassel, it meant that Leinart was going first and Cassel was battling him. The competition remained on. It will be the same situation. It's a very hard-fought, close competition and in fairness it's going to take longer to know exactly what we are going to do for the long haul.

It seems like running backs Curtis McNeal and Marc Tyler have asserted themselves this spring: Have they done enough to eclipse the established guys?

PC: I don't think there's any question Curtis McNeal has. Marc Tyler has been hurt most of the spring -- he's only had a couple of days when he's full speed. He's done well. But McNeal has taken advantage of the opportunity to be out there every day and he's really been effective.

(Read full post)

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

ESPN's Chris Mortensen is reporting that USC has hired Jeremy Bates, the Denver Broncos' offensive coordinator under Mike Shanahan, to run the Trojans' offense next fall.

Here's more on the hire.

That would strongly suggest Carl Smith, who USC coach Pete Carroll recently hired as his quarterbacks coach with play-calling responsibilities, is headed to Cleveland.

Carroll previously promoted assistant John Morton to offensive coordinator, though his duties were understood from the beginning not to include play calling.

USC's offensive coordinator in 2008, Steve Sarkisian, is the new head coach for Washington.

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

Matt Leinart's tutor is returning to USC.

USC has hired Carl Smith, 60, to be USC's quarterbacks coach and assistant head coach overseeing the offense. Smith, the Jacksonville Jaguars' offensive coordinator the past two seasons, will call plays, though John Morton was promoted to offensive coordinator to replace Steve Sarkisian, now Washington's head coach.

The school also announced that Mark Jackson, 36, is returning to serve as senior associate athletic director for football. He previously was USC's director of football administration during Pete Carroll's first four seasons (2001-04), taking on the additional title of assistant athletic director in 2003.

Carroll also promoted secondary coach Rocky Seto to assistant head coach for defense, though the coordinator position vacated by Nick Holt, who joined Sarkisian at Washington, has yet to be filled.