The practices prior to the USC football team’s Alamo Bowl game against TCU served many purposes beyond getting ready for the final game of the season.
For two examples, it was a chance to play with teammates who were in their final year of eligibility as well as an opportunity for younger, less experienced players to step up.
“These practices mean everything,” defensive end Braylan Shelby told reporters before the bowl game. “It allows us to take a step back, work our way back up as well and go back through the fundamentals of football but also learning to play fast with all the new guys that we have.”
The Trojans’ defense will need to start fresh next season, and the defensive line will be at the core of it.
USC struggled to stop the run this season and finished 12th out of 18 Big Ten teams in rushing defense, allowing 143.23 yards per game and 15 rushing touchdowns overall. The passing defense was slightly better and ranked ninth in the conference at 207.5 yards per game.
A new defensive coordinator has yet to be named after the departure of D’Anton Lynn, and whoever the Trojans choose could have a dramatic effect on the defensive line.
If they choose to elevate co-defensive coordinator Eric Henderson — who called the defense in the Alamo Bowl — there may be a greater emphasis on the trenches.
Henderson was also the run game coordinator and defensive line coach this season and was the Rams’ defensive line coach/run game coordinator from 2019 to 2023. In his final season with the Rams, his unit was the eighth-ranked run defense in the league, according to Pro Football Focus.
Or, if they went with Hall of Fame coach Gary Patterson, the Trojans may get a complete defensive revamp — though the former TCU head coach hasn’t coached in five years.
Patterson was a defensive coordinator at TCU from 1998 to 2000 and at New Mexico from 1996 to 1997. He spend many years before that as a position coach, working primarily with linebackers and secondaries.
Whoever takes the reins of the defense will have a crop of talented returning defensive tackles and two defensive ends in Shelby and Kamryn Crawford, who have already proven themselves.
As the first transfer portal window has wrapped – although exceptions are always possible – here’s a full breakdown of the movement on USC’s defensive line entering spring, the third in a six-part series examining the post-portal scholarship outlook for every part of the roster.
Defensive tackle
Returning: Jamaal Jarrett, R-Soph.; Jahkeem Stewart, Fr.; Kash Amos, R-Jr.; Floyd Boucard, Fr.; Brendan Cho, R-Fr.; Jide Abasiri, Soph.; Cash Jacobson, Fr.
Arriving: Jaimeon Winfield (Texas); Simote Katoanga (Santa Margarita); Jake Johnson (Texas); Malik Brooks (St. Pius X-St. Matthias); Alex Van Sumeren, R-Jr. (Transfer, Michigan State)
Departing: Keeshawn Silver, R-Sr. (Eligibility); Kobe Pepe, R-Sr. (Eligibility); Gus Cordova, Fr. (Portal, Mississippi State); Devan Thompkins, R-Jr. (Portal, Alabama); Carlon Jones, Soph. (Portal, unknown)
Defensive end/edge rusher
Returning: Kamryn Crawford, Soph.; Braylan Shelby, Jr.; Garrett Pomerantz, R-Jr.; Jadyn Ramos, Fr.
Arriving: Luke Wafle (New Jersey); Andrew Williams (Fremont); Zuriah Fisher, Sr. (transfer, Penn State)
Departing: Anthony Lucas, Sr. (eligibility)
Top questions
Will Jahkeem Stewart dominate this season?
Stewart was primed for a breakout freshman season at defensive tackle, but injury held him back. Even with the stress fracture in his foot that he played through the entire season, Stewart finished second on the team in tackles for loss with 7.5 and racked up 18 tackles and 1.5 sacks in 11 games.
His performance earned him recognition as a FWAA Freshman All-American, creating a three-year streak of USC players earning the accolade. Elijah Paige earned it as an offensive lineman last season and Zachariah Branch was recognized as a punt returner in 2023.
At full health and with an offseason of working with Trojans performance coach Trumain Carroll, Stewart’s talent has a high ceiling.
Who will lead the Trojans in sacks?
USC was sixth in the Big Ten in team sacks last season with 31, and those sacks were spread nearly equally between multiple players. Defensive end Kameryn Crawford led the team in getting to the quarterback with 5.5 sacks for a loss of 34 yards, and 12 other players recorded at least one sack.
The top three players in that category were either defensive tackles or defensive ends. Edge rusher Braylan Shelby had 4.5 sacks for a loss of 17 yards and defensive tackle Jide Abasiri had 3.5 for a loss of 24.
An elite defensive player who can rush the quarterback would earn respect around USC and possibly become the leader that the defense will need.
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