Projecting USC football's depth chart after spring camp

There will still be some moving pieces, but here's our best guess for how USC will line up this fall

Last Saturday's spring game and Thursday's press conference from Lincoln Riley wrapped up USC football's spring camp.

After 14 practices and the game, SI All Trojans writer Connor Morrissette projects out USC's depth chart heading into the 2023 season below. Keep in mind, the transfer portal closes on April 30, so there may be a few tweaks with the depth chart in the future. 

PROJECTED DEPTH CHART AS OF APRIL 20

Quarterback

1. Caleb Williams (Jr.)

2. Miller Moss (R-So.)

3. Malachi Nelson (Fr.)

4. Jake Jensen (R-So.)

Riley just about confirmed that Moss will be QB 2 next season in his press conference on Thursday: "The depth chart and those decisions don't get made until later on, but Miller is pretty clearly the second guy right now," he said. "That's no surprise."

Running back

1. Austin Jones (R-Sr.) OR MarShawn Lloyd (R-Jr.)

2. Darwin Barlow (R-Sr.) OR Quinten Joyner (Fr.) OR A'Marion Peterson (Fr.)

After spring camp, Jones and Lloyd are the two guys at the top of the depth chart. I expect them to rotate in and out with the Trojans' top group. With Raleek Brown playing a lot of slot receiver, there's now an opening for a third back heading into the fall. Joyner was USC's most consistent offensive player in the spring game. He could certainly carve out a real role in the fall. Expect Brown to still get some carries too. 

Wide receiver

1. Brenden Rice (Sr.), Dorian Singer (Jr.), Mario Williams (Jr.)

2. Michael Jackson III (Jr.), Tahj Washington (R-Sr.), Zachariah Branch (Fr.)

3. Kyron Hudson (R-So.), Ja'Kobi Lane (Fr.), Makai Lemon (Fr.) OR Raleek Brown (So.)

USC's wide receiver room is loaded and I expect every non-freshman scholarship wideout to see the field this fall. Right now, Rice, Singer and Williams look like the three starters. It's a very deep room, but Riley has shown in the past that he'll play a lot of receivers. 

Branch has been described as having unlimited potential by the USC staff — he'll have a role. I see Brown as being a Swiss army knife in the fall. Look for him to line up all over the place including still in the backfield after spending last year as a running back. 

Tight end

1. Lake McRee (R-So.) OR Duce Robinson (Fr.)

2. Carson Tabaracci (R-Fr.) OR Kade Eldridge (Fr.) OR Jude Wolfe (R-Sr.)

McRree was at the top of the depth chart all spring. He'll certainly be pushed by Robinson though. Tabaracci, who moved over from defense this spring, and Eldridge will likely be behind those two. Wolfe has missed so much time in his career due to injuries, it's tough to envision him having a major role. 

Offensive line

LT: Michael Tarquin (R-Jr.)

LG: Gino Quinones (R-Sr.)

C: Justin Dedich (R-Sr.)

RG: Jarrett Kingston (R-Sr.)

RT: Jonah Monheim (R-Jr.) 

That's how USC's offensive line lined up this spring. 

Mason Murphy (R-So.) will compete for time at left and right tackle. Cooper Lovelace (R-Sr.) can play at either guard spot and Andrew Milek (R-Jr.) can play center. Andres Dewerk (R-Jr.) is a reserve guard. Early enrollee Elijah Paige (Fr.) is a future tackle. USC will also have four more freshmen enter the mix in the summer in tackle Tobias Raymond and interior linemen Amos Talalele, Micah Banuelos, Alani Noa.

This room will likely look different in the coming days with USC planning to add some upperclassmen depth on the offensive line from the transfer portal. Houston transfer Cam'Ron Johnson is deciding between USC and Missouri and USC offered Wyoming transfer Emmanuel Pregnon a scholarship on Wednesday.

Nose tackle and defensive tackle

1. Kyon Barrs (Sr.) and Jack Sullivan (R-Sr)

2. Stanley Ta'ufo'ou (R-Jr.) and Tyrone Taleni (Sr.) OR Dejon Benton (R-Sr.)

USC is also looking to use the portal to add on the interior of the defensive line. Georgia transfer Bear Alexander is visiting USC this weekend. If he signs, that would shake up USC's depth chart as Alexander would be a certain starter. 

Earl Barquet Jr. (R-Sr.), Jamar Sekona (R-Jr.) and Deijon Laffitte (Fr.) will all fight for playing time at nose tackle. Colin Mobley (R-So.) is a reserve defensive tackle. Devan Thompkins (R-Fr.) can play inside or at defensive end. He'll be in a reserve role at whatever spot he ends up playing. Kobe Pepe (R-Jr.) participated in USC's spring camp, but is in the transfer portal. 

Defensive end

1. Anthony Lucas (So.)

2. Solomon Tuliaupupu (R-Sr.)

3. Korey Foreman (Jr.)

USC's players and coaches have raved about Lucas this spring. By all accounts Tuliaupupu has had a great spring session too. Foreman is third in line here, but he should still see some time. Foreman may play inside from time to time as well.

RUSH end

1. Jamil Muhammad (R-Sr.)

2. Sam Greene (Fr.)

3. Romello Height (R-Jr.)  OR Solomon Byrd (R-Sr.)

4. Braylan Shelby (Fr.) OR David Peevy (Fr.) OR Elijah Hughes 

Muhammad is comfortably the starter here. Greene played well enough over the past two months to supplant Height and Byrd as Muhammad's backup. Both Height and Byrd were injured this spring. Shelby, Peevy and Hughes may play rush end or they may play defensive end. None of them have enrolled yet, so their positions aren't 100% locked in. 

Linebacker

1. Mason Cobb (Sr.) and Shane Lee (Sr.) OR Eric Gentry (Jr.)

2. Raesjon Davis (Jr.) and Tackett Curtis (Fr.)

3. Chris Thompson Jr. (Sr.) and Garrison Madden (R-Fr.)

Cobb and Lee are the likely starters, but Gentry may bump Lee in fall camp when he's healthy. Putting Curtis so high up goes to show how big of an impact he's made in the spring. Davis is pushing hard to earn playing time too.

Nickel

1. Jaylin Smith (Jr.) OR Latrell McCutchin (Jr.)

Smith took the first team reps at nickel over the past few weeks and he started in the spring game. McCutchin started in the Cotton Bowl in January and began last season ahead of Smith on the depth chart. McCutchin was hurt and missed the end of spring camp — he'll certainly push Smith when he's healthy. Zion Branch, who I list as a safety, and Prophet Brown, who I list as a corner, could also factor in at nickel in the fall.

Cornerback

1. Ceyair Wright (R-So.) and Domani Jackson (So.)

2. Christian Roland-Wallace (Sr.) and Jacobe Covington (R-Jr.)

3. Prophet Brown (R-So.) OR Fabian Ross (R-Fr.) OR Maliki Crawford (Fr.)

There's still competition to come at cornerback. Wright and Jackson started in the spring game. Wright seems like a good bet to start in the fall, but Roland-Wallace and Covington, who had two picks in the spring game, will push Wright and Jackson. Nothing is set in stone. This is a position that could see a lot of rotating. 

Safety 

1. Calen Bullock (Jr.) and Bryson Shaw (R-Sr.)

2. Max Williams (R-Sr.) and Christian Pierce (Fr.)

3. Xamarion Gordon (R-So.) OR Anthony Beavers (R-So.) OR Zion Branch (R-Fr.)

Shaw looks to have taken over Williams' starting job from last year based on how things have played out in the spring. USC needs better production from whoever plays alongside Bullock though, so expect Shaw to be pushed by everyone below him. Pierce is a player to watch. He could play in the fall. 

Specialists

Punter and kick off: Edward Czaplicki (Jr.)

Kicker: Denis Lynch (R-So.)