Checking Out The Depth Chart
posted by Scott Hood on Friday, June 29, 2007
USC released a depth chart a few day ago that, in my opinion, contained few surprises. But it did provide a mouth-watering preview of several fierce position battles expected to spice up fall camp.
The most hostile fight may come at outside linebacker where incumbent Rodney Paulk must hold off Marvin Sapp and Cody Wells to remain the starter. Paulk started 10 of 13 games last season as a true freshman, earning SEC All-Freshman honors.
Ironically, Sapp was the backup for most of last season despite finishing with more tackles (51) than Paulk (36). But Sapp underwent surgery a couple of months ago for an ankle injury sustained in the Garnet and Black game. He's in the final stages of recovery and should be ready to compete for the job when fall camp begins.
The third candidate, Cody Wells, missed the final three games last season with a torn bicep muscle. He's 100 percent now and he hopes his experience will provide him with an edge in the three-way fight.
While Jasper Brinkley will start at middle linebacker, you can be sure fiery backup Dustin Lindsey won't concede the position to him. Lindsey is still rehabilitating from ACL surgery but should be close to 100 percent when camp opens.
Captain Munnerlyn (36 tackles, 2 interceptions in 2006) and Stoney Woodson (team high 3 interceptions), two of the fastest players on the team, will skirmish to win the starting cornerback job opposite Carlos Thomas, who should beat out Chris Hail. The strongest competition in the secondary could come from heralded recruits Jamire Williams or Akeem Auguste, or possibly someone else.
Not surprisingly, the addition along the defensive line of five talented newcomers, four of whom are freshman, means all four positions in USC's standard 4-3 defense are up for grabs.
The best battle should come at defensive tackle where Ladi Ajiboye, close to unblockable in the spring, is listed ahead of junior Marque Hall, the starter at the beginning of 2006 until he suffered a season-ending knee injury against Georgia. Hall may be USC's best overall lineman but he'll have to beat out Ajiboye to prove it. Hall has two seasons of eligibility remaining, so the Ajiboye-Hall tussle could last well into the 2008 season.
The defensive end positions should feature spirited battles between Eric Norwood (starter) and Travian Robertson on one side and Jordin Lindsey (starter), Jonathan Williams and Clifton Geathers on the other. Only one of those five players (Lindsey) is a senior.
And the current depth chart doesn't even factor in Cheraw's Cliff Matthews, one of USC's top recruits. Matthews vowed this week when I spoke with him to make a run for a starting job.
Nathan Pepper started 12 of 13 games last season but he'll have to hold off mammoth redshirt freshman Kenrick Ellis (6-foot-5, 327 pounds) to retain his spot.
Offensively, the position battles to watch will come at wide receiver and the offensive line. Kenny McKinley and Moe West are listed as the starters at receiver with Mike West, Jared Cook, Larry Freeman and Freddie Brown listed as the backups.
But things could, and probably will, change between now and the opening game Sept. 1 against Louisiana-Lafayette. The only receiver who has a position secured is McKinley, who has 76 career receptions. With highly-touted recruits Chris Culliver, Jason Barnes, Joseph Hills and Dion Lecorn ready to come on board in July, it's possible the depth chart at wide receiver when the season opens could be dominated by freshman.
The offensive line will feature hard-fought fights at both guard spots. That's not unexpected considering Steve Spurrier pronounced both jobs "wide open" when spring practice concluded and throughout the Gamecock Club tour. Nothing has changed in that regard.
Sophomore Garrett Anderson is listed as the starter at one guard position with Matt Raysor, Seaver Brown and Pierre Andrews behind him. James Thompson, playing his final season with USC, will try to hold off converted defensive lineman Lemuel Jeanpierre, one of the hardest and most dedicated workers on the team, and Kevin Young.
What would have been the odds a few months ago that the starting guards for the season opener would be Matt Raysor and Lemuel Jeanpierre? The college football gods are acting up again.
MOST WATCHED POSITION BATTLES
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Summertime depth charts are similar to pre-season college basketball polls. They're fairly meaningless because they typically don't take the incoming freshman class into consideration. But they're worth a quick look anyway.
USC released a depth chart a few day ago that, in my opinion, contained few surprises. But it did provide a mouth-watering preview of several fierce position battles expected to spice up fall camp.
The most hostile fight may come at outside linebacker where incumbent Rodney Paulk must hold off Marvin Sapp and Cody Wells to remain the starter. Paulk started 10 of 13 games last season as a true freshman, earning SEC All-Freshman honors.
Ironically, Sapp was the backup for most of last season despite finishing with more tackles (51) than Paulk (36). But Sapp underwent surgery a couple of months ago for an ankle injury sustained in the Garnet and Black game. He's in the final stages of recovery and should be ready to compete for the job when fall camp begins.
The third candidate, Cody Wells, missed the final three games last season with a torn bicep muscle. He's 100 percent now and he hopes his experience will provide him with an edge in the three-way fight.
While Jasper Brinkley will start at middle linebacker, you can be sure fiery backup Dustin Lindsey won't concede the position to him. Lindsey is still rehabilitating from ACL surgery but should be close to 100 percent when camp opens.
Captain Munnerlyn (36 tackles, 2 interceptions in 2006) and Stoney Woodson (team high 3 interceptions), two of the fastest players on the team, will skirmish to win the starting cornerback job opposite Carlos Thomas, who should beat out Chris Hail. The strongest competition in the secondary could come from heralded recruits Jamire Williams or Akeem Auguste, or possibly someone else.
Not surprisingly, the addition along the defensive line of five talented newcomers, four of whom are freshman, means all four positions in USC's standard 4-3 defense are up for grabs.
The best battle should come at defensive tackle where Ladi Ajiboye, close to unblockable in the spring, is listed ahead of junior Marque Hall, the starter at the beginning of 2006 until he suffered a season-ending knee injury against Georgia. Hall may be USC's best overall lineman but he'll have to beat out Ajiboye to prove it. Hall has two seasons of eligibility remaining, so the Ajiboye-Hall tussle could last well into the 2008 season.
The defensive end positions should feature spirited battles between Eric Norwood (starter) and Travian Robertson on one side and Jordin Lindsey (starter), Jonathan Williams and Clifton Geathers on the other. Only one of those five players (Lindsey) is a senior.
And the current depth chart doesn't even factor in Cheraw's Cliff Matthews, one of USC's top recruits. Matthews vowed this week when I spoke with him to make a run for a starting job.
Nathan Pepper started 12 of 13 games last season but he'll have to hold off mammoth redshirt freshman Kenrick Ellis (6-foot-5, 327 pounds) to retain his spot.
Offensively, the position battles to watch will come at wide receiver and the offensive line. Kenny McKinley and Moe West are listed as the starters at receiver with Mike West, Jared Cook, Larry Freeman and Freddie Brown listed as the backups.
But things could, and probably will, change between now and the opening game Sept. 1 against Louisiana-Lafayette. The only receiver who has a position secured is McKinley, who has 76 career receptions. With highly-touted recruits Chris Culliver, Jason Barnes, Joseph Hills and Dion Lecorn ready to come on board in July, it's possible the depth chart at wide receiver when the season opens could be dominated by freshman.
The offensive line will feature hard-fought fights at both guard spots. That's not unexpected considering Steve Spurrier pronounced both jobs "wide open" when spring practice concluded and throughout the Gamecock Club tour. Nothing has changed in that regard.
Sophomore Garrett Anderson is listed as the starter at one guard position with Matt Raysor, Seaver Brown and Pierre Andrews behind him. James Thompson, playing his final season with USC, will try to hold off converted defensive lineman Lemuel Jeanpierre, one of the hardest and most dedicated workers on the team, and Kevin Young.
What would have been the odds a few months ago that the starting guards for the season opener would be Matt Raysor and Lemuel Jeanpierre? The college football gods are acting up again.
MOST WATCHED POSITION BATTLES
POSITION STARTER BACKUPS
Def. End Norwood Robertson
Def. End Lindsey Williams, Geathers
Def. Tackle Ajiboye Hall, Campbell
Outside LB Paulk Sapp, Wells, Wright
Cornerback Munnerlyn Woodson
Wide Receiver M. Brown Cook, F. Brown
Guard Anderson Raysor, S. Brown, Andrews
Guard Thompson Jeanpierre, Young
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Scott Hood. Since February of 2005, Scott has covered the South Carolina football, men's basketball and baseball programs for GamecockCentral. He may be reached by email at scottblog(at)gamecockcentral.com. Replace (at) with @.