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Pac 10 Preview: USC Trojans
By Alex English | August 22, 2008
Being a USC fan and a fantasy player considering Trojans for your team this season must be a lot like being one of the high school kids on that MTV show where they “win” a date with a beautiful celebrity to their Senior Prom. At first it sounds great and sure, you are going to have the best looking date there but you know it’s going nowhere and in retrospect you would have been better off taking the pretty cute girl in your 5th period science class. Likewise, USC has TONS of talent at every skill position but much like taking Jessica Alba to the prom, beyond the overflowing looks (or talent in USC’s case), picking Trojans as draft day “dates” for your roster runs the serious risk of very little production beyond the last song… errrr… draft.
Tons of talent oozes from every skill position offensively and along with every single big-time potential superstar at each position comes a huge question mark of platoon (RBs), injury risk (QB), and/or unrealized potential (WRs). There are easily ten offensive skill position players on this team that could be elite level fantasy studs in the right situations of health, depth chart and performing to potential.
As it stands however, I’m not endorsing or drafting a single Trojan offensive player for my fantasy squad. Even if Pete Carroll himself decides to get under center (top left, Icon SMI).
Let’s start at QB to tell this woeful fantasy tale of a BCS title game contender without viable fantasy options. Mark Sanchez (Jr.) has the potential to have his name sound perfectly in place in the recent USC QB lineage of Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart, and John David Booty. The problem is Sanchez’s health after suffering a dislocated knee cap this preseason, as well as another very talented signal caller, Mitch Mustain (So.), waiting right behind him for the first sign of injury (check!) or lackluster play. Count me amongst those who think Mustain is the better pure QB talent. After his drama-filled recruitment process as the nation’s top blue-chip prospect and even more drama-filled freshman season and power struggle saga with Head Coach Houston Nutt at Arkansas, Mustain transferred to USC. He did this knowing he would have to battle and beat Sanchez if he planned to have more than just his senior year (2010) to showcase his talent as a starter. That opportunity may come as early as the season opener Aug 30th at Virginia and the subsequent showdown with Ohio State Sept. 13 at the Coliseum. If Sanchez is back healthy for the opener the job is his (for now), but if Mustain gets the opportunity and shines, all bets are off. And we haven’t even taken this to the next step of discussing the younger crop of talent at the QB position, namely redshirt Fr. Aaron Corp, chomping at the bit behind those two. Despite all the talent here, I’m not touching this situation until something clear and productive shakes out.
The RB position is even more frustrating from a fantasy perspective with at least three guys who could be top 10 RBs if carrying the load alone. You know you are in fantasy RB by committee hell when you have a RB that is on many Heisman watch lists, yet is listed second on the depth chart. I realize that Pete Carroll and staff were able to make a committee work for both the Trojans and fantasy players in the past with LenDale White and Reggie Bush. Some may be inclined to think that duel back fantasy production can be repeated again this year with Stafon Johnson (Jr) and Joe McKnight (So.). I might even be inclined to agree if there wasn’t yet a third equally talented back in the mix in CJ Gable, plus the presence of stud fullback Stanley Havili. Havili is one of the best blocking backs in the country but also is a strong goal line option to potentially vulture a significant number of scores from the tailback trio. Gable has lightning speed and, by most accounts, the best vision of the bunch. Stafon Johnson can run over you or around you at 6-0, 210 lbs and returns as the leading rusher with 673 yards and 5 TDs last year. McKnight is probably the most talented and electric of the bunch and will likely play the Reggie Bush role, giving him a chance for touches from all over the formation in both the running and passing game. If one of these guys emerges with significantly more opportunities he will be a fantasy gem, but predicting if, who, and when that may shake out is too risky to reach for any of them beyond a later flyer in drafts.
The WR corps is best described as very deep, very physically gifted, and very underachieving to this point in their careers. There are six of them that could legitimately be #1 targets at most other schools based on their talent, but with all six sharing the downfield end of the passing game with no one having a clear-cut primary role, they all become very skilled but very useless fantasy options. Vidal Hazelton (6-3, 210, Jr.) returns to his starting role as the team’s leading returning WR with 50 rec. for 540 yards and 5 TDs last season. The most physically impressive guy in the bunch is 6-5, 220 lb Sr. Patrick Turner. If Turner can finally reach his potential with the motivation of potential NFL riches, he may be the best fantasy play. David Ausberry (6-4, 225, So.), Damian Williams (6-1, 190, So.), Ronald Johnson (6-1, 185, So.) and another Arkansas transfer, Damian Williams (6-1, 190 So.) round out what will likely amount to the deepest WR rotation in the nation.
It’s amazing that with so much talent, the first viable fantasy option we come to on this team is the defense and “viable” really doesn’t come close to doing them justice. This defense is one of the top tier elite fantasy defenses in the country. I give them the nod over the likes of Ohio State, LSU and Oklahoma in that upper echelon. The seven that they return defensively could all end up playing on Sundays next year and three or four of those could be first round picks. Boasting the best secondary and best group of linebackers in the country along with a solid D-line that combines talented youth with Sr. experience at both the interior and D-end positions, this unit should absolutely dominate this year.
The special teams has choices amongst some of the most electric return men in the country, and they return steady PK David Buehler who could be a sleeper if the USC offense moves the ball and puts up the points they’re expected to earn.
This team is a legit national title contender… again. But unlike years past when there were great fantasy options to enjoy along the ride, this year the Trojans’ stable of talent is literally too deep to have clear cut fantasy players. At least at draft time, I am steering clear of all the high risk, high reward USC offensive players and targeting the defense as the only one I might be willing to reach for a little early to beat the defensive draft run. With complete uncertainty about who is going to get the looks and touches at all three positions, I am staying away from the tempting but risky production talents and I’ll take the girl from science class to the prom.
Topics: Alex English, College Football, Pac 10, Preview |
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