USC 2021 Football Preview

2020 Recap

USC started their season in November because the Pac 12 delayed the start of their season more than any major conference. The season looked like it might be off to a rough start as the Trojans trailed late in their first two games against Arizona State and Arizona, but rallied late for the win in both games. The season wasn’t necessarily off to a smooth start but the Trojans were 2 – 0.

The Trojans would play better the next two weeks and came away with easier wins over Utah and Washington State. The Trojans were 4 – 0 heading into their rivalry game with UCLA, where they got off to a poor start and fell behind 28 – 10 early in the third quarter. USC would rally to outscore UCLA 33 – 10 the rest of the way and secure a 43 – 38 win and an undefeated regular season.

USC won the Pac 12 South but made too many mistakes in the Pac 12 Championship Game to win the conference. They elected to opt out of the Bowl game and instead finished their season at 5 – 1. The six game season was hardly enough to draw conclusions from, but the Trojans won their division and provided hope that the program is back on track.

2020 Leaders

Projected Starters

Reasons For Optimism

Kedon Slovis

USC has a third year starter at the most important position on the field, with Kedon Slovis again starting at quarterback. Slovis wasn’t as efficient in 2020 as 2019, but that could be a result of the strange off-season and shortened preseason. In 2019, he averaged 8.9 yards per attempt, completed over 70 percent of his passes and threw 30 touchdowns against just 9 interceptions. While all of those numbers took a step back in 2020, it’s easy to see him returning to form with a more traditional off-season this year. With Slovis playing like a star again, the USC offense will be difficult to contain in 2021.

Talented Receivers

The quarterback position is obviously an important part of USC’s air raid offense, but the receivers are also key. The Trojans will have a young group of receivers but they are talented and should thrive in the pass happy offensive scheme. Drake London is the proven star among the group and the third year player will be looked at to lead the less experienced players while they establish themselves. He will be joined by Bru McCoy, Gary Bryant Jr and Kyle Ford all of whom were top recruits that will have the oppotunity to prove themselves this year. USC also added transfers KD Nixon and Tahj Washington to add some experience and production to the position. USC has a talented and diverse group of receivers that will help Slovis elevate the offense this season.

Talented Defensive Line

On defense the Trojans have a talented defensive front that will give offensive coordinators all kinds of trouble. On the outside Drake Jackson is a DE/LB that is very effective rushing the passer and will play opposite Nick Figueroa who emerged in 2020, recording 3.5 sacks in six games. USC has also added top defensive end recruit Korey Foreman to the program. Even as a true freshman Foreman will see the field and should make an early impact. At defensive tackle the Trojans have Tuli Tuipulotu who shined as a freshman in 2020 and should be ready for a larger impact in 2021. The addition of nose tackle Ishmael Sophser from Alabama solidifies that position with one of the top defensive tackle recruits in the 2019 class. USC has players with star potential across the defensive front and has some young players ready to establish themselves as well. The ingredients are in place for a formidable defensive line in 2021.

Causes For Concern

Production at RB

The air raid offense is excellent for the passing game, but does little to boost the running game. USC struggled mightily to run the ball in 2020, averaging just 3.17 yards per carry as a team. While the running game is not a point of emphasis in the offense, it still needs to provide better production than it did last season. The Trojans have added Keaontay Ingram from Texas as a transfer to help bolster the rushing offense. Ingram averaged over five yards per carry over the last two seasons while running for over 1,000 yards over that span. He will need to provide a consistent running threat that can help keep defenses honest and balance out the offensive attack some.

Offensive Line

The USC offensive line had it’s struggles in 2020 as well, and that was with first round draft pick Alijah Vera-Tucker manning the left tackle spot. The Trojan’s return the other four starters, but lose Vera-Tucker who was clearly their best offensive lineman last year. The offensive line is at least partially to blame for the inability to run the ball effectively. Additionally, even with Vera-Tucker at left tackle the Trojans gave up 2.5 sacks per game, good for third worst in the Pac 12. For an offense to succeed throwing the ball as much as USC does, the protection has to be better and the running game has to neutralize the pass rush a bit. Now with their best individual player moving on to the NFL, USC will have to improve in both areas in 2021 for the offense to reach it’s potential.

2021 Schedule

Top 25 Players

2021 Projection

USC has a favorable cross-over schedule this year, they avoid Oregon and Washington in the regular season. The Trojans have one tough game before the bye week against Utah, but get to play the Utes at home. The Trojans have a good chance to be undefeated heading into the bye and will have the extra week to prepare for a tough road game against Notre Dame. Two weeks after Notre Dame, USC will play at Arizona State and at California before finishing the season at home against rival UCLA and BYU. The second half of the schedule is considerably more challenging than the first half, but if USC can build momentum over the first half they could finish the regular season with ten wins and have a good chance to make the Pac 12 Championship Game. .