TrojanNYC.com

Video: Trojan Highlights From Around the NFL - Preseason Week #2

Nice highlights of Rey, Keith, and Mark among others.

Videos From The NFL Combine

Here are some videos from the combine this past weekend:

• Sedrick Ellis benching 225lbs 34 times.

• Fred Davis going through some TE drills and surprisingly dropping a bunch of passes. 

• Chilo Rachal running his 40 and going through drills. 

• John David Booty interview. 

• Keith Rivers interview.

• Sedrick Ellis interview plus highlights from the season.

• Lawrence Jackson interview. 

Today is the Defensive Line & Linebackers workout and Tuesday is Cornerbacks & Safeties. 

New Rivals NFL Mock Draft

From Rivals.com:

4. Oakland (4-12)
The Pick:  Sedrick Ellis, DT, Southern Cal
The buzz:  Veteran tackle Warren Sapp has joined the retirement list, and Ellis is flying up the charts.

9. Cincinnati (7-9)
The Pick:  Keith Rivers, LB, Southern Cal
The buzz:  The Bengals defense has struggled with young linebackers, and Rivers is a proven playmaker.

19. Philadelphia (8-8)
The Pick:  Lawrence Jackson, DE, Southern Cal
The buzz:  A pass rusher like Jackson would allow the Eagles to solidify their front seven on defense.

Surprising how fast Fred Davis/Sam Baker have fallen off draft boards.

Revisiting SC's 5-Star Recruits from 2004

From FoxSports.com:

1. OL Jeff Byers, USC

In terms of perseverance, you might need to break out a sixth star for Byers, who battled his way back from serious injuries to start at guard last season and play in 13 games. After looking like a blue-chipper as a true freshman in 2004, he missed all of 2005 and 2006 with torn cartilage in his hip and back problems, respectively. Byers played well in his first season back with USC, showing hints of why he was so highly touted coming out of high school, and laying the foundation for what should be an ever better final season.

Revised Rating: 2 stars

11. WR Fred Davis, USC

Relatively anonymous through the first three years, Davis erupted his senior season, parlaying 62 catches for 881 yards and eight touchdowns into the 2007 Mackey Award. A rangy wide receiver coming out of Rogers (Ohio) High School, he added a few pounds and adjusted well as a seam-splitting tight end with a knack for making acrobatic grabs. The most prolific tight end in USC history, Davis should be plucked in one of the first two rounds of April's NFL Draft.

Revised Rating: 4.5 stars

12. LB Keith Rivers, USC

A three-year starter on the weakside, Rivers distinguished himself as one of the nation's most complete linebackers, tough enough to defend the run and athletic enough to cover the pass. He finished his Trojan career with 240 tackles, twice earning first team All-Pac-10 honors, while getting plenty of All-America recognition a year ago. Destined to have a long career in the NFL, Rivers could be off the board by the end of the first round in April.

Revised Rating: 5 stars

13. DE Jeff Schweiger, USC

While Schweiger started fast as a true freshman, injuries and all that Trojan depth prevented him from ever carrving out any sustained level of excellence. He got buried on the depth chart, eventually opting last year to return home to San Jose, where he'll play for Dick Tomey and the Spartans in 2008. In a different environment and against lesser competition, Schweiger has a second chance to impress pro scouts and add a couple of stars to his revised rating.

Revised Rating: 1.5 stars

Jeff Byers' rating is too harsh on the fact that he still has two years left of eligibility (Jeff will gain an extra year from NCAA for medical reasons).  When you consider that Jeff was the best offensive lineman we had last season and has a real possibility of being an All-American next season, you have to give the guy at least a 3-star rating.

USC Players Who Must Live Up To The Hype

From ESPN.com:

Top 5 Offensive Players Who Must Live Up To The Hype

1. Sam Baker, OT, Southern California
Biggest pro: Agility.
Biggest con: Bulk/strength.
Biggest questions: Can he add enough bulk and strength to make a solid contribution as a run-blocker in the NFL? In turn, will he develop more of a mean streak?
Draft projection: Mid-first round.

4. Fred Davis, TE, Southern California
Biggest pro: Seam-stretching receiver.
Biggest con: Lack of strength as an in-line blocker.
Biggest question: Is he functional enough as a blocker to play traditional tight end role in the NFL?
Draft projection: Mid-to-late first round.

Top 5 Defensive Players Who Must Live Up To The Hype

1. Sedrick Ellis, DT, Southern California
Biggest pro: Explosive quickness.
Biggest con: Durability.
Biggest questions: Can he anchor versus bigger blockers when teams run at him? Can he avoid the injury bug at the next level?
Draft projection: Top-10 pick.

3. Keith Rivers, OLB, Southern California
Biggest pro: Motor and leadership.
Biggest con: Not a playmaker in passing game.
Biggest questions: Is he as fast and athletic as the perception? Is he truly an elite prospect or a bit overrated due to sensational supporting cast at USC?
Draft projection: Mid-to-late first round.

Interesting that they said Sam Baker lacks a mean streak; I always thought that was one of Sam's strengths.  I hate to say it, but Sam had an underwhelming year that was reminiscent, injuries and all, of a recent Trojan NFL bust by the name of Jacob Rogers.

Senior Bowl Weigh-In

 

From NFLDraftCountdown.com:

John David Booty (USC) - 6023, 213, 31 1/8, 8 3/8
Notes: Pretty ordinary and did not stand out.

Chauncey Washington (USC) - 5114, 215, 30 4/8, 9 5/8
Notes: Looked pretty strong and thick.

Fred Davis (USC) - 6025, 250, 33 2/8, 9 4/8
Notes: Strong and cut with a solid build.

Sam Baker (USC) - 6044, 308, 32 3/8, 8 2/8
Notes: Solid and looked bigger than expected.

Drew Radovich (USC) - 6043, 302, 33 4/8, 9
Notes: Appeared soft and unimpressive overall.

Sedrick Ellis (USC) - 600, 308, 32 4/8, 8 3/8
Notes: Looked big, stout and very solid.

Lawrence Jackson (USC) - 6043, 261, 33 6/8, 8 4/8
Notes: Big but was not overly impressive.

Keith Rivers (USC) - 6017, 236, 33, 10 3/8
Notes: Impressive. Cut, strong and athletic.

Terrell Thomas (USC) - 6003, 197, 33 3/8, 8 2/8
Notes: Did not really stand out in any one way.

The numbers mean:  (1) height, (2) weight, (3) arm length, and (4) hand length.  So JDB is 6'2 and 3/8", weighs 213lbs, and so on.  Based on the reports I read, Sedrick Ellis, Fred Davis, and Keith Rivers had the best performances from day one.  Here's a link to the video highlights from today's practice. 

All Pac-10 Conference Football Team Announced

From Pac-10.org:

1st Team

Offense

TE - Fred Davis, SR
OL - Chilo Rachal, JR
OL - Sam Baker, SR:

Defense

DL - Sedrick Ellis, SR
DL - Lawrence Jackson, SR
LB - Keith Rivers, SR
LB - Rey Maualuga, JR
DB - Kevin Ellison, JR

2nd Team

Defense

DB - Terrell Thomas, SR

Honorable Mention

LB - Brian Cushing, JR
DL - Everson Griffen, FR
DB - Cary Harris, JR
DB - Taylor Mays, SO
RB/PR - Joe McKnight, FR
OT - Drew Radovich, SR
OL - Matt Spanos, SR
RB - Chauncey Washington, SR
LB - Thomas Williams, SR

Sedrick Ellis also won the "Pat Tillman Defensive Player of the Year" award.  I thought the list was pretty solid especially compared to Rivals.com list, but the only omission that surprised me was Jeff Byers; he should have at least made it to the 2nd team.  Congrats to all the players.

SI.com's Top 10 Defensive Prospects

 

From SI.com:

Defensive

#9 - Keith Rivers, OLB

• The athletic defender is constantly around the action making positive plays. He'll be the top pure weak side linebacker available next April.

#7 - Rey Maualuga, LB

• An explosive force in the middle of the field, Maualuga reminds many of Junior Seau.

#5 - Sedrick Ellis, DT

• Small in stature for his position, Ellis looms as a large presence on the football field. One of the most consistent players on a talented Trojans defense.

There were no Trojans on the offensive list.  No surprise when it comes to defense, although I think Rey and Keith should be flipped. 

TNYC Stanford Review

Here's my review of the game:

• Positive - Sedrick Ellis Continues His Strong Play
  

• Although Sed didn't have a strong 4th quarter, he was absolutely dominating the 1st two and a half quarters and finished with 6 tackles and 3 sacks.  The consistency in which Sed has played will make him a sure-fire 1st round pick in the draft next year. 

• Negative - The Entire Offense
  

• Last week I singled out Booty for his poor play, but this week it was the entire offense's fault.  The receivers played lackadaisical making silly drops and showed no ability to gain any significant YAC.  The O-Line was flat out terrible in the 4th quarter giving Booty little time to throw.  JDB was again off-target on the majority of his throws, locked onto receivers, made poor decisions, and showed no ability to avert pressure and make a play.  The only bright spot on the offense was Fred Davis (and maybe RoJo), but even Fred made a crucial turnover. 

• Player of the Game - Sedrick Ellis
  

• Sed was in the backfield the entire 1st half and really showed his freakish strength and athleticism on a few of the sacks.  He and Keith Rivers have been the most consistent performers on the team. 
  

• Play of the Game - Fred Davis' 63 Yard TD Reception
  

• Very nice play on Fred's part in angling his body to break a tackle on the sideline and then showcasing his speed to take it to the house. 
  

• Final Thoughts... - How Will PC Adjust?

• So how will PC adjust to this loss?  My guess is he'll maintain the status quo for the most part.  He will of course address the turnover issues in practice this week, etc., but in terms of personnel, I doubt any changes will be made.  Do I agree with this?  In any season post 2001, I would have agreed with Coach Carroll, but I think a big change is in need largely because I see the current problem being more than just a technical issue (will elaborate later). 
  

Every game from here on out has to be an emphatic victory.  The NC is no longer within our control and the only thing we can do from this point is win big in every game and restore this team's credibility amongst the pollsters.  No better team to start with than a 2-4 Arizona team at the Coliseum.  Let's take it week to week...

TNYC Washington St. Review

Here are my thoughts on last night's game:

• Positive - JDB's Play
  

• JDB looked real sharp last night.  Apart from his one bad throw for an INT, I thought he made great decisions the entire night.  Yes, Wazzu has a pretty poor pass defense, but a solid performance is a solid performance. 
  

• Negative - Third Down Defense
  

• Not many negatives in this game, but if there was one it would have to be our defense on third downs.  The 3rd and 18 play in the 1st quarter was plain ugly.  I'm sure the coaches will address this and things will change next week.

• Player of the Game - Keith Rivers
  

• Booty and Fred Davis both had big games, but Keith was dominant.  He had 14 tackles (9 solo) and 2.5 TFL and seemed to be everywhere on the field.  He shed tackles and made plays and always brought his man down.
  

• Play of the Game - JDB to Vidal for TD
  

• There were several plays that could have been the POG, but I thought JDB's bullet TD pass to JDB was the standout play of the game.  The play requires great accuracy and velocity and JDB delivered perfectly.   
  

• Game-ball - Fred Davis
  

• Just when you thought BFD was fading as a key player in the offense, he comes through with a 9 rec. 124 yard 2 TD performance.  His YAC was impressive. 
  

• Final Thoughts... - Great Performance/CB Depth

• Can't complain about the performance last night, it was flat out dominant.  Next week we get Jake Locker and U-Dub in Seattle.  The team will get their 1st taste of a rowdy Pac-10 crowd and it should be good experience for them for Oregon, Cal, and ASU later in the season.

Should be interesting next week watching the defense play against a mobile QB for the first time this season.  The game should be a blowout, but Locker should test our team discipline.