USC's linebackers are a mystery entering season

There are obvious doubts regarding USC’s defensive line, which does not retu a single starter from last season.

But that can obscure the fact that in many other years, the current linebacker situation would be considered a serious conce entering the season.

“It has a lot of questions,” USC coach Clay Helton said Friday.

The Trojans lost last year’s top defensive performer, Su’a Cravens, along with Anthony Sarao, who started 13 games last season.

What’s left? If USC started a game today in its new 5-2 defensive formation, sophomore Porter Gustin and junior Uchea Nwosu would start at a hybrid defensive end/linebacker position. Sophomore Cameron Smith, retuing from knee surgery, would be an inside linebacker. The final position would probably belong to senior Michael Hutchings, who played sparingly his first three seasons but enjoyed strong practices Thursday and Friday.

“Some guys have played but not too many started,” linebackers coach Johy Nansen said. “We’re developing guys to be starters.”

That is not likely to scare Alabama coach Nick Saban or Stanford coach David Shaw next month when they face USC. The truth is the Trojans’ front seven is a perceived weakness and will be constantly tested in September.

Where is the superstar? Where are the impact players? No one is wearing No. 55 this season and no one should be because there are no can’t-miss players at the moment.

The issue on the inside is not just ability but depth, as sophomore Osa Masina, senior Quinton Powell and junior Olajuwon Tucker are the only other candidates.

Masina was a highly touted prospect from Utah but will need to find a way to beat out Hutchings if he wants to start.

These are not exactly the days when USC training featured true freshmen like Brian Cushing and Rey Maualuga trying to win starting spots. USC has 82 scholarship players but there remain holes on the roster, especially with a head-scratching 13 wide receivers on scholarship.

The outside positions are full of depth but the key will be whether someone can handle the hybrid position, where the linebacker actually starts at the line of scrimmage.

“They are dropping back (in pass coverage) about 35 percent of the time,” Nansen said. “You have to have athleticism.”

Gustin was a top 10 player coming out of high school but has yet to prove it at the college level. Senior Jabari Ruffin’s been part of the rotation but the two most intriguing prospects are freshmen Oluwole Betiku and Coor Murphy. Neither is ready to play now.

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The linebacker corps received some good news when Smith proclaimed himself 100 percent Friday from his knee operation. He even scrimmaged for a portion of the practice.

“I felt comfortable,” Smith said.

Helton said he would bring Smith along slowly but sources within the program think he will start against Alabama.

Smith is only a sophomore but is also the unit’s veteran after starting last season and calling signals. His claim to fame was intercepting three passes against Utah.

“I feel very comfortable voicing my opinion and taking that lead role,” he said. “There’s a lot of people that can play (linebacker this season). It’s not a young group. You can play people anywhere and they can fit in.”

USC desperately needs Smith. He was inconsistent last season but remember what happened after he got hurt? There were blown assignments against Oregon as linebackers forgot to cover ruing backs and receivers. And no one remembered to cover Stanford tailback Christian McCaffrey in the Pacific-12 Conference championship game.

Smith is not a savior but he plays with a savvy style. It is befitting he wears No. 35, which resurrects a tradition of past inside linebackers like Scott Ross and Riki (Gray) Ellison.

It made little sense when USC tried to shoeho him into the hallowed No. 55 jersey, which is supposed to go to a can’t-miss prospect. That tradition disappeared in recent years.

But former greats like Willie McGinest and Chris Claiboe quickly convinced Helton to let the No. 55 jersey go unwo this year and let Smith continue to wear No. 35.