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USC Morning Buzz: Can Huge Freshmen Class Make Immediate Impact?

Here’s one of my questions for the upcoming season:

Can 35 true freshmen be immediately integrated into the team?

ANSWER: USC made a deliberate decision to sign a huge recruiting class, which is unusual in the transfer portal era. The nation’s No. 1 recruiting class will no doubt make an impact but will it be enough if only five or six do it in their first year without a bunch of transfers.

With a playoffs-or-bust attitude, USC’s freshmen will be under more pressure than ever. That’s why it might need more than the elite five-stars like Luke Wafle to contribute. Some freshmen will need to develop faster than usual because there are not as many transfers as in past seasons.

20 thoughts on “USC Morning Buzz: Can Huge Freshmen Class Make Immediate Impact?”

  1. The good news is that they have a few warm up games at the start of the season to get their sea legs and for the defense to learn Patterson’s schemes. Oregon is game number 5 at home. Last year, we were competitive until late, when Lincoln made some questionable calls.

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    1. Why do you think this year will be any different with Riley making questionable calls ? From calls, to time outs, to clock management to overall game preparation, he’s not very good at it and he’s not going to get better.

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      1. Agree Riley won’t get better. But defense will be better, o-line should be better, maiava should be better and running game should be better. So there is that. But I hear what you are saying…

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  2. Scott, I think that you are missing the point. The large class does two things, it brings in immediate stars like Wafle and some of the wideouts, but it also brings quality depth. We have some very good returning starters, but the large class of quality players gives us quality depth at all positions and great future stars. Freshmen by themselves cannot win football championships, but they sure do help build a team. Fight on, Dan, Class of 1962

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    1. This isn’t 1980 or 1990 or 2000 or even 2010. While the big class looks great, number 1 ranking blah blah, I’d bet half the class leaves after this year. And if that happens, none of it matters

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      1. Some guys will leave but the best ones will likely stay. Not many schools can compete with USC when it comes to location, alumni contacts in Southern California, academics and lifestyle. If a player thinks he has a reasonable chance to start next year, why would he want to leave. And competing schools do not generally offer back-ups big NIL packages. Truly, would you want to move to Lubbock, Texas to play for Texas Tech. The weather is miserable in large swathes of the country for 8 months out of the year.

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      3. So what’s the solution Buddha? We tried the transfer portal. Very expensive and the players generally have not worked out that well. For example, Bear Alexander and Keyshawn Silver were paid well to clog the middle of the line and neither one worked out. They also negatively affect team cohesion, particularly Bear who was just a carpetbagger looking for the best NIL deal. Garrett hasn’t done much either. Better to get the kids out of high school who really love the school and develop them. I think Stewart, Bouchard, Abashiri, Johnson, Winfield, and Tom Tom will played at USC for at least three years and likely more. We shall see.

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      4. KAM: No offense but it isn’t 1979…they don’t come to USC in 2026 because they love the school.

        DON Today’s football recruits are only in it for the money.

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  3. Can the Freshman make an immediate impact? Yes. Tanook Hines, Star Miller, Stewart and Bouchard did last year.

    Mark Bowman will make a huge impact this year. So will Mosley, Dixon Wyatt, Boobie Feaster, and Tron Baker at wide receiver. The freshman running backs are also really good and will make an impact if we need them. The offensive line is the gem of the class. Keenyi Pepe, Vlad Dyakonov, and Breck Kolojay are all talented enough to start if we need them. I think Luke Wafle will start on defense by the middle of the season and so will Rock Hill. Jamison Winfield will get significant minutes and Tom Tom may also see some time.

    This is a different era. The freshman have played for elite programs in high school. They are further along both mentally and physically than they were 20 years ago.

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  4. Scooter,

    If SC had a real head coach, the freshman with the exception of one or two would be redshirting and getting ready for next season. Riley, with his high standard of intellegence, promotion, and coaching has left SC dry and they have to play freshman.

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      1. KAM:      A n t i s e m i t e vile disgusting freak Cowardly Gabby aka Charlie Bucket the UCLA Fan aka TebowObama aka The Guy who posts as So Cal’s Wife & Michael Guarino & Buddhakarma &LawyerJohn & Pudly & Plow Horse & steveg49 & DOJ & Scott Wolf & Kathy & Foreskin Thoughts & Frank Young and The Moderator and Marjorie Taylor and Chuck Newton  and MIKE GERMONPREZ is back.

        DON: It’s fun seeing you get banned

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