SSGN
![Text Box: Head Coach Pete Carroll’s hopes of lifting his fallen program back atop the collegiate ranks appeared grim last week, facing the aftermath of five star underclassmen leaving for the NFL Draft as investigations continue into the questionable 2005 living accommodations for the Griffins, family of star running back Reggie Bush, and WR Dwayne Jarrett, roommate to QB Matt Leinart and possible beneficiary of rent subsidization from Bob Leinart, Matt’s father. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles District Attorney has not yet decided whether to prosecute sophomore QB Mark Sanchez after Mark was arrested for sexual assault on Wednesday, April 26th.
The losses in key personnel, combined with the distraction of increased scrutiny by both the media and the NCAA, will make the task of restoring the glory back to Southern Cal a daunting one. Despite this, coach Pete Carroll remains optimistic, and continues to apply his competition based philosophy both on and off the field. As an abundance of incoming talent competes to plug the holes left by such stars as Leinart and Bush, so too will Carroll work to compete with the rest of collegedom “to inform and educate better than anybody in the country. I’d like to think we do it better than anybody. We’re going to continue to bust our tails to make sure everybody understand [the NCAA rules for amateurism]. We’re trying to do this better than anybody else has ever done it.” Bravo, Pete Carroll, for taking the initiative necessary to restore the good name of Troy.
The Draft
The first day of this year’s NFL Draft officially saw two of the worst gaffs in draft history when Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush was passed over by the Houston Texans for North Carolina standout defensive end Mario Williams shortly before fellow Trophy winner Matt Leinart was spurned by the Tennessee Titans in favor of none other than Mr. Wonderlic himself, Vince Young. While there is little doubt that Bush will find a happy home in New Orleans and that Leinart should be much more successful with Arizona’s retooled offense, much commotion was made about the immediate significance of the millions they must have lost by dropping as they did.
Other Trojans taken on the first day of the draft included OT Winston Justice (39th Pick, 2nd Round; Philadelphia Eagles), OG Taitsui Lutui (41st Pick, 2nd Round; Arizona Cardinals), RB LenDale White (45th Pick, 2nd Round; Tennessee Titans), and surprise picks DE Frostee Rucker (91st Pick, 3rd Round; Cincinnati Bengals) and TE Dominique Byrd (93rd Pick, 3rd Round; St. Louis Rams).
The second day saw the drafting of four more Trojans: S Darnell Bing (101st Pick, 4th Round; Oakland Raiders), FB David Kirtman (163rd Pick, 5th Round; Seattle Seahawks), DT LaJuan Ramsey (204th Pick, 6th Round; Philadelphia Eagles), and OG Fred Matua (217th Pick, 7th Round; Detroit Lions).
Spring Ball
The nagging injuries that forced key players to the sidelines this spring provided opportunities for others to shine. Perhaps nowhere was this more apparent than the quarterback position.
John David Booty, the once-touted successor of Leinart, suffered a bulging disc in his back on the first day of spring practice which required surgery. He was forced to miss the rest of spring, which allowed sophomore Mark Sanchez to take the majority of the first-team snaps and gain some ground. Nonetheless, the more experienced Booty is penciled in as the starter, and will be ready to perform in training camp on 3 August.
Another blow to the backfield came when senior TB Hershel Dennis re-tore his ACL and was forced to miss the entire 2006 season. To fill his void was converted-FB Ryan Powdrell, who ran impressively all spring and is currently listed as the top TB. Additionally, senior Chauncey Washington, sophomore Michael Coleman, and a bevy of highly-touted incoming freshmen will all audition for the starting role.
Other offensive players listed atop the depth charts: WRs Dwayne Jarrett and Steve Smith; FB Brandon Hancock; TE Fred Davis; OTs Sam Baker and Kyle Williams; OGs Jeff Byers and Chilo Rachal; and C Ryan Kalil. Carroll notes that Byers and Matt Spanos are currently tied for the starting role at LOG.
On the defense, SS Kevin Ellison, FS Josh Pinkard, and CBs Kevin Thomas and Terrell Thomas are listed as starting defensive backs, though Carroll has T. Thomas tied with sophomore Cary Harris. While NG Sedrick Ellis and DE Lawrence Jackson return to anchor a strong defensive line, newcomers DT Chris Barrett and DE Kyle Moore occupy the other two spots. However, the competition between Moore and junior DE Jeff Schweiger is still ongoing.
In a deeply talented linebacking core, veterans Dallas Sartz, Oscar Lua, and Keith Rivers will retain their starting spots, though they will be pushed by sophomores Brian Cushing, Rey Mauluga, and Kaluka Maiva, respectively.
Incoming Freshmen
Earlier in 2006 Pete Carroll succeeded in achieving an amazing three-peat. For the third consecutive year, they hauled in the best recruiting class in the nation, according to Rivals.com.
To help fill the giant void left by “Lightning” and “Thunder”, Carroll hauled in four of the top 25 RB prospects in Stafon Johnson, C.J. Gable, Emmanuel Moody, and Kenny Ashley. Johnson was the second-highest rated RB in the nation and will have a chance to be the heir at “Tailback U”. Both Gable and Moody have uncanny maneuvering ability and are already being compared to the dazzling Reggie Bush.
The finest fleet of receivers in the nation next year will feature at least six NFL-bound players, including top WR recruits Vidal Hazelton and David Ausberry. Speedsters Travon Patterson and Jamere Holland, the defending California track champion and possibly the fastest player in America, will help spread opposing defenses.
With the departures of Bing and Scott Ware, Carroll brought in three of the top five safeties: standouts Taylor Mays, Antwine Perez, and C.J. Gable. Perez is reminiscent of former USC and NFL star Ronnie Lott in tackling ability, and the versatile Gable will also compete for playing time at RB. The top OLB recruit in the nation, Allen Bradford, will also transition to SS and provide even more depth.](image418.gif)
