USC Freshman Could Garner Bigger Roles, Amid Rocky 2021 Season
"It's always an open competition."
Those were the words of USC interim head coach Donte Williams on Sunday night, following USC's tragic loss to the Oregon State Beavers 45-27 this weekend.
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Since taking over for Clay Helton, Williams has emphasized that every player must compete for their starting spot week-after-week. USC took their first at home loss to the Oregon State Beavers since 1960, which naturally put the coaching staff in a position to re-evaluate everything.
Williams hinted that fans could see some new faces out on the field in the coming weeks, as the Trojans try to mend their 2-2 record this season.
"There is a chance you could see a lot of these guys a lot more," Williams told reporters. "Like I said, it's always an open competition, and it's [our job] as coaches to make sure we get the best players on the field on a week-to-week basis, [and] make sure we succeed as a team. So it's always open."
Williams was asked specifically about the getting S Jaylin Smith, DE Korey Foreman, and LB Raesjon Davis more involved on defense this season. He expressed that his staff is evaluating all possibilities for the future.
"Jaylin Smith constantly shows me, a guy in practice that is always going to compete," said Williams. "He has grown in our defense."
"Korey has been dinged up at little bit," Williams said. "Now I'm pretty sure he is 100% healthy, it's football so never really one hundred, but he is close enough to it, where he can start contributing a lot more."
USC finished with the No. 7 overall 2021 recruiting class in the nation, landing some of the most premier talent across the country. If the Trojans' veterans are not able to get the job done, it's possible we could see some rotation with younger players in the coming weeks.
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