Graham Harrell on not playing Devon Williams, others: 'We got to do a better job as a staff'

USC played with tempo for much of its season opener and ran 78 plays, a total greater than any from the 2018 season. Amidst all the movement, there were a few notable absences on offense.

Graham Harrell was asked about the lack of rotation at wide receiver on Tuesday -- USC primarily leaned on four players after promoting the possibility of eight -- and he pointed to a few reasons for not using Devon Williams, Munir McClain, Drake London and John Jackson III.

The USC OC said the frontline receivers have built up their endurance by how fast the team has been practicing, while adding that the referees were slowing the game down with how they were placing the ball (It's a complaint OL coach Tim Drevno made as well.) Moreover, the starters had the power to police themselves and call for a sub when they were winded, just as they do in practice. (They obviously chose not to.)

"We got to do a better job as a staff," Harrell acknowledged. "If you're playing 85 plays a game, it's going to be hard to make it through a season, probably. We got to do a good job of making sure we're realizing how much they're playing and getting fresh legs in there at times. But like I've said since I've been here, that receiver group's a special group. They love to compete. Sure, you think they can't run anymore and they just keep running.

"They're like racehorses. I compare them to that all the time. When you let them loose they just run and they go and they're fun to watch."

GET READY TO COMPETE

Pick your champion (you can change it later). We’ll email you when brackets open.

No purchase necessary. 50 U.S./D.C. 18+. Entry opens 3PM ET Dec 6, 2026 and closes 8PM ET Dec 18, 2026. Void where prohibited.See for complete details. The College Football Playoff (CFP) is not a sponsor or administrator of this contest.

So was Markese Stepp, throughout spring practice and training camp. Yet the sophomore back, slotted at No. 3 on the depth chart behind Vavae Malepai and Stephen Carr, didn't get one of USC's 36 rushing attempts against Fresno State. Interestingly, Harrell reiterated Tuesday Stepp was "as good as anybody with the ball in his hands" in camp, but chalked up his healthy scratch to a similar dilemma as with the receivers.

"In any game, in our offense you try to feed the hot hand and the other two running backs were playing really well," Harrell said. "We had plans to get 'Kese carries, but Vae and Carr were playing at a high level and were getting lots of touches and when they were getting touches they were being special with the football. Kind of like those receivers, they were hot and they weren't feeling too tired. Carr gets a little tired but Vae never gets tired. It's hard to take them off the field when they're playing at a high level and they're still fresh enough to go."

It was apparent neither Stepp nor Williams was OK with not playing, and understandably so as both seemed to have carved out some role leading up to the season. Their OC seemed acutely aware of that and noted there's still a lot of football to be played.

"We still expect guys to have great attitudes and come out here and compete every day and be great teammates," Harrell said. "That's what was preached to them, what we expected from them and we have a special group of guys that do a really good job of that."

Add us as a preferred source on Google