USC Football: Interview With 2024 Trojan Commit Outside Linebacker Eli Newby
Eli Newby is likely the best player coming out of Connecticut the 2024 cycle. He played wide receiver for the majority of his football career but recently began playing, and dominating, on the defensive side of the ball.
AllTrojans.com caught up with the 6'3 210 pound Cheshire Academy (Cheshire, CT) product yesterday to better understand what he's bringing to the table for a struggling USC defense. He recapped his official visit and also what position the USC staff has in mind for him at the next level.
"The environment was incredible, the staff was very welcoming. I saw opportunities that I could take full advantage of on and off the field. We were talking about the 'rush' position with my primary recruiter, Coach Manning. Um, but we did have that conversation that I am very versatile and that I can play multiple positions on defense."
If you take a look at his Hudl film, Newby was deployed all over the field both on offense and defense. "I played wide receiver here for one season and they asked me how I was feeling about going to defense. I was down for the idea. And from there I started gaining more experience, but then they asked me to play 'hawk' which is like our outside linebacker and then that's when I started growing my explosiveness." said Newby.
We asked him about the dismissal of former USC defensive coordinator Alex Grinch and if that affected his thought process. "I'm going to USC for other reasons, It wasn't really based off a coach, per se. I see the greatness within USC and I can add my stamp to it." Newby told us.
Playing 'rush' at USC requires the defender to defend the run out on the perimeter of the defense, but also rush the passer and drop into coverage when asked. Given Newby's speed and experience at safety, he should be a good candidate for that position. He is, however, still relatively new to life in the trenches. We asked him what part of his game he's been looking to improve on the most. Newby told us "I think technique wise, because I come from a high school setting. There is a lot I need to learn and I lot I'm going to learn, so I need to come in with open ears".
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