When Gary Patterson was hired as USC’s defensive coordinator in January, he was handed the keys to a defense that needed a complete overhaul.
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He hit the gas once he arrived on campus, and didn’t let up.
“I don’t even think he took a vacation this year,” Trojans defensive end Zuriah Fisher said of the Hall of Fame coach, who oversaw TCU from 2000-21. “He’s been out here with us every day.”
Aside from developing the 4-2-5 defense, Patterson is known for coaching defenses that are fast, smart and disciplined. His versatile scheme has players excited to start the season against San Jose State on Aug. 29, and the Trojans are putting faith in his intensity.
“He expects perfection, and you wouldn’t want it any other way,” safety Prophet Brown said.
“He’s going to challenge you,” he continued. “There’s not a player on the field he’s not going to challenge. He’s not going to sit back and relax and let you do you. You’re going to have your freedom within the defense, of course, but in terms of the standard that he holds you to, he’s also going to push you to be better.”
While the offense seems to be mostly solidified, the defense will have a lot to show and prove when it debuts this weekend at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
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Out of 136 teams last season, the Trojans were unspectacular on defense. They allowed 23.0 points per game, which ranked 51st in the country, and 350.8 total yards per game (49th), which broke down to 143.2 rushing (58th) and 207.5 passing (47th).
The linebackers group has seen significant, surprising improvement under Patterson as well as position coach Mike Ekeler, who was hired in February to help fix a corps that struggled to plug gaps and make tackles last season.
Desman Stephens will start at middle linebacker and is a strong candidate to wear the green dot, which signifies an in-helmet microphone that allows a player to hear commands from the defensive coordinator on the sidelines.
The two-deep depth chart that was released late Wednesday night listed either Washington State transfer or redshirt sophomore Jadyn Walker as the other starting linebacker. Redshirt junior Ta’Mere Robinson and freshman Talanoa Ili are also on the depth chart for Saturday’s season opener.
“That position was a little bit of a question mark coming in for me in terms of like depth and what’s that going to look like, and I feel like a lot of the guys have just surged,” Riley said. “And what I felt like was a question mark, now I expect to be a strength for us defensively.”
The linebackers will have an intimidating defensive line in front of them. The trenches have some of the most depth and experience out of all the defensive position groups, even with 6-foot-5, 295-pound defensive tackle Jahkeem Stewart’s status in question.
Stewart again is dealing with a foot injury after playing with a stress fracture for most of last season. Riley told reporters the sophomore is expected to miss the first game of the season and nothing more, but the frequency of these events could be cause for concern with the former top-ranked recruit.
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Floyd Boucard and Jide Abasiri are key returners on the defensive line. Abasiri has lost 15 pounds in the offseason and has been lauded for gaining athleticism through his work with performance coach Trumain Carroll.
There is also the addition of Michigan State transfer Alex VanSumeren, who has quickly become a leader for the entire defense and will start at defensive tackle.
“Real aggressive,” Boucard said of VanSumeren. “He doesn’t like when offense scores touchdowns. The smallest thing can piss him off, so that’s somebody you really want to have in your corner. From a captain standpoint, that’s something I rock with.”
USC’s top two leaders in sacks from last season – Kameryn Crawford (5.5) and Braylan Shelby (4.5) – return to the edge. They also gain 6-foot-6, 265-pound freshman Luke Wafle as well as the gritty Fisher, who is a Penn State transfer.
The Trojans will need a deep and swift secondary if it wants the defense to thrive under Patterson and Paul Gonzales, USC’s new safeties coach and defensive pass game coordinator.
Iowa State transfer Jontez Williams, who was the top-rated cornerback in the transfer portal, will lead an otherwise inexperienced group of corners. The safeties, however, have multiple playmakers.
Senior Christian Pierce and Brown will be the first to take the field at safety on Saturday, and former Daily News Defensive Player of the Year Madden Riordan is next up. Brown, a redshirt senior, is healthy this season and brings intelligence and leadership to the back half of the defense.
“We’re not going to settle for anything this year,” Brown said. “We’re not going to be content with this. We’re going to expect perfection and wherever we land from there is where we land.”
The nickel will tie the secondary together. It’s a position that’s become increasingly important in college football, and one that Patterson will need to help against the run and pass game while making sure defensive players are all on the same page.
Redshirt freshman Alex Graham, who has rotated through multiple spots in the secondary throughout camp, may be the one to take on that role. He filled in for Kamari Ramsey, last season’s nickel, when he was injured and also played in the Alamo Bowl.
The depth chart indicates that Graham or Kennedy Urlacher will start at nickel.
“Patterson is bringing my complete self out of me,” Graham said. “Every aspect as far as playing the run, my technique, guarding the slot, playing outside. If I’ve got outside leverage, keeping that leverage. Just bringing the best out of me.”
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