By Clayton Sayfie

TheWolverine.com caught up with We Are SC’s Erik McKinney for insight on the No. 11 USC Trojans ahead of the matchup with Michigan Wolverines football Saturday in Ann Arbor. McKinney broke down the Trojans and made a final score prediction. We begin with USC’s projected starters:

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USC projected starters on offense

• #7 – Redshirt junior QB Miller Moss (6-2, 205) — Has connected on 72.7 percent of his passes for 607 yards and 2 touchdowns through two games this season, wins over LSU (27-20) and Utah State (48-0). He helped his case for claiming the starting job by shining with 372 passing yards and 6 touchdown passes in a 42-28 win over Louisville in last year’s Holiday Bowl. He’s been pressured on only 23.2 percent of his dropbacks this season. He’s completed 5 of 7 attempts of 20-plus air yards and 10 of 14 throws between 10-19 air yards.

• #4 – Redshirt senior RB Woody Marks (5-10, 208) — The Mississippi State transfer (2020-23) has caught a pass in 47 consecutive games and had 1,225 receiving yards and 1,883 rushing yards with 27 total touchdowns during his career in the SEC. He’s leading the Trojans with 171 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns on 29 carries, adding 6 grabs for 46 yards.

• #10 – Redshirt junior WR Kyron Hudson (6-1, 205) — Ranks second on the team with 99 receiving yards on 6 catches. He hauled in 17 grabs for 189 yards and 2 touchdowns last season.

• #8 – Sophomore WR Ja’Kobi Lane (6-4, 195) — Has recorded 5 catches for 66 yards and a score through two games. He had 7 receptions for 93 yards and 2 touchdowns in six games as a freshman in 2023.

• #1 – Sophomore WR Zachariah Branch (5-10, 175) — The former five-star+ prospect out of Las Vegas Bishop Gorman has reeled in 8 catches for 75 yards through two clashes. The slot receiver had 31 receptions for 320 yards and 2 touchdowns last season. Twenty-seven of those 31 came on passes thrown less than 10 yards beyond the line of scrimmage (including 17 behind the line). He averaged 7.8 yards after the catch per reception, and 16 of the 31 went for first downs.

• #87 – Redshirt junior TE Lake McRee (6-4, 250) — Had 43 catches for 459 yards with 3 touchdowns entering this season, and is now the team’s leader with 9 grabs for 137 yards.

• #72 – Redshirt freshman LT Elijah Paige (6-7, 320) — Started one game (the Holiday Bowl) last season and has opened both tilts this year. His 70.4 overall PFF rating ranks second on the starting USC offensive line. He’s given up 4 pressures and no sacks this season.

• #70 – Redshirt senior LG Emmanuel Pregnon (6-5, 320) — Leads the USC starting offensive line with an 80.5 overall PFF rating. He’s given up only 1 pressure through two weeks. Pregnon spent his first three seasons at Wyoming (2020-22), before transferring to USC in 2023. He started at left guard in 12 outings for the Trojans last year.

• #79 – Redshirt senior C Jonah Monheim (6-5, 310) — Has started 36 career games and is a two-time captain. He was named second-team All-Pac-12 by the Associated Press in 2023 and honorable mention in 2022. He’s yielded 1 pressure and no sacks with a 63.7 overall PFF grade this year.

• #77 – Sophomore RG Alani Noa (6-4, 335) — Set to make his fourth career start, he has a 54.1 overall PFF rating this season, with no pressures allowed in pass protection.

• #76 – Redshirt junior RT Mason Murphy (6-5, 315) — Leads the USC starting offensive line with a 78.6 PFF pass-blocking rating, having given up only 1 pressure, a sack, this year. He has a 61.4 overall rating. He’s started 12 contests in his career.

USC projected starters on defense

• #99 – Redshirt senior DT Nate Clifton (6-4, 295) — The Vanderbilt transfer has posted 3 tackles this season. He was a Commodores team captain in 2023, leading the team with 7.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks, adding 1 pass breakup and an interception.

• #91 – Redshirt senior DT Gavin Meyer (6-3, 290) — The Wyoming transfer had 8.5 tackles for loss and 4 sacks in four seasons at his previous school. He’s put up 4 tackles and a batted pass this season.

• #6 – Junior DE Anthony Lucas (6-5, 275) — The Texas A&M transfer is in his second season with the Trojans, having registered 10 tackles, including 3.5 for loss, last year. He has 3 tackles this season. He leads the Trojans with 6 pressures. Despite Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore describing Lucas as a player who can “wreck games,” he has no sacks in his career.

• #10 – Redshirt senior DE Jamil Muhammad (6-1, 260) — The Georgia State transfer is in his second campaign with the Trojans. He had 10.5 tackles for loss and a team-high 6.5 sacks last season, totaling 25 pressures.

• #4 – Senior LB Easton Mascarenas-Arnold (6-0, 231) — The Oregon State transfer collected 107 tackles, including 6.5 for loss and 2 sacks, along with 2 interceptions for the Beavers in 2023. He’s second on the Trojans’ squad with 13 tackles and has an interception through two outings in 2024.

• #13 – Redshirt senior LB Mason Cobb (6-0, 230) — Recorded 7 tackles, an interception and a quarterback hurry in a 27-20 win over LSU but missed the following week’s game against Utah State with an injury. He returned to practice before the team’s idle weekend and is expected to play. Senior Eric Gentry, who leads the team with 14 tackles, 3.5 stops for loss and a sack, got the start against Utah State.

• #21 – Redshirt senior NB Greedy Vance Jr. (5-11, 170) — The Florida State transfer recorded 71 tackles, 4 interceptions and 12 pass breakups in 27 games with the ACC power. He has 5 tackles and has been targeted only once in coverage (allowing no receptions) this season.

• #14 – Redshirt senior CB Jacobe Covington (6-2, 200) — Tallied 12 tackles, 1 interception and a pass breakup in six contests last season. He has 8 tackles this year. He’s been targeted 6 times, allowing 5 catches for 27 yards. Covington spent the 2020-21 seasons at Washington, before transferring to USC.

• #2 – Senior CB Jaylin Smith (5-11, 190) — Expected to play after missing the last game with a minor injury. He had 7 tackles and was targeted 4 times, giving up 4 catches for 41 yards, against LSU.

• #0 – Redshirt senior S Akili Arnold (6-0, 200) — Transferred to USC following a five-year career at Oregon State in which he had 151 tackles, 5.5 stops for loss, 10 pass breakups and 3 interceptions. He’s tied for fourth on the Trojans with 8 tackles and has given up 7 catches for 101 yards and a touchdown on 8 targets in coverage.

• #7 – Redshirt sophomore S Kamari Ramsey (6-0, 204) — The UCLA transfer recorded 40 tackles, including 2.5 for loss, 1 interception and 5 pass breakups for the Bruins in 2023. He’s third on USC with 12 tackles, including 1 sack, and has added a forced fumble. In coverage, he’s yielded 6 grabs for 39 yards and a touchdown on 10 targets.

USC specialists

• #96 – Redshirt senior K Michael Lantz (5-11, 190) — The Georgia Southern transfer is 4-of-5 with a 35-yard long on field goals this season. He’s also drilled 12 touchbacks on 15 kickoffs. He went 23-of-28 on field goals with a 48-yard long last season at Georgia Southern. He was at Minnesota from 2019-21.

• #16 – Senior P Eddie Czaplicki (6-1, 207) — Served as USC’s punter last season, after transferring in from Arizona State, averaging 43.3 yards on 44 punts, including 15 that pinned opponents inside the 20. He’s punted 4 times this year, averaging 50.3 yards per attempt with 2 that wound up inside the 20-yard line.

• #1 – Sophomore KR/PR Zachariah Branch (5-10, 175) — Averaging 31.5 yards per attempt on 2 kickoff returns this season. He’s brought back 2 punts for only 4 yards. Last year, he became one of three USC players since 1971 to have a touchdown on punt return, kick return and as a receiver in the same season, joining Adoree Jackson (2016) and Curtis Conway (1992). He was named a first-team All-American as a return specialist by multiple publications, including USA Today, Pro Football Focus and Sporting News.

Defense much improved

USC’s defense looks much improved in the early going under first-year coordinator D’Anton Lynn, who spent the 2023 campaign at cross-town rival UCLA after two years with the Baltimore Ravens. USC has given up only 20 total points (all to LSU), and the 48-0 victory over Utah State marked the program’s first shoutout since 2011.

Though it’s a small sample size, USC has missed 14 tackles through two games (7 per outing), compared to 141 in 13 contests last season (10.8).

McKinney discussed the impact of the Lynn hire.

“What Lynn has done on that side of the ball since arriving at USC has been remarkable,” the writer said. “He’s had some help, for sure. Before he was hired, [USC head coach Lincoln] Riley had already set in motion some changes to strength and conditioning and nutrition that completely changed the look of the roster. This was a defense that was trying to get smaller and quicker under [former coordinator Alex] Grinch. Players were now putting on 30-40 pounds in an offseason. It’s noticeable.

“He also was able to bring in a phenomenal staff around him. Matt Entz left the head coaching job at North Dakota State to coach linebackers at USC. Eric Henderson gave up being the Los Angeles Rams defensive line coach to take over the same position group at USC. Doug Belk was the defensive coordinator at Houston and is now the secondary coach at USC. It’s a phenomenal staff and the players have responded to it.

“And lastly, the difference from Alex Grinch to D’Anton Lynn is borderline indescribable. Lynn’s ability to teach as a coach has been mentioned by Riley, his staff and virtually every defensive player. The constant confusion pre- and post-snap under Grinch hasn’t been there at all through two games with Lynn. There are going to be some rough patches at some point, for sure, but Lynn’s calm demeanor and confidence has rubbed off on this defense and they believe they’re as good as the numbers say they are through two games.”

Strong secondary, but where’s the pressure?

USC ranks 123rd out of 134 FBS teams with a 20.3-percent pressure rate, according to Sports Info Solutions, but the pass defense has held up due to a stellar secondary. LSU threw for 308 yards and 2 touchdowns, but the Trojans forced 2 field goals after the Tigers drove deep into their territory and sealed the game with an interception.

“The secondary has been the strength so far and that was the assumption going in,” McKinney said. “Safeties Kamari Ramsey and Akili Arnold, and nickel Greedy Vance Jr. were all transfer portal additions who grabbed starting spots and have been huge additions. Ramsey and Arnold should be guys to watch against the Michigan tight ends and extra hats in the box against the run. Cornerback Jaylin Smith sat out last game with an injury but he’s been one of the big surprises after playing nickel last season, moving to corner this offseason and locking down a starting spot despite USC bringing in two portal additions there.

“USC hasn’t been great about getting to the quarterback with its front four this season. And we don’t really know what this group can do against a quarterback that is a real running threat. LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier never really tried and Utah State’s Bryson Barnes never really had a chance.

“The defensive line and how it would stack up against the drum of Big Ten offenses throughout the season was the question coming in, and it still probably is until they prove it shouldn’t be. USC has played better than expected up there through two games. They’ll probably need to be better than that against Michigan.”

It’s Miller time

Moss waited his turn for three seasons, backing up 2022 Heisman Trophy-winner Caleb Williams the last two, but has seized his opportunity. He’s heading into his first career start on the road.

“Moss is going to get the ‘game manager’ label for the rest of his career because he doesn’t have the size, speed or arm strength that jumps off the screen,” McKinney noted. “But he’s good enough in all those areas to be a really good quarterback.

“He’s mentally and physically tough, and his ability to process information quickly and get the ball out of his hands makes him as frustrating a matchup as someone who will tuck and run for extra yards.

“He’ll deliver a throw through contact and did that a few times against LSU. He had a couple of close calls on balls batted into the air against LSU, and he got lucky with a drop on a potential pick-six against Utah State.

“He’s not going to be Caleb Williams, but he’s still very efficient and effective in this offense. Riley recently called him ‘maybe the smartest’ quarterback he’s had.”

And he’s had some great ones. Riley has coached three Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks — Williams (2022) at USC, and Kyler Murray (2018) and Baker Mayfield (2017) with Oklahoma.

The rest of the USC offense

McKinney described “Moss’ decision-making” as a strength for the USC offense, and he highlighted the high-level receiving corps.

“He’s thrown for 979 yards and 8 touchdowns in his three starts dating back to last season,” McKinney pointed out. “USC hasn’t had a 100-yard receiver in any of those games. The four sophomore receivers (Zachariah Branch, Ja’Kobi Lane, Duce Robinson and Makai Lemon) are tremendous. Tight end Lake McRee gives USC a true pass-catching option there for the first time in a while. And running back Woody Marks holds the active NCAA record for consecutive games with a reception.”

The biggest concern comes up front.

“The offensive line was the big question mark for the offense coming in, and it still is,” the writer explained. “Center Jonah Monheim is a future pro and left guard Emmanuel Pregnon has been much improved this season. Left tackle Elijah Paige will be starting the fourth game of his career. The talent is there but he’s still young.

“The right side of the line has done enough this year, but it wouldn’t be surprising if Michigan went hard at guard Alani Noa and tackle Mason Murphy. If USC can avoid allowing any turnover-creating pressures from that side, it should count that as a win up front.”

McKinney’s final score prediction

“[Michigan junior quarterback Alex] Orji is absolutely going to make some plays, but I think USC finally has a defense that can make this Michigan offense one-dimensional and then do a good enough job against the run game.

“This Michigan defense is definitely good enough to cause some real problems for the USC offense, but the Trojans should be able to lean on a field position game and find the end zone enough to win.”
Prediction: USC 24, Michigan 13

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