USC Trojans Head Coach Lincoln Riley Addresses How Different Position Groups Are Doing

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00:00I talked last week about the overall size up front, but with Jamal Jarrett specifically,

00:03what have you seen development-wise for a guy who hasn't played a whole lot of college naps,

00:07but just up looks the part, obviously?

00:09Yeah, I think there's, you know, we've been really pleased with the effort that he plays with,

00:13the intensity, there's a lot of intensity on the practice field, and he trained that way this winter.

00:19I think now, more than anything, it's just, I mean, one, getting used to the system,

00:23but I think fundamentally there's a lot that we wanted to clean up there,

00:26and even just now halfway through spring or almost halfway, you could see that.

00:30I mean, he's starting to play lower, starting to play out of his hips more,

00:34starting to use his hands better, just everything with the guy's improving,

00:38and when the fundamentals get better, when you've got a talent like that,

00:41you start to see some of the results behind it, so he's doing a great job.

00:44Obviously, you know, Henny and Nua and Skylar Jones, our entire group there,

00:47is doing a really good job with him.

00:49What have you seen from the tight ends group so far?

00:51You guys were in sync there, huh?

00:52I know, good practice.

00:53What have you seen from the tight ends group so far this spring?

00:55Yeah, it's a deeper, certainly more talented group than what we've had.

01:02You know, they've, with a couple of the receivers being down right now,

01:05have had a pretty active role in terms of just how much we've used them this spring,

01:10which has been great.

01:11They've had a lot of opportunities to make plays, and they're doing a nice job of it.

01:15So, yeah, it's just you feel their presence probably more on the practice field

01:19than you ever have because of numbers and how we're using them

01:21and the plays that they're making.

01:22So, I think we've got some really good competitive depth.

01:25We've got some good position battles going on in there.

01:27We've got some differing skill sets that will be, you know,

01:30kind of fun to see how they all evolve and how we use them.

01:32How about a great tackle, Tobias and Justin?

01:34What have you seen from those two?

01:36Well, they're both doing some really good things this spring.

01:39I mean, I think, you know, Tobias,

01:41his versatility is really important for us going forward.

01:44I mean, he's, you know, Tobias has established himself as one of our best offensive linemen.

01:49I mean, that's happened this spring, and Justin's playing very well.

01:55And so, some of that will be how the battles shake out at the other positions as well.

01:59But we feel like the way those two guys are playing right now,

02:02you feel like there's two starters there.

02:04Back to the tight ends, you were talking about the different body types.

02:06Walter Matthews, 6'7", 270.

02:09Can you talk about what he brings to the table?

02:11Because that's a unique individual.

02:13Yeah, it is.

02:13It's almost like, you know, an offensive tackle type body.

02:16But, you know, the athleticism and all that he brings are pretty exciting.

02:20He improved a lot throughout kind of last year with that redshirt year.

02:24He's learned a lot.

02:26He's gotten a lot stronger, learned in our offense.

02:28That position's got to do so much.

02:30And so, just settling into all those different roles.

02:32But, I mean, he can catch the ball.

02:33He's kind of tough to bring down because of how big he is.

02:36And, obviously, all the stuff in the run game and pass pro and all that,

02:40but in some ways he's almost like having a sixth offensive lineman out there at times.

02:44So, he's got some real ability.

02:46I certainly foresee him having a role.

02:48And I think the more that he can learn and grow

02:50and the more consistency he can find, then the role's got a chance to grow

02:53because you can't teach some of the things that he brings to the table.

02:57Coach, on the theme of tight ends today, Coach Savage,

02:59how has it been like working with him in his first year here?

03:01He's done a great job.

03:02He has.

03:03That's not an easy position to come in here and coach.

03:05You know, both working with our inside receivers and our tight ends.

03:09And he's acclimated to the staff well.

03:12He and Coach Simmons are working really well together.

03:15That group, along with Spencer Jones, has done a really good job

03:19helping bring those guys along because there's definitely some crossover.

03:22There's times where Coach Savage is coaching outside guys

03:24and times where Coach Simmons is coaching inside guys

03:27or we're all coaching tight ends.

03:28I mean, it kind of – the way we do it, you know, there's a lot of carry over there.

03:32And so he's meshed well.

03:34You know, he's a good recruiter that's got great connections

03:37and great relationships in this area, which is obviously very, very important to us.

03:41And, yeah, he's brought a lot of energy and a lot of expertise to the group.

03:45With the director of analytics being announced last week,

03:48what role will that hire play?

03:50How will that help the program?

03:52Yeah, that's going to be – that one's going to be a little bit more involved

03:55in the personnel, kind of roster management, recruiting side.

03:58You know, we have some folks that do some work for us analytics-wise

04:03in terms of, you know, football and game analytics and, you know, opponent studies

04:09and kind of all of that, which are pretty mainstream right now in college football.

04:12But this was part of the vision when Chad and I first talked about him coming there

04:17of continuing to build out that piece of it

04:19because there's certainly an analytical piece and viewpoint

04:22that you can gain when you're constructing a roster.

04:25And so having the people that can help execute that vision are important,

04:30and this was another big step in that direction.

04:32You're halfway through spring camp, essentially.

04:34Less questions, more questions?

04:37Yeah, I mean, last we're moving in a good direction.

04:41The team's progressing.

04:42You know, we're going to – we're starting to add some situational work,

04:45which is a little bit later than what we've typically done

04:48just because we're not trying to hustle along for a scrimmage

04:50to get in before the spring game.

04:52That's going to – all of that has shifted where it's allowed us to maybe go

04:56even a little bit more patiently through the installs.

04:59So we're starting to get in some situational work.

05:01We're starting to get in some move the ball, you know,

05:02where it kind of feels more like real football instead of just scripted first downs

05:06or second downs.

05:06So we'll continue to learn more there.

05:09But the team's progressing, and so far it's been a very solid first half of camp.

05:13You have a transfer portal window coming up.

05:16Are you able to share any thoughts on positions or spots that you need to fill?

05:21Yeah, still – I mean, certainly some of it still remains to be seen.

05:25I mean, I think there's some of the, you know, obvious positions, you know,

05:29that where we're a little bit thin that we may look at.

05:31I mean, you know, linebacker is one of those that we may look at.

05:36You know, certainly kind of depending on how spring plays out

05:39and some of these other position battles and all that, that will determine the most.

05:43But I don't think it will be a huge – I don't think we'll be, like,

05:48incredibly active during that.

05:49My gut is we'll end up having, you know, a handful of positions that we're going to look at it

05:53and we feel like somebody fits and we may pursue them.

05:55But it'll be a little bit different than other years.

05:58I don't feel like sitting out here that we're missing a whole lot, you know.

06:02Just got to keep developing what we have

06:04and then make sure that we've got enough depth to make the run that we expect to make.

06:08What did it mean to get the Carlos back?

06:10And then it seems like the whole team has kind of embraced his son this last year.

06:13Has that been unique for you?

06:14And how did you kind of reach a comfort level with him being around so much?

06:18It happened – the stuff with Lil D happened kind of just naturally.

06:22He was just out here at practice a lot and he became like the –

06:25he became like everybody's adopted son almost is maybe the best way to say it.

06:29He's awesome.

06:31He runs around.

06:32Every player knows him.

06:33Every staff member knows him.

06:35He was at a lot of our Thursday practices last year.

06:37And so we've got a chance to be around and kind of watch him grow up.

06:40And he's great.

06:41Everybody loves him.

06:42Everybody knows him.

06:43Like he comes in.

06:43Every player knows his name.

06:45I mean, he's just kind of one of the guys now.

06:47So that's definitely a bonus in getting DeCarlos back.

06:52I'm glad that it worked out.

06:53He brought a lot to our team last year in terms of – he made some big plays for us.

06:57But then also just he's got a great demeanor, vibe, kind of energy about him that's infectious.

07:01And so to get that back – and I think for him a chance to grow, you know,

07:06get a second year in the defense, continue to develop under Coach Landon, Coach Belk,

07:10and Coach Reed, it just made all the sense in the world.

07:12So it was a win-win.

07:14And Little D certainly was a great bonus to have him around for a little bit longer.

07:17Do you want more?

07:18What have you seen from guys who have an opportunity to play this year,

07:22like Christian Pierce or Braylon Shelby playing a bigger role?

07:24Just guys – what's impressed you out of that?

07:26Yeah, Pierce has been really good.

07:28He's been really good.

07:29Which – we weren't shocked.

07:31He played more special teams reps last year than any player on the team.

07:35Just – you could tell it was starting to settle in defensively kind of there at the end.

07:38So we expected it, and I think that's happening right now.

07:42Yeah, Shelby's done a nice job.

07:45You know, Zoe Cowan is at a really nice spring camp up to this point.

07:48You know, one of the guys, along with Tobias,

07:50that we actually pointed out to the team in the team meeting yesterday

07:52is two guys that are just – you kind of feel really taking a jump right now.

07:56So I've been real proud of their development.

07:59There's a lot.

08:00I mean, there's a lot of guys that are, I think, better football players

08:03than they were last fall, and you already see that this spring

08:06with a lot of room to build.

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