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It all starts with Marlon Tuipulotu. The junior tackle entered the year with 23 games as a starter, and had always been a steady presence in the middle of the line. This season, Tuipulotu has elevated his game. He had eight tackles in each of the first two games and has been causing problems for opposing offenses in the backfield, with 3.5 tackles for loss and two sacks. One of those sacks resulted in a fumble recovered by the Trojans on the goal line, while the other was on third down and forced a punt.

Tuipulotu's play has led head coach Clay Helton to pose the question of whether the junior is the best defensive lineman in the Pac-12 right now. So'oto says he's seen Tuipulotu take a jump when it comes to his understanding of the game. "A guy that's constantly hungry for knowledge of defensive line play. 'What can I do better?" So'oto described. "I think to me it's more the types of questions he's asking. It's no longer about, 'Which way am I going?' It's more about, 'OK, now I know what to do, now how am I going to get in the best position to make the play?" - Orange County Register

(DS#6 DT) rJr/2021

DT *Marlon Tuipulotu, Southern California
News Source: Orange County Register
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11/26/20 - *Marlon Tuipulotu, rJr/2021, Southern California, 6-2, 317 (DS#6 DT) + More +

Marlon Tuipulotu continued his monster season in the first half of USC's game against Utah Saturday night. On first-and-10 from the Utah 15 early in the second quarter, the senior defensive tackle shoved aside his blocker, got past the man and swallowed up Utah quarterback Cameron Rising. Tuipulotu punched the football loose, and defensive lineman Connor Murphy jumped on it at the Utah 4. The turnover led to a Vavae Malepeai touchdown run two plays later, the senior running back's second score of the season.

Tuipulotu has stepped up in a big way since fellow defensive tackle Jay Tufele opted out to prepare for the NFL Draft. Tuipulotu had eight tackles in each of the first two games this season, leading the Trojans in the category through two weeks. His strip sack on Saturday was one of three forced turnovers by the Trojans in the first half. Outside linebacker Drake Jackson intercepted a pass in the first quarter, then safety Isaiah Pola-Mao jumped on a botched hand-off to give USC its second fumble recovery. - Orange County Register

(DS#6 DT) rJr/2021

DT *Marlon Tuipulotu, Southern California
News Source: Orange County Register
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11/22/20 - *Chris Steele, Jr/2022, Southern California, 6-0, 187 (DS#37 CB) + More +

Sophomore cornerback Chris Steele has been called for four personal fouls in the first two games of the season, causing the USC defense to stay on the field for extended drives. It's really the only nit to pick with Steele's play this year, as teams have tended not to throw in his direction. And Orlando doesn't want to see Steele change his approach to the game to avoid flags.

Instead, he wants to coach Steele up on what officials will look for, and to make him understand that opposing coaches will try to make officials aware of Steele's history pregame. "You just try to show him how things are going to be called. You want guys to be aggressive. It's hard. If you get too much into a corner's head and make him soft you'll never get that back," Orlando said. "So all we're doing right now is be aggressive but understand if that head's not back toward the football that's going to get called, if you get a little bit too handsy that's going to get called." - Orange County Register

(DS#37 CB) Jr/2022

CB *Chris Steele, Southern California
News Source: Orange County Register
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11/09/20 - *Marlon Tuipulotu, rJr/2021, Southern California, 6-2, 317 (DS#6 DT) + More +

NOV 9 PAC-12 DEFENSIVE LINEMAN OF THE WEEK: Marlon Tuipulotu, R-Jr., DT, USC (Independence, Ore.),...In the season-opener against Arizona State, Tuipulotu had eight tackles, including two for losses with the game's only sack against Sun Devils' QB Jayden Daniels. Also nominated: Mustafa Johnson, DL, Colorado; Brennan Jackson, E, Washington State. - Pac-12 Football

(DS#6 DT) rJr/2021

DT *Marlon Tuipulotu, Southern California
News Source: Pac-12 Football
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11/07/20 - *Drake London, Jr/2022, Southern California, 6-4, 219 (DS#5 WR) + More +

Drake London caught a 21-yard touchdown pass with 1:20 to play, and No. 20 Southern California rallied from a late 13-point deficit for a 28-27 victory over Arizona State on Saturday in the Pac-12's long-delayed season opener. Bru McCoy caught a deflected 26-yard TD pass with 2:52 left for the Trojans (1-0), and Max Williams recovered the onside kick. On fourth and 9, Kedon Slovis fired a pass down the middle to London, and the two-sport athlete beat double coverage to haul it in for an electrifying score.

USC's defense then stopped Arizona State (0-1) on downs near midfield with 50 seconds left to preserve an astonishing comeback for perpetually embattled coach Clay Helton's team. Until their rally, the Trojans were struggling through a game that began at 9 a.m. USC agreed to its earliest kickoff in at least 70 years for a national television audience, but it looked like another embarrassment for Helton and his Trojans - before it abruptly turned into a thrilling triumph. Slovis passed for 381 yards for USC, while Stephen Carr and Markese Stepp made scoring runs in the first half. London also caught eight passes for 125 yards, but the Trojans seemed finished after they committed three turnovers and turned the ball over on downs two more times - all inside ASU territory. - AP College Football

(DS#5 WR) Jr/2022

WR *Drake London, Southern California
News Source: AP College Football
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11/02/20 - Christian Roland-Wallace, rSr/2024, Southern California, 6-0, 201 (DS#43 CB) + More +

From the moment he stepped foot on Arizona's campus, Roland-Wallace was college-ready. His 5-foot-11-inch, 198-pound frame was imposing even as an 18-year-old freshman. Now 202 pounds and with an entire season of experience under his belt, the Palmdale, California, native could be one of Arizona's top defenders in 2020. Roland-Wallace is one of three Arizona scholarship defensive backs to weigh more than 200 pounds, joining Christian Young (206) and McKenzie Barnes (203). In 12 games last season, including eight starts at cornerback, Roland-Wallace recorded 37 tackles, six pass breakups and one interception. He started the final six games of the season at cornerback.

Arizona's defensive coaching purge actually may actually help Roland-Wallace. New defensive backs coach Greg Burns, who came to Tucson when Demetrice Martin left for Colorado, recruited Roland-Wallace when he was the DBs coach at Oregon State. The OSU offer was Roland-Wallace's first from the Pac-12. Then Burns jumped over to USC's staff and wanted Roland-Wallace to play for the Trojans, but he was already committed to the UA. Burns said he's "happy to get my hands on" Roland-Wallace. Maybe a relationship that goes back to Roland-Wallace's sophomore year of high school will mold him into a key player for Arizona. Plus, the athletic Roland-Wallace has worked with the special teams unit as a kick and punt returner; he'll see the field quite a bit this year. - Arizona Star News

(DS#43 CB) rSr/2024

CB Christian Roland-Wallace, Southern California
News Source: Arizona Star News
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10/23/20 - *Tuli Tuipulotu, Jr/2023, Southern California, 6-3, 266 (DS#9 DE) + More +

While Marlon Tuipulotu was slated to step into a bigger role along USC's defensive line, Tuli Tuipulotu was set to step into his older brother's shadow. So far, both have impressed. Helton singled out Marlon as one of the standouts of Saturday's scrimmage, praising his leadership in the absence of All-Pac-12 defensive tackle Jay Tufele, who opted out of the season. The younger Tuipulotu, meanwhile, has had "one of the better camps of anybody on our team," Helton said. "He looks like a monster," Helton said of the freshman defensive end. "He's 275 but runs like he's 240 - I mean, great athleticism, has pass-rushing skills. Obviously, his older brother is on him every day making sure that he's doing right on and off the field, so he has a really bright future." - Los Angeles Times

(DS#9 DE) Jr/2023

DE *Tuli Tuipulotu, Southern California
News Source: Los Angeles Times
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10/16/20 - *Alijah Vera-Tucker, rJr/2021, Southern California, 6-5, 308 (DS#2 OG) + More +

The tackle to his left declared for the draft. The tackle to his right graduated. The left guard next to him moved to left tackle, after briefly considering leaving for the NFL, while the guard on his right side will likely shift out to right tackle. After an offseason of upheaval up front, Brett Neilon is the lone player still standing in the same place along USC's offensive line. How the pieces will fit around him is one of the most pressing questions facing the Trojans over the next three weeks of camp. Coaches are counting on Neilon, a junior center, to be the centerpiece in establishing the chemistry USC is searching for up front. "When you're trying to get five guys to play as one, you have to have one guy that can get everyone on the same page and make sure we're all pulling the rope in the same direction," offensive coordinator Graham Harrell said. "That's Brett's job, so on the field for him it's a ton of responsibility. The fact that he has as many reps as he has and he's as smart as he is really helps that cause."

It also doesn't hurt to have one of the Pac-12's top lineman back. Alijah Vera-Tucker's decision to opt in and play after initially declaring for the draft was clearly a major coup for a USC offense short on proven options up front. "After a lot of thought, I thought, why not?" Vera-Tucker said Tuesday. "Why not come back and be with my brothers, compete for a Pac-12 championship? Nothing really changed. The reason I came back last year was to do the same exact thing." But Vera-Tucker returns to far less depth and far more uncertainty up front this year than last. The All-Pac-12 guard will shift to left tackle, answering the most glaring of those questions. Jalen McKenzie, who started at right guard, is expected to move to right tackle. - Los Angeles Times

(DS#2 OG) rJr/2021

OG *Alijah Vera-Tucker, Southern California
News Source: Los Angeles Times
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10/06/20 - *Alijah Vera-Tucker, rJr/2021, Southern California, 6-5, 308 (DS#2 OG) + More +

Southern California offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker has opted back into the upcoming season, giving an enormous boost to the Trojans' offense. Vera-Tucker announced his decision Tuesday on social media. He opted out in September when the Pac-12 was planning not to play until spring. Vera-Tucker started 13 games at left guard as a sophomore last season, making the All-Pac-12 first team. He is expected to move to left tackle this season as the replacement for first-round pick Austin Jackson, now the Miami Dolphins' rookie starting left tackle. - AP College Football

(DS#2 OG) rJr/2021

OG *Alijah Vera-Tucker, Southern California
News Source: AP College Football
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10/03/20 - Solomon Byrd, rSr/2024, Southern California, 6-3, 255 (DS#30 DE) + More +

Five University of Wyoming football players, including three projected starters, have opted not to play this season due to concerns about COVID-19. All five players are on the defensive side of the ball. The players are safety Rome Weber, defensive ends Solomon Byrd and Davon Wells-Ross and defensive tackles Mario Mora and Claude Cole. Weber started 12 games last season as a sophomore, racking up 38 tackles, four pass breakups and an interception. He was expected to be one of the leaders of a veteran secondary that returns cornerbacks C.J. Coldon and Azizi Hearn and nickelback Keyon Blakenbaker. Byrd, a Football Writers Association of America freshman All-American in 2019, led the Cowboys with 6 1/2 sacks last season. Redshirt senior Garrett Crall is now the returning sack leader for UW, having notched 4 1/2 in 2019. - Wyoming Tribune Eagle

(DS#30 DE) rSr/2024

DE Solomon Byrd, Southern California
News Source: Wyoming Tribune Eagle
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10/01/20 - Jamil Muhammad, rSr/2025, Southern California, 6-1, 254 (DS#77 DE) + More +

Georgia State's Jamil Muhammad, a redshirt freshman transfer from Vanderbilt who wasn't able to win the starting quarterback job, has been moved to inside linebacker. Muhammad served as backup to Quad Brown in the season opener, but did not get on the field. Freshman Mikele Colasurdo, healthy again after a COVID-19 scare, will be the No. 2 quarterback for this week's game against East Carolina. "(Muhammad) needs to be on the field," coach Shawn Elliott said. "He's an athletic guy who can run, and we thought he could bolster that position. He's got good defensive instincts you see in practice that he needs to let loose. He'll add depth, and we'll get him on the field as soon as possible." Muhammad will play inside linebacker and provide depth to starters Trajan Stephens-McQueen and Blake Carroll. Muhammad (6-foot-1, 229 pounds) from Madison, Ala., comes from an athletic family. He has two brothers who played college football - Marquez at Western Kentucky and Terrance at Alabama A&M - and his uncle Kenneth Darby played at Alabama and in the NFL, including time with the Falcons. - Marietta Daily Journal

(DS#77 DE) rSr/2025

DE Jamil Muhammad, Southern California
News Source: Marietta Daily Journal
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09/17/20 - Jalen McKenzie, rSr/2022, Southern California, 6-5, 310 (DS#33 OT) + More +

When Alijah Vera-Tucker announced last week his plans to skip the Pac-12's postponed season to prepare for the NFL draft, it came as no surprise to Tim Drevno. The USC offensive line coach had spoken a few times to Vera-Tucker and his father prior to his decision, and all along, he sensed the Trojans' top returning lineman was leaning toward leaving early. With Vera-Tucker a potential late first-round pick, Drevno couldn't blame him. But as USC's projected starter at left tackle, Vera-Tucker's departure was about to make Drevno's job a lot more difficult. "Is it a blow that Alijah left? Yeah," Drevno said. "He's a really good player and a great person and a great leader. But I know we have the right guys in the room. We'll get the job done. Somehow, we'll fix the problem."

Even before Vera-Tucker's decision, USC's offensive front had its share of issues to iron out. Both starting tackles from last season had departed, including first-round selection Austin Jackson, and on the left side, the Trojans were without a clear replacement. Vera-Tucker moved over to the tackle spot out of necessity this offseason, having started every game last season on the interior. Without him, USC has no choice but to shuffle some more. Redshirt junior Jalen McKenzie, who spent most of last season at right guard and was slotted to start this one at right tackle, should get the first crack on the left side. He has the experience, with 14 collegiate starts, and the size, at 6 feet 5 and 315 pounds, to successfully transition into the position. But McKenzie won't be the only option. USC continues to look for experienced linemen via transfer, after successfully mining a starting right tackle (Drew Richmond) from the NCAA transfer portal last summer. - Los Angeles Times

(DS#33 OT) rSr/2022

OT Jalen McKenzie, Southern California
News Source: Los Angeles Times
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09/12/20 - *Alijah Vera-Tucker, rJr/2021, Southern California, 6-5, 308 (DS#2 OG) + More +

Vera-Tucker is the second Trojan starter in the trenches to declare his intention to skip the season. Defensive tackle Jay Tufele announced last month that he would enter the draft and signed with an agent, leaving USC shorthanded on its defensive front. Losing Vera-Tucker is an even more devastating blow to an offensive line that could ill afford to lose any depth. As a sophomore last season, Vera-Tucker emerged as USC's most consistent lineman from his spot at left guard, earning All-Pac-12 honors by season's end. His standout season nearly convinced him to declare for the draft last winter, but he chose to return with the promise of replacing Austin Jackson, who was drafted in the first round, at left tackle.

The question now turns to whether other Trojans might opt out before then. Safety Talanoa Hufanga has also been projected as a possible first-round pick. Wideout Amon-ra St. Brown is viewed as a likely top-100 selection, while fellow wideout Tyler Vaughns nearly declared after last season. Last week, shortly after Tufele made his decision, USC coach Clay Helton said he urged players to take their time in deciding on the draft. "You have all the way until the middle of January to make that decision," Helton said. "Don't rush the decision." Less than a week later, one of the Trojans' most talented prospects announced that he would opt out. - Los Angeles Times

(DS#2 OG) rJr/2021

OG *Alijah Vera-Tucker, Southern California
News Source: Los Angeles Times
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09/12/20 - *Alijah Vera-Tucker, rJr/2021, Southern California, 6-5, 308 (DS#2 OG) + More +

Southern California offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker has opted out of the upcoming season to enter the NFL draft. Vera-Tucker started 13 games at left guard for the Trojans last season, making the All-Pac-12 first team. He was expected to move to left tackle this season as the replacement for first-round pick Austin Jackson, who won the starting job for the Miami Dolphins this week. Vera-Tucker is the second player lost to the NFL by the Trojans while the Pac-12 determines whether it can play a football season amid the coronavirus pandemic. Defensive tackle Jay Tufele left the school in August. - AP College Football

(DS#2 OG) rJr/2021

OG *Alijah Vera-Tucker, Southern California
News Source: AP College Football
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09/09/20 - Tyler Vaughns, rSr/2021, Southern California, 6-2, 184 (DS#23 WR) + More +

2021 SENIOR BOWL WATCH LIST: Tyler Vaughns, USC,...Vaughns is ninth on USC's all-time receptions list (189) and has 7 100-yard receiving outings and 17 TDs in his career. Last fall, he caught 74 passes for 912 yards (12.3 average) with 6 scores. - USC Football

(DS#23 WR) rSr/2021

WR Tyler Vaughns, Southern California
News Source: USC Football
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