40 Days Until 2016 Season Starts and More USC Football News

With just 40 days until the start of the 2016 season, football’s Lent has officially begun. Plus USC football news from around the web.

Can’t get enough USC football and basketball news? We’ve got your morning dose of all the best content from around the web concerning the men of Troy.

1st & 10:

First Word… There are just 40 days left. Just 40 days of offseason wandering until the promised land of Alabama vs. USC at AT&T Stadium arrives.

USC’s offseason Lent isn’t signaled by anything quite as official as Ash Wednesday, but it is clear in the way players have taken to social media to give up distractions that the summer’s end is fast approaching.

Two of USC’s most active social media users are also two of the most important players on the team, Adoree’ Jackson and JuJu Smith-Schuster.

Their Twitter timelines give you a hint of where their heads are at as the final stretch of the offseason arrives…

The players are getting ready. How about you Trojan fans?

And Ten USC Football and Basketball News Links…

1. “Lobendahn back from injury, poised to make impact” (WeAreSC.com)Johnny Curren checks in with Toa Lobendahn, who says he’s ready to go but is waiting for USC to clear him for contact in fall camp.
2. “A place for Dominic” (USCFootball.com)Dan Weber checks in with Dominic Davis, who says he’s figured out what he needs to contribute to USC’s offense in 2016.
3. “Hunter Echols De-Commits from UCLA, Names Top 11” (Reign of Troy)Four-star defensive end Hunter Echols has USC among his top schools after de-committing from the Bruins.
4. “4-Star CB Marco Wilson Names Top 5” (Reign of Troy)USC made the Top 5 for Fort Lauderdale-product Marco Wilson, along with Ohio State, Georgia, Miami and Florida.
5. “4-Star OT Aaron Banks Names Top 16” (Reign of Troy)El Cerrito’s Aaron Banks opted for a Sweet 16, with USC joining seven other Pac-12 schools as well as Notre Dame on his list.
6. “Ranking the Best 5th-Year Seniors in CFB in 2016” (Bleacher Report)Zach Banner checks in at No. 11 on Brian Pedersen’s ranking of the top redshirt seniors in the country.
7. “Every Power 5 Team’s Biggest Concern for Fall Camp” (Bleacher Report)What’s USC’s biggest concern heading into fall camp? Greg Wallace says it’s the front seven, which is changing defensive schemes and replacing six starters.
8. “Top 10 scariest defensive players to face USC Part 1” (FightOn247)The first half of Chris Trevino’s 10 scariest individuals on USC’s slate includes Utah’s Kylie Fitts, Stanford’s Solomon Thomas, ASU’s Salamo Fiso, Utah’s Marcus Williams and UCLA’s Eddie Vanderdoes.
9. “This Year’s 10 Most Hated College Football Fan Bases” (College Spun)Haters gonna hate USC seventh most in the country, per College Spun’s staff.
10. “IMHO Sunday: Philosophy class” (WeAreSC.com)Greg Katz’s humble opinions this week are on the philosophy of when to pick a starting quarterback, USC’s GameDay App and more.

Social Media Snapshot: