Cameron Smith’s Health is Key for Settling the USC Defense

An inexperienced defensive line has been considered the critical area of the USC defense. But is the health of linebacker Cameron Smith more impactful?

The stellar freshman season of Cam Smith came to an end last November, following an ACL tear during a win at Colorado. With a lengthy recovery as a result, Smith’s status for the start of 2016 had been somewhat murky.

Ligament tears like Smith’s are given a six to nine month timetable by sports doctors, but that’s not a certain window. Adrian Peterson’s famed rapid recovery was worlds different than former USC linebacker Lamar Dawson, for instance.

Luckily for the Trojans, the variance in recovery looks to be on the sophomore’s side.

“That’s what I’ve been told this whole process,” Smith said. “Everyone is different and everyone recovers differently, so when I got the go, it was ‘Alright, I’m ready.'”

When it happens, Cam Smith playing football might be the best news for the USC defensive since the re-hiring of Clancy Pendergast.

Through three days of fall camp, he’s yet to participate in 11-on-11 sessions. That’s a precautionary measure more than anything.

“I’m cleared, they’re just getting me back in the rhythm and getting me back going again,” Smith said. “I would say I’m 100%. I’m just trying not to worry about it as much as possible, get it out of my head and go play football.”

When it happens, Smith playing football might be the best news for the USC defensive since the re-hiring of defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast.

That’s because a healthy Smith allows Pendergast to sort out his defense much more effectively, with multiple players falling in line at positions of uncertainty.

Look no further than weakside inside linebacker. Last year, it was a position occupied by Anthony Sarao, who repeatedly showed glimpses of being a steady contributor, and then would vanish for drives on end.

USC football linebacker Quinton Powell practices at Howard Jones Field. (Alicia de Artola/Reign of Troy) /

With Sarao graduated and Smith healthy, the Trojans can stack up a bevy of talented, yet unproven linebackers and wait for someone to seize the job.

Between the likes of Quinton Powell, Olajuwon Tucker, Michael Hutchings, Osa Masina and John Houston, numbers give USC the strong likelihood that a reliable starter will emerge.

It also allows for strengthened depth and rotational opportunities, which is key given Pendergast’s approach of relying on his inside linebackers almost too heavily when depth isn’t an option.

In 2013, Hayes Pullard was USC’s most used linebacker. He was seldom ever taken off the field, as the alternative at the time was an unproven and true freshman Hutchings.

By the end of the season, the Trojans’ defense –despite receiving praise for playing with just 12 men vs. Stanford– was gassed.

Now, despite not having a reliable returning starter in the front seven outside of Smith or edge rusher Porter Gustin, there’s at least numbers to try new things and allow players the opportunity to work their way up.

Those numbers are lottery tickets. The more you have, the higher chance of things breaking the right way.

When it includes elite high school talent like the Trojans have hauled in on the recruiting trail in the last few classes, the bleakness of a youthful, inexperienced front seven is severely lessened.

But again, it’s all banking on the health of Smith.

With Smith healthy, you ideally don’t have situations like last year’s Oregon game, when Tucker was thrown into the fire to be eaten alive by Vernon Adams.

Instead, Smith is your ride-or-die at the MIKE. Once he’s healthy, you have the option to get everyone involved at WILL.

SEE MORE: Breaking Down USC’s Linebackers Going into 2016

That includes Hutchings, who has been filling in for Smith at middle linebacker the since the start of camp, and has seemingly taken the next step in his development, something he was expected to last year as the would-be successor to Pullard.

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“He’s been leading the charge so far,” junior safety Chris Hawkins said of Hutchings on Friday. “He knows how to lead from the inside out. He gets every body lined up in the front seven.”

Now imagine Pendergast’s options with a pair of capable middle linebackers, should Smith and Hutchings each win starting jobs.

That’s just one option.

Maybe you go with Tucker at weakside and leave Hutchings as a rotational player in the middle. Perhaps you someone steps up and allows Masina to slide over to outside linebacker.

The options are endless, and Smith’s 100 percent knee makes it all possible.

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