USC Football Spring Camp: Early Enrollees Impress In First Week

The Trojans’ five early enrollees have made a strong impression on Clay Helton after the first week of USC football spring camp.

Tackling their first ever practices at the college level, the newest crop of USC football players could be forgiven for taking some time to settle in. However, the five early enrollees who joined the Trojans this spring have hit the ground running, according to head coach Clay Helton.

“I’ve been impressed with all five kids,” Helton said after practice on Saturday, via USC Athletics. “They’ve brought a seriousness out here to compete and they’ve brought a want-to. The future is bright for them.”

Helton singled out defensive tackle Marlon Tuipulotu, who has already drawn praise from defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast.

“[Pendergast] is really impressed with how football instinctive he is and how fast he’s picking everything up,” said Helton. “Where I’m impressed is just his physical strength and conditioning. Usually you get a freshman coming out of high school and they’re dog tired. This guy is in great shape.”

For that, the head coach credited the conditioning program of Central High School in Independence, Oregon where Tuipulotu finished his high school career just over a month ago, as well as the players’ own drive to be prepared for camp.

Tuipulotu was a late addition to the class of 2017, enrolling at USC after flipping from Washington with a week to spare before Signing Day on February 1.

A four-star prospect and one of the top defensive tackles in the nation, he was a major coup for the Trojan staff given USC’s need in the trenches.

MORE: Projecting USC’s 2017 Depth Chart

Depth concerns and the departure of nose tackle Stevie Tu’ikolovatu mean Tuipulotu could compete for immediate playing time. And it appears he’s done everything right so far to put himself into that position.

“He’s done a great job of preparing and studying and it’s paying off out here. He doesn’t look like a freshman,” Helton said. “He’s a guy that’s definitely going to be in the mix for competition going into fall camp if he continues on this pace.”

Tuipulotu isn’t the only early enrollee who received approval from Helton on Saturday.

Linebacker Tayler Katoa, who tipped a pass resulting in an interception during his first practice on Tuesday, and offensive tackle Andrew Voorhees, who is taking second team reps at left tackle already, both earned a nod for “not acting like a freshman” during their first week.

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Neither is expected to grab a starting place, but with strong spring performances they could put themselves in the mix for playing time in 2017.

Quarterback Jack Sears is almost certain to redshirt, but he drew recognition for his awareness on the practice field.

“Jack Sears actually knows where to go with the ball and that’s a rare thing,” Helton said.

As for Damon Johnson, who is a shoo-in to handle USC’s longsnapping duties in 2017, Helton gave him the best compliment a longsnapper could receive at this stage, saying, “He’s looking like a vet already.”

There are still four more weeks of USC’s spring camp after spring break this week, so there will be even more opportunities for the youngest Trojans to make an even bigger impression.