USC Football: Tidbits from Trojans 2017 media guide

USC Football released the 2017 media guide on Tuesday, offering details on roster size, returning players, quirky stats and more.

With Pac-12 media days hours away and fall camp fast approaching, USC Football dropped the 2017 media guide on Tuesday.

That means a more official accounting of USC’s 2017 roster numbers, jersey changes, returning and departing players and all sorts of other factoids to unwrap.

Here are some notable tidbits from USC’s 2017 media guide:

• USC has 15 seniors, 30 juniors, 18 sophomores and 41 freshmen on the 2017 roster. The total number of scholarship players for 2017 is 83.
• Of 104 total players on USC’s roster, 70 hail from the state of California. Texas boasts the second-most Trojans with five players from the state. There are three players each from Utah, Georgia, Florida and Arizona. Two players each come from Hawaii, Maryland, and Nevada. The states of Alabama, Alaska, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oregon and Pennsylvania have one Trojan each, along with the territory of American Samoa.
• USC’s roster features two international players — punter Chris Tilbey from Australia and outside linebacker Oluwole Betiku from Nigeria.
• Freshman cornerback Je’Quari Godfrey is the youngest player on the Trojan roster, born January 23, 2000. Tilbey is the oldest, born December 31, 1993.
• 20 Trojan players will celebrate their birthdays during the season, including two — Damon Johnson and Clayton Johnston — whose birthday falls on a USC game day when the Trojans take on Oregon State at the Coliseum on October 7.
• USC lists six returning starters on offense: QB Sam Darnold, RB Ronald Jons, WR Deontay Burnett, TE Daniel Imatorbhebhe, OG Viane Talamaivao and center Nico Falah. That does not account for two other offensive returners with double-digit starts to their name: C-OG Toa Lobendahn and WR Steven Mitchell.
• Seven returning starters on defense include ILB Cameron Smith, CB Iman Marshall, OLB Porter Gustin, DL Rasheem Green, OLB Uchenna Nwosu, S Marvell Tell III, S Chris Hawkins, CB Ajene Harris and CB Jonathan Lockett. The last three, however, are acknowledged for their shared starts.

CHECK OUT: Predicting USC’s 2017 Depth Chart

USC lost 12 players on offense, 10 players on defense and two players on special teams from the 2016 roster. Kicker Matt Boermeester was confirmed as a departure due to a student-conduct issue. Defensive lineman Kevin Scott and center Khaliel Rodgers transferred. Safety John Plattenburg retired for medical reasons.

The Trojans feature five players with a surname of Jones. There are also three each with the last name of Smith and two each named Brown, Imatorbhebhe and Johnson.

There are four players who share the name Chris on the roster, three named Josh and two named Jordan, Michael and Christian.

More from Reign of Troy

• Markese Stepp enters transfer portal intending to leave USC football
• USC football’s Alijah Vera-Tucker declares for NFL Draft
• USC football adds Xavion Alford as transfer from Texas
• USC Podcast: RoT Radio Ep. 396 on the Football Season’s Fallout
• Talanoa Hufanga named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, USC football with five first-teamers

The “Dramatic Finishes” section of the media guide features a new addition — the 2017 Rose Bowl thanks to Leon McQuay’s late interception and Boermeester’s game-winning kick.

Unfortunately, the “Dramatic Finishes” section also makes note of USC’s 2016 loss to Utah when Ute receiver Tim Patrick caught a touchdown with 16 seconds left on the clock.

Current Trojans on USC’s all-time stat leaders lists:

• Running back Ronald Jones ranks 18th among career rushing leaders and 24th among single-season rushing leaders.
• Quarterback Sam Darnold ranks 15th among career passing leaders, 20th among career total offense leaders, 10th among single-season passing leaders and eighth among single-season total offensive leaders.

Updated USC records:

• USC’s record of 233 games without being shut out remains intact going back to 1997.
• USC matched its record of road sellouts in 2016 with five.
• Penn State’s 49 points were the most for a Trojan opponent in a loss. The Nittany Lions’ 4 touchdowns and 28 points in the third quarter of the Rose Bowl also equaled USC opponent records.