Apr 13, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; General view of Southern California Trojans players running onto the field through the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum tunnel and Fight On sign during the spring game. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

USC begins its 2013 football campaign in just under four months as a team with new faces in the huddle, new coaches on the sidelines, and new schemes on the field.

While we are well acquainted will some of players that return with the promise of dazzling us all once again, there are a few troops in the ranks of Troy that deserve a little face time before the season rolls around. And you’ll want to get to know them now; once these guys are given the spotlight, expect them to hold on to it.

5. WR Steven Mitchell

With Robert Woods having departed Troy for the NFL, a competition has opened up for receptions that aren’t targeted for phenom Marqise Lee. While it’s largely expected that Nelson Agholor will fill the role left by Robert Woods, expect Mitchell to compete. Despite being slightly undersized, Mitchell has the ability to get down the field quickly and to create space for himself. He can even hurdle defenders. Much like Lee, Mitchell can cause all sorts of match-up nightmares for opposing defenses in open space and gives the Trojans another home run threat that could be comparable to a Ronald Johnson.

4. TE Jalen Cope-Fitzpatrick

JCF found himself with an increase in responsibility this spring when starting tight ends Xavier Grimble (fractured chest) and Randall Telfer (knee) exited spring camp with injuries. If utilized, the Grimble-Telfer tight end duo could be one of the strongest in college football, so being without them this spring was quite worrisome for Lane Kiffin and Clay Helton. But Cope-Fitzpatrick stepped up, shouldered the weight of being the starting tight end for the latter weeks of camp, and showed the coaches that he is ready for more responsibility in 2013. Currently listed at 248 pounds, the sophomore displayed improved blocking skills as well as soft hands in the passing game. Telfer and Grimble should be back and ready to go come August, but should either be unavailable–or if Kiffin wants to add another weapon to his offense–Cope-Fitzpatrick could be an impact player this fall.

3. WR Darreus Rogers

As with Mitchell, Rogers is another wideout looking to earn a spot in the starting rotation, especially after having had a delayed start to his career at USC. He signed with the Trojans in 2012 but was not cleared by the NCAA in time to participate in the fall. In December, he got to practice with the team before their Sun Bowl appearance, and Kiffin really liked what he saw then. Now, he’s at USC and participated in spring ball, and you could say that he has the best hands on the team. With the Trojans needing a possession receiver to take over for the loss of Robert Woods, don’t be surprised if Rogers gets his reps as a split end, as he plays with the control of Windrell Hayes and Keary Colbert.

2. DL Kenny Bigelow

Of the incoming freshmen that participated in spring ball, five-star defensive tackle Kenny Bigelow was one of the top performers. He got moved to nose tackle and after having a bit of a slow start in the transition, he started to flourish in his new role. In one of USC’s spring scrimmages, he recorded a pair of sacks, one of which Kiffin described as a “coming-out play” for the freshman. His ability to plug up the middle will be something to pay close attention to as USC employs its new scheme for the first time.

1. RB Justin Davis

Davis has easily been the most dynamic Trojan through this spring, and the one who has come in and made the most of his time as an early enrollee. Before camp even ended–and before Silas Redd was sidelined with a knee injury–Kiffin remarked to the media that the freshman could be the No. 1 tailback this fall. He is sleak yet physical back, who thrives as an upright runner, allowing him to get downhill quickly. At the very least, he will be a solid compliment to Silas Redd and D.J. Morgan, as David is more of a combo-back to Redd’s physical running style and Morgan’s speed.

In The Clubhouse (13 commitments)

Who’s Enrolled?

• Kenny Bigelow — DT — Elkton, MD (East Christian)
• Max Browne — QB — Sammamish, WA (Sammamish)
• Su’a Cravens — S — Vista Murrieta, CA (Vista Murrieta)
• Justin Davis — RB– Stockton, CA (Lincoln)
• Chris Hawkins –CB– Rancho Cucamonga, CA (Rancho Cucamonga)
• Leon McQuay III –S– Tampa Bay, FL (Armwood)

Who’s Committed?

• Nico Falah — OL — Bellflower, CA (St. John Bosco)
• Jason Hatcher — DE — Louisville, KY (Trinity)
• Michael Hutchings — LB — Concord, CA (De La Salle)
• Ty Isaac — RB — Joliet, IL (Joliet Catholic)
• Steven Mitchell — WR — Mission Hills, CA (Bishop Alemany)
• Torrodney Prevot — DE — Houston, TX (Alief Taylor)
• Jalen Ramsey — DB — Nashville, TN (Brentwood Academy)
• Khaliel Rodgers — OL — Elkton, MD (Eastern Christian Academy)

The Battleground (4 open scholarships)

Who’s Likely?

• Quinton Powell — LB — Daytona Beach, FL (Mainland) – Powell visited USC on January 18th and shut down his recruiting. He visited Florida back in December and will make his decision live during ESPN’s National Signing Day coverage.
• Eddie Vanderdoes — DL — Placer, CA (Placer) - Vanderdoes will make his decision live on MaxPreps.com at 5 p.m. Pacific time on Signing Day. He visited USC back on January 18th, followed by his two final trips to Notre Dame and Alabama.

Who’s a Longshot?

• Kylie Fitts — DE — Redlands, CA (East Valley) - Fitts de-committed in early January when USC decided to defer his scholarship to the fall, as opposed to being an early enrollee. Since then, Fitts has visited UCLA, Notre Dame and Utah.
• A’Shawn Robinson — DT — Fort Worth, TX (Arlington Heights) -  Robinson visited USC in December along with the Fitts and other early enrollees, spurning a Texas banquet in the process. He visited Austin on January 26th and has made it clear that he’s committed to Texas.
• Matt Thomas — LB — Miami, FL (Booker T. Washington) –   Thomas came to Los Angeles to visit USC on January 18th and is considered to be a strong Miami lean after his Florida State recruiter, James Coley, took the offensive coordinator role at Miami.

Three Storylines to Watch:

1 . Can Lane Kiffin close strong? The Trojans’ recruiting class had as many as 18 commitments back in the summer, which was one over the limit of 17. But since then, six have de-committed, including Jason Hatcher, who re-committed earlier this week. Kiffin and the Trojans have been saddled with a narrative tied to USC’s 7-6 record and Sun Bowl loss, but if they can close by signing Eddie Vanderdoes or Kylie Fitts, they’ll go a long way towards repairing that image.

2.  Just where will the average-star rating finish? Despite being saddled with sanctions that limit USC’s class to 15 scholarships(plus two carryover initials for early enrollees), the Trojans don’t have a single commitment from a three-star player. Dating back to 2002, USC has topped out with an average-star rating of 4.22 in 2007 and 4.20 in 2010, a record they will seemingly shatter in 2013, as they stand at 4.43. Should USC add three five-stars on Signing Day without losing a commit (Vanderdoes, Thomas and Robinson) they would max out at a Rivals rating of 4.53, in addition to setting a record with nine five-star commits. That seems to be a longshot, but that’s quite the ceiling for a 7-6 team in the middle of sanctions. Click here for more on USC’s star rating.

3. Can USC keep Ramsey and Prevot on board? Five-star corner Jalen Ramsey has been tied to the Florida Gators for months and rumors and pundits see him landing either in Gainesville or Tallahassee, with the rival Florida State Seminoles, including Mike Farrell of Rivals. For Prevot, multiple visits to College Station to visit Texas A&M may be concerning for the Trojans, even if the Aggies have 92 players committed to their class. Well, not quite 92. UPDATE: Ramsey de-committed late Monday night.

Despite the recent decommitments of Max Redfield and Eldrige Massington, after a mass official visit for pending early enrollees over the weekend, the class appears to be closing strong with the anchors of group, including Chris Hawkins of Rancho Cucamonga.

Going into the weekend, the biggest question mark was the strength of Hawkins’s commitment, as his recruitment had been Topsy Turvy, going from hard verbal to soft verbal and back to solid. Rumors had spread that Hawkins wasn’t getting the communication from USC that he wanted, but on Sunday afternoon, ESPN’s Blair Angulo reported that the weekend answered all of the questions Hawkins had for Lane Kiffin’s staff, as the talented cornerback is all set to enroll for USC’s spring semester, which begins on January 14th.

Joining Hawkins in the classroom next month as early enrollees will be Justin Davis, Kenny Bigelow, Kylie Fitts, Max Browne and Su’a Cravens.

While Bigelow missed the group visit due to his US Army All-American ceremony back home in Maryland, the two other anchors for the class, Browne and Cravens, spent their weekend at Troy as leaders of the group visit. The two will not only suit up as teammates opposite of Bigelow at the US Army All-American Bowl on January 5th at the Alamodome in San Antonio, but they are Gatorade State Players of the Year, cutting their visit short as they headed to New York for Gatorade’s National Player of the Year Ceremony.

Before departing however, Browne snapped a picture of the Coliseum in all of its recruiting glory. On Saturday night, the group of recruits were given a tour of the place, highlighted by a lengthy stop inside the USC locker room and a tunnel walk to the field, where they were serenaded with a video montage on the 6,000 square-foot high-definition screen at the west end of the Coliseum.

Needless to say, Lane Kiffin, Ed Orgeron and company and going all out on securing their sanctioned class, which can only bring in 17 players for the Trojans. With Hawkins and company voicing their dedication to early enrollment, coupled with gains on A’Shawn Robinson and Max Redfield, the weekend was a big success for USC.