Leonard Williams Tops Mel Kipers Draft Board and More USC Football News

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

1st & 10:

Leo starts to surge… Mel Kiper’s final pre-combine Big Board has Leonard Williams in the top spot.

Williams dethroned Jameis Winston at No. 1, earning praise from Kiper for his versatility and power:

"Long, powerful and versatile, Williams has been in this range going back to last year. He jolts blockers, has exceptional awareness and always finds the ball, and he disrupts regardless of where he’s lined up. Odd fronts, even fronts — it really doesn’t matter. Quick for his size, he can move all over and won’t get pushed around when he’s inside. At his size (6-foot-5, ~300 pounds), he’s a special athlete who could line up as a defensive end and drive a tackle back or on the outside shoulder of a guard and create problems with power and quickness."

Many a Trojan has been projected highly as their final season wound down, but it has been some time since one of those players maintained momentum as the draft neared.

While there has been the typical push back against Williams since the season ended from some corners, most scouts agree that he is a special talent with a bright future.

And also in USC football news…

1. Could Lamar Dawson missing the season in 2014 be a blessing in disguise for USC? Mike Piellucci thinks so, as his unexpected return will help lessen the blow of replacing J.R. Tavai and Hayes Pullard. (TrojanSports.com)
2. Speaking of linebackers, Michael Lev continues his look into the pre-spring depth chart at that very position, where USC suddenly looks stacked. (OC Register)
3. Our own spring previews broke down the battles at the receiver position. (Reign Of Troy)
4. Who has the most to prove during spring camp? Juniors like Darreus Rogers, Scott Felix and Jalen Cope-Fitzpatrick have a lot to lose. (Reign of Troy)
5. USC’s big recruits have gotten enough attention, Jamie Uyeyama singles out three new Trojans who could be the sleepers of the 2015 class. (Pacific Takes)
6. Can UCLA out-recruit USC in 2016? Damon Sayles asked and answered the question, if you’re looking for a new perspective of the cross-town recruiting rivalry. (Bleacher Report)
7. Brian Pedersen went through all 67 Power 5 schools and picked their most important player. To spare you 57 clicks to get to USC, Adoree’ Jackson the the Trojans key returnee. (Bleacher Report)
8. John Jackson is the latest of USC’s featured athletes for Black History Month. (USC Athletics)
9. USC was ranked the No. 2 college football program in the country based on an algorithm created by Niche. (Reign Of Troy)
10. It wouldn’t be the offseason if there weren’t alternate uniform designs floating about. The USC helmet designed by Dylan Young is intriguing and controversial. (Reign Of Troy)

Stat of the Day:

Leonard Williams was USC’s first two-time All-American first team defensive end since Marlin McKeever in 1960.

Tweets of the Day: