USC Football Spring Practice Notes: Receivers Unhappy with Ball Distribution

De’Quan Hampton highlighted USC football’s inability to spread the ball around last season after the Trojans seventh practice of spring camp.

De’Quan Hampton made waves with comments Tuesday after USC football’s seventh spring practice expressing frustration with Cody Kessler’s inability or unwillingness to spread the ball around in 2015.

The receiver told reporters after practice that receivers were unhappy with the lack of targets and indicated that Max Browne seems to have better chemistry with the receiving corps.

“I know Max isn’t going to pick one dude, he’s going to go to go for the one-on-one,” Hampton said, per Keely Eure of USCFootball.com.

JuJu Smith-Schuster had more than double the receptions of any other Trojan receiver in 2015. Hampton had just 15 receptions while Steven Mitchell checked in with 37, the most Smith-Schuster.

During spring camp, USC’s receivers have received a healthy dose of the ball with the likes of Ajene Harris, Deontay Burnett, Isaac Whitney, Michael Pittman, Josh Imatorbhebhe and others standing out over the past few weeks. However, it remains to be seen if that distribution will carry over into the season when the pressure is on.

At the very least, Hampton thinks things have progressed for the better.

Three Stars of the Day

1. Deontay Burnett: The sophomore wide receiver was all over the place at practice, catching the ball impressively during drills and accounting for several short receptions during the team period.
2. Malik Dorton: The defensive lineman had a sack on Max Browne during the final two-minute drill period of practice.
3. Sam Darnold: Clay Helton said after practice that it was his best day of the spring.

From the Notebook

• Uchenna Nwosu worked out on his own and was held out of participation with a sprained MCL he tweaked during Saturday’s scrimmage.
• Michael Pittman, JuJu Smith Schuster and Osa Masina were also limited.
• Jacob Daniel went down with an ankle injury, per Ryan Abraham of USCFootball.com.
• The defense won the final period on a pass break up over the middle of the field. The offense was in a two minute drill and managed to convert a long fourth down with a pass to Tyler Petite, but couldn’t finish off the drive and had to run a lap.