USC Football’s All-Sanctions Era Team

DE: Morgan Breslin (2012-13)

Morgan Breslin’s meteoric rise from unheralded junior college transfer to the Pac-12’s leader in sacks —all without saying a word to the media— was something of legend in 2012. It was compounded a year later, when injuries had him vanish as quickly as he came around, leaving him as one of the biggest enigmas in USC football history.

As a 4-3 defensive end under the tutelage of Ed Orgeron, the All-Pac-12 second-teamer was a dominant force to behold. Breslin amassed 19.5 tackles for loss in his first season, the most by a Trojan since Kenechi Udeze’s historic 2003. His 13 sacks led the conference, and the 4.5 TFLs against Cal was just one off Lawrence Jackson’s single-game record.

Breslin wouldn’t get the chance to follow it up as a senior, with a groin injury causing him to miss two early season games and a sports hernia forcing him to miss the remainder of the season. He’s yet to play football since.

As for how he fits into the All-Sanctions team, Breslin —along with Nick Perry— gives the Trojans a chance at flexibility on the edge. He played outside linebacker in Clancy Pendergast’s 5-2 base as a senior, while the Green Bay Packers converted the big-bodied Perry to an outside linebacker in the NFL.

Backup: Wes Horton (2008-12)