USC Football: Four Trojans on PFF 2017 All-Pac-12 team

USC Football’s Sam Darnold, Deontay Burnett, Uchenna Nwosu and Cameron Smith were named to the Pro Football Focus preseason All-Pac-12 team for 2017.

A quartet of Trojans were named to the Pro Football Focus preseason All-Pac-12 team ahead of the 2017, with one or two noteworthy snubs.

Unsurprisingly, preseason All-Americans Sam Darnold and Cameron Smith headlined the team at quarterback and inside linebacker respectively, but the likes of receiver Deontay Burnett and outside linebacker Uchenna Nwosu also received worthy nods on the first team.

Burnett is best known for being the hero of the 2017 Rose Bowl, catching the game-tying touchdown pass from Darnold along with a slew of other passes during his coming out party. He returns for his junior season with the weight of being USC’s primary receiving target on his shoulders following the departure of JuJu Smith-Schuster and Darreus Rogers.

Nwosu emerged as a starter in 2016 replacing Su’a Cravens at strongside linebacker. Having settled into his role with 7.5 tackle for loss last year, the senior stormed through spring and fall camp, bigger, stronger and faster than before. Now a newly-elected captain, he appears on the brink of a starring role for the Trojans defensively.

As for Darnold and Smith, the two are considered two of the top players in college football this season. Darnold is a Heisman Trophy candidate while Smith is expected to be an elite middle linebacker as a junior.

USC’s four selections to the first team were bested only by Washington with five picks.

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PFF did snub a couple of Trojans who could see All-Pac-12 recognition in 2017. Running back Ronald Jones II missed out on a first team place with Washington’s Myles Gaskin and and Oregon State’s Ryan Nall filling the two slots.

At cornerback, Stanford’s Quenton Meeks and Colorado’s Isaiah Oliver were preferred to USC’s Iman Marshall.

An argument could also be made for edge rusher Porter Gustin, who is expected to terrorize opposing quarterbacks opposite Nwosu.

TRENDING: Game-By-Game Predictions for USC’s 2017 Season

Meanwhile, Stanford tight end Dalton Schultz blocked Trojan tight end Daniel Imatorbhebhe from making the team.