USC Football Roundup: New preseason Top 25 rankings and more (5/2)

Updated preseason Top 25 rankings have hit the wire while the Coliseum renovation is coming along. Here’s your USC football roundup for May 2nd.

The conclusion of the 2018 NFL Draft signaled the true start of the college football offseason, and the release of a wave of post-spring preseason rankings.

USC ranks 16th in Dennis Dodd’s new Top 25 for CBS Sports behind No. 12 Washington and No. 13 Stanford.

That seems about right for the Trojans who should still be favorites to win the Pac-12 South but must answer serious questions on offense with a new starting quarterback and running back.

ESPN kept USC at 17th in their updated rankings, while Sporting News put the Trojans at No. 15.

The only new Top 25 which seems to disagree with a ranking in the teens for USC is USA Today, which dropped the Trojans from their original place at 17th to 25th. That’s in large part to growing concerns over the quarterback situation.

Coliseum renovation update

Darnold will get “every opportunity”

Not that it’s much of a surprise, but the word out of New York is already positive for Sam Darnold’s chances of being the Jets’ Day 1 starter.

More from Reign of Troy

• Markese Stepp enters transfer portal intending to leave USC football
• USC football’s Alijah Vera-Tucker declares for NFL Draft
• USC football adds Xavion Alford as transfer from Texas
• USC Podcast: RoT Radio Ep. 396 on the Football Season’s Fallout
• Talanoa Hufanga named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, USC football with five first-teamers

NFLDraftScout.com detailed how general manager Mike Maccagnan discussed the plans for Darnold in New York:

“We’re going to basically expose him to everything. We’re going to give him the opportunity to go out there (and learn) the position. But of course our focus is not necessarily to throw him into the fire until he’s earned it….He’s going to have every opportunity to go out there and hopefully fulfill every potential we see in him.”

Looking ahead to 2019

At Reign Of Troy, we’ve already looked at some Trojans who could be first round prospects and juniors who could be drafted in 2019, but if you haven’t gotten enough NFL Draft speculation for next year, you’re in luck.

Athlon Sports’ Kyle Kensing took a look at the Top 25 draft prospects in the Pac-12 this year. As you’d expect there are plenty of Trojans including Marvell Tell, Cameron Smith, Christian Rector, Porter Gustin and Toa Lobendahn.

New uniform rules

The NCAA seems to be cracking down on the way players wear their uniforms in 2018.

As Football Scoop reports, players must cover their enter knee, cannot roll up their jersey to expose their stomach (Ezekiel Elliot-style), cannot have their back plate exposed and can’t have a t-shirt peaking out below their jersey.

That means Velus Jones can’t rock this look this year.

Telfer on the move

Former Trojan tight end Randall Telfer announced the Cleveland Browns’ second round draft pick last weekend as the team’s Man of the Year representative. Now they’ve shipped him off to the Kansas City Chiefs in a trade.

In Kansas City he’ll meet up with fellow USC alum Leon McQuay III.

Trojan Trivia

A total of 53 Trojans have graduated high school early in order to enroll in the spring semester at USC, beginning with Jacob Rodgers in 1999. John David Booty was the first to graduate high school a year early in order to enroll. JT Daniels is set to become the second for the Trojans.