USC Football Roundup: Amon-ra St. Brown wants to win three Heismans (6/19)

Wide receiver Amon-ra St. Brown wants to win three Heisman Trophies in three years as a Trojan. Here’s the USC football roundup for June 19.

First there was Notre Dame’s Jimmy Clausen proclaiming his intent to win four national titles in four years.

Then there was defensive back Ykili Ross announcing his commitment to three years at USC.

Cornerback Jack Jones, now formerly of the Trojans, added his own flair by declaring his intention to win the Heisman Trophy as a freshman.

Now, it’s receiver Amon-ra St. Brown who has jumped on the train of declaring bold expectations.

In a profile done by the LA Times’ J. Brady McCollough, St. Brown may have even surpassed all those others:

“Ask Amon-ra what his goals are for his first year with the Trojans. With an unblinking, straight stare he will tell you, ‘I want to win the Heisman. All three years.'”

The freshman hit the same Heisman note as Jones, then amped it up with a Ross-esque three-year career projection. That’s about as audacious a pursuit as Clausen’s.

There’s nothing wrong with having the supreme confidence and competitiveness to seek those lofty goals. But what made Clausen, Ross and Jones the subject of jokes was the lack of follow through. Clausen never won a title, Ross redshirted and is about to start Year 4 in the program only just now on the path to a starting place, while Jones never sniffed a Heisman before falling afoul of academics and the law.

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

St. Brown could very well win a Heisman Trophy, a tough enough feat for a wide receiver. But his voiced ambition certainly won’t allow him to pursue that goal without plenty of pressure.

Marshall and Carr make Top 100

Sports Illustrated’s countdown of the Top 100 players in college football includes a pair of Trojans, with potentially more to come.

Running back Stephen Carr checked in at No. 53 nationally as the replacement for Ronald Jones II.

Cornerback Iman Marshall found himself not far from there at No. 49 heading into his senior campaign.

There’s little to complain about when it comes to those rankings as both need to prove quite a bit in 2018.

The big question is who else might appear once the Top 30 is released. Linebacker Cameron Smith and safety Marvell Tell are definite candidates, but could Porter Gustin also make the cut?

Keeping up on recruiting

The guys over at WeAreSC.com talked through USC’s plans on offense for the class of 2019 on Tuesday with a fairly thorough breakdown of needs and wants.

Everson Griffen’s meteoric rise

As detailed by Chris Trevino of USCFootball.com, Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen was named the 19th best player in the NFL this year by NFL.com. Considering how he was ranked 92nd last year, that’s a huge jump to be named among pro elites.

Pac-12 storylines

Bryan Fischer of Athlon Sports ran through the Top 10 storylines in the Pac-12 this year. On the subject of USC, he settled on the Trojans new cast of characters, which will include a new quarterback, primary running back and receiver.

He also looks at Arizona and ASU’s new coaching staffs, Chip Kelly’s debut at UCLA and more to keep you apprised of the intrigue around the league.

Today’s Trojan Trivia

Wide receiver Marqise Lee was the last Trojan to receive votes for the Heisman Trophy. In 2012, he finished fourth in the voting as Johnny Manziel took home the award.