Looking at USC football’s returning yards, tackles and offensive line starts

USC football has one of the nation’s lowest percentages for returning yards in 2018, but the Trojans have solid production coming back on the offensive line and defense.

USC football finds itself with an odd mix of departing and returning talent to deal with in 2018.

The Trojans have lost the services of six starters on offense, including quarterback Sam Darnold, leading receiver Deontay Burnett, leading rusher Ronald Jones II and center Nico Falah.

On defense, four starters have moved on from the program: nose tackle Josh Fatu, defensive end Rasheem Green, safety Chris Hawkins and linebacker Uchenna Nwosu. A fifth, cornerback Jack Jones, is no longer on the roster.

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But it could have been much more as NFL-eligible starters like linebacker Cameron Smith, safety Marvell Tell, cornerback Iman Marshall, linebacker Porter Gustin, nickelback Ajene Harris, offensive lineman Toa Lobendahn, left guard Chris Brown, right tackle Chuma Edoga and tight end Tyler Petite opted to stay for their senior seasons.

Where does that leave the Trojans relative to the rest of college football?

Phil Steele’s annual look at the percentage of returning tackles and yards, as well as total career starts on the offensive line, offers some perspective.

USC is one of the worst off teams when it comes to percentage of returning yardage in 2018, ranking 124th out of 130 teams. Thanks to Darnold, Burnett and Jones II’s NFL decisions, the Trojans will have just 28.3 percent of last year’s offensive production back on the roster.

Fortunately, there are replacements waiting in the wings. At running back, Stephen Carr will be tasked with making up for Jones II’s absence. At receiver, the duo of Tyler Vaughns and Michael Pittman could actually prove an upgrade over Burnett and Steven Mitchell.

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Of course, the unanswered questions around the quarterback spot will determine much of the anxiety levels over all that lost production and how well USC can replace it.

Though statistical production took an undeniable hit, the offensive line at least returns a solid amount of experience relative to other teams around the country. The Trojans are 49th nationally and sixth in the Pac-12 in career starts returning to the offensive trenches. That’s 78 starts for the unit, to be exact.

Over on defense, USC brings back 70.7 percent of tackles from 2017. That’s third in the Pac-12 and 39th in the country.

In an overall defensive sense, the Trojans are in good shape when it comes to that kind of basic productivity. However, it’s also worth noting that Green, Nwosu, Fatu and Hawkins accounted for 45.7 percent of USC’s tackles for loss last year.

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That production will have to be made up from somewhere, though Gustin’s healthy presence will no doubt lessen the load there.

All-in-all, defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast should have an easier time coping with his new lineup than offensive coordinator Tee Martin, especially with a difficult opening month to contend with.