Lincoln Riley highlights 3 fall camp warriors for USC football

With USC football's fall camp being more secretive than usual under new head coach Lincoln Riley, not too many know exactly who has been balling out in the vital fall camp period. Most of what is known floats around by ear, as the media isn't allowed to see too much of practice.

That's why when Riley mentioned that Ceyair Wright, Xamarion Gordon, and Mason Murphy have "separated themselves in Fall Camp," people paid attention.

All three of those players weren't guaranteed to start this season, so it was important to hear that they have been hitting their expectations. Riley also told the media that there's a "really big gap" with where they were in the spring and where they're at now in the fall. Clearly, they not only have done very well in the fall, but must have prepared themselves very well in the summer.

USC football could greatly use big impacts from these three players in 2022.

USC football lost both of its starting corners this offseason, so if Wright could continue this momentum into the season and give the team a boost, it would be huge. He's not expected to start, so the fact that he's been improving shows that he's undoubtedly on schedule in his development. Only logging two tackles last year, he didn't play much, so offseason reps are crucial for him.

He's answered the call. So has Gordon, too, apparently. He only logged one tackle last season, and while USC is probably just going to go with Xavion Alford and Calen Bullock as their starting safety duo (and what a duo that is), but if Gordon could chip in this year than it really solidifies the depth. That's important, and Gordon (a former four-star recruit) producing would be fantastic.

It' similar to how Wright, who not only was a four-star recruit but also was the No. 6 corner in the 2021 class, producing would be very impactful. If he and Gordon are already hitting their stride, that's tremendous news for the Trojans.

And Murphy performing would be massive for a different reason. Murphy was only a three-star (all recruiting ratings and rankings in article are as of 247Sports) in that 2021 class with Gordon and Wright, so if he's already raising eyebrows in camp, he's even potentially ahead of schedule in his development. Every program takes three-star lineman that they believe project well in the future. Guys that they are eager to try to develop.

Any time one of them hits, it's crucial for the program. If Murray could be that next project to blow up for the Trojans (like Andrew Vorhees), then SC has much more depth on the line than they think. They now know that they seem to have more depth in general than they think.

Sure, everybody wants the big-name guys to produce and to produce often. The fact that SC's biggest fall standouts have been depth pieces, though, show that they have a strong base and foundation to the roster, and not just front-end star power with the starters.