LOS ANGELES — Spring football is nearly over at USC. With 14 practices completed, we have a good indication of where things stand with most players on the roster, including a large group of newcomers. Here is one thought on each of the 25 new additions from the high school ranks and the transfer portal.
Defensive lineman Jide Abasiri, Fr. (four-star): Abasiri was a late addition to USC’s signing class after he flipped from Minnesota. He possesses the size (6 feet 5, 291 pounds) the Trojans will need as they move to the Big Ten, but there’s still a learning curve for the college game for most true freshmen, so Abasiri isn’t expected to be a major piece of the interior defensive line rotation this fall.
Safety Akili Arnold, R-Sr. (Oregon State): Secondary coach Doug Belk said Arnold has already taken a strong leadership position among the defensive backs. Arnold was a full-time starter at Oregon State last season so his experience should help a deep and relatively talented secondary. He’ll be in contention to start and at the very least should be a prominent contributor in the safety rotation.
Safety Jarvis Boatwright Jr., Fr. (three-star): There hasn’t been a ton of talk about Boatwright this spring, so Saturday will offer a first real glimpse of what he can do. He’s one of several incoming freshmen who could utilize this year as a developmental season.
Defensive lineman Nate Clifton, R-Sr. (Vanderbilt): Clifton is expected to be a critical piece of USC’s defensive line rotation. He has the size and ability to play both on the interior and the outside — a valuable asset for first-year defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn. He was the first defensive line transfer the staff brought in this offseason and will likely be joined by a few more additions this spring.
Defensive lineman Lorenzo Cowan, Fr. (three-star): Like Abasiri, Cowan probably won’t be in the defensive line rotation this fall and is likely more of a long-term project at the edge for USC.
Defensive lineman Kameryn Fountain, Fr. (four-star): It’s been a while since USC has brought in a freshman defensive lineman who looks as physically impressive as Fountain, the highest-rated player in the Trojans’ 2024 recruiting class. Time will tell how soon Fountain, who is 6 feet 6 and 256 pounds, can crack the defensive line rotation in his first season.
