USC Football

A USC booster didn't mince words about the current state of the football team.

Speaking to reporters during the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year banquet Saturday night, Brian Kennedy called the Trojans program "dogs--t."

Kennedy's comments come in the wake of a tumultuous season for USC football. Lynn Swann resigned his post as athletic director in September after four members of the athletic department were implicated in a college admissions scandal and Tony Bland, a former assistant men's basketball coach, pleaded guilty in a federal bribery case.

Head coach Clay Helton was believed to be on the hot seat, but new athletic director Mike Bohn announced in December the 47-year-old would return in 2020.

Helton took over as head coach on an interim basis midway through the 2015 season after Steve Sarkisian's firing. He was given the full-time job in November 2015 and went a combined 21-6 in 2016 and 2017, including a 52-49 victory over Penn State in the 2017 Rose Bowl.

Over the past two seasons under Helton, USC has compiled a 13-12 record. Its 5-7 mark in 2018 was just the second losing record for the program since 1992 (5-7 in 2000).

Recruiting has also become an issue for the Trojans, with 247Sports' composite rankings currently listing their 2020 class as No. 56 in the nation.

USC has an opportunity to change its current narrative in 2020 when it takes on Alabama in the season opener at AT&T Stadium on Sept. 5.

Clay Helton must be desperate to ditch his calendar.

When the clock finally strikes midnight on New Year's Eve, the embattled USC boss can officially move past a deflating 2019. Perhaps he'll even join the "New Year, New Me" resolution crowd.

The last 12 months included nonstop rumors about his job security, and the whispers of a coaching change—Urban Meyer, anyone?—developed into relentless shouts as the Trojans began the season 3-3. All that uncertainty and performance-based negativity stung Helton and Co.'s efforts on the recruiting trail.

Tradition didn't sell. Neither did a three-win improvement from 2018. Proximity to elite talent was a non-factor this year.

USC entered the early signing period with the nation's No. 81 haul but clutched the optimism of athletic director Mike Bohn's insistence that recruiting was going "dramatically better" than anybody wanted to admit.

Could that mean silent commits? Last-second flips?

It turned into nothing but a commitment from a prospect, Tuli Tuipulotu, whose brother Marlon plays for USC.

After missing on a couple of key targets while adding only the 3-star defensive tackle, the Trojans are checking out in the high 70s. While the recruiting cycle isn't over until February, the majority of the work is done; the 2020 class is underwhelming.

USC watched 5-star linebacker Justin Flowe choose Oregon. Losing a key target to Alabama or Clemson or Ohio State hurts, but seeing that player stay in the Pac-12 should be crushing. And for the second straight year—Kayvon Thibodeaux previously—the state's top prospect left the Los Angeles area in favor of Eugene.

Oregon is the new Usc in recruiting on the West Coast... back in my day no one dared to recruit So Cal. Now it’s open season and Oregon is hunting!

— Matt Leinart (@MattLeinartQB) December 18, 2019

Worse yet, the Trojans basically struck out in the state.

California has 33 top-400 players in 2020, per the 247Sports composite rankings. USC only signed one (4-star lineman Jonah Monheim) and is considered the favorite for just one (4-star wideout Gary Bryant Jr.) of the five remaining unsigned players.

Oregon, Washington and Arizona State all grabbed four within that top-400 group, and ASU might snag a few more. Georgia and Ohio State both picked up two 4-stars, and Michigan will do the same if Darion Green-Warren picks the Wolverines over USC. Alabama and Clemson both signed 5-star quarterbacks, including Alabama's flipping of Bryce Young from his commitment to the Trojans.

Recruiting rankings aren't perfect. But calling them irrelevant is willfully ignorant of evidence to the contrary. The program—not just Helton—cannot afford another cycle like 2020, lest the roster's talent drop even further behind nationally.

As you'd expect—and as he should—Helton broke out the spin machine in his Wednesday press conference.

"You have to be able to look at your needs," he said. "I think that's the biggest thing. It's nice to sign great players, but it's also nice to sign great players that you have to have."

When asked about missing on the majority of the top players in the state of California, Helton says you have to look at your needs first.

"There's a lot of stars out there, there's a lot of evaluation, but in a small class we had to address our needs."

— Reign of Troy Radio (@ReignofTroy) December 18, 2019

The Trojans certainly needed offensive linemen, and they restocked the unit's depth with six blockers. In theory, that's good and valuable, as is bringing in three defensive linemen.

But what about a running back to replace Vavae Malepeai and Stephen Carr after 2020? A quarterback to handle the attrition that happens at every program? More depth at linebacker and receiver to prepare for upcoming departures?

Sure, the class had limited numbers because of a small senior class, but is USC's talent evaluation that far superior to recruiting services? All this talent around the nation, and the Trojans saw nine linemen, one receiver and a kicker as the team needs?

"We had a very good day today that we're very happy about," Helton said.

Of course he'll praise the recruiting class; doing anything less would invite a complete disaster to an already tenuous situation. Yet if Wednesday qualifies as a "very good day," just imagine the compliments he'd muster for a top-50 class next year.

Although the coaching staff will continue recruiting a few targets before the traditional national signing day in February, this story is mostly written. For Helton and USC, the 2020 cycle stunk.

Plus, looking at next fall's schedule with Alabama in the opener, trips to Oregon and Utah, and visits from Washington, Notre Dame and Arizona State, there is obvious potential for problems. It's reasonable to suggest this could happen again.

Nevertheless, Helton and the Trojans fight on. Especially given that schedule, the uncertainty of his job security will linger. This time around, at least he and his staff can tout an eight- or nine-win season during the summer months.

New year, new USC.

Well, that's the plan. Helton's job depends on it.

           

All recruiting information via 247Sports. Stats from NCAA.com, cfbstats.com or B/R research. Follow Bleacher Report CFB Writer David Kenyon on Twitter @Kenyon19_BR.

The USC recruiting class is shaping up to be one of the worst—if not the worst—in school history.

Uncertainty about the status of coach Clay Helton, along with the Trojans' struggles on the field, led to both tepid interest the nation's top recruits. USC currently sits 82nd in 247Sports' recruiting rankings and is 11th among Pac-12 schools.

While a more firm commitment to Helton may wind up enticing some recruits to ink their letter of intent on signing day, here is a look at some of the top names who have held firm amid the turmoil.

G Jonah Monheim

Monheim is a 4-star offensive guard who decided to stick within a 50-mile radius to his Moorpark home and sign with the Trojans. He's ranked as the 13th-best offensive guard in the country and the No. 350 overall player by 247Sports.

Listed at 6'5" and 280 pounds, Monheim will need to add bulk before getting any playing time on the Power Five level. He's played tackle in high school but lacks the lateral quickness to contain edge rushers and projects as a good power guard once his body is fully formed.

Offers from Alabama and Oklahoma should tell you all you need to know about his ceiling. Monheim has a chance to be the gem of this class.

WR Josh Jackson

Another local kid, Jackson is from about 18 miles away in Harbor City. The 6-foot speedster ran a 4.38 shuttle at The Opening and is currently a 3-star recruit and the No. 72 wide receiver in the nation, per 247Sports.

Jackson is another player who will need to add bulk at USC before getting any playing time. He's listed at 179 pounds and has a lanky frame that should fill out more without losing any of his explosiveness.

The Hope

WR Gary Bryant Jr.

247Sports' crystal ball gives USC a 60 percent chance of landing Bryant, who would instantly be the best player in their 2020 class. He's the No. 57 overall prospect and ninth-ranked wide receiver, a 5'10" burner who will create havoc for opposing defenses with his ability to stretch the field. 

The Centennial (California) High School product is yet to announce a date for his commitment. He's also considering Washington, Oklahoma, Oregon and Arizona State.

Graham Harrell is staying put.

The USC Trojans announced they signed their offensive coordinator to a contract extension and shared a message from Harrell:

USC OC @CoachHarrellUSC is just getting started. #FightOn pic.twitter.com/vAk79BLlCh

— USC Trojans (@USC_Athletics) December 17, 2019

According to Bruce Feldman of The Athletic, the extension is for three years and $3.6 million.

USC hired Harrell in January after Kliff Kingsbury left to become the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals before he coached a single game as the Trojans' offensive coordinator. Harrell, who played in four games for the Green Bay Packers during the 2012 season, was previously the offensive coordinator at North Texas.

This move resonated beyond just the Trojans.

Chip Brown of 247Sports noted Harrell was a candidate to become the next offensive coordinator at Texas after head coach Tom Herman removed Tim Beck from the role. Harrell and Herman apparently even met to discuss the position, but the former was concerned about how involved the latter would be in the offense.

What's more, Harrell is close with USC head coach Clay Helton, and the program's decision to keep him influenced the offensive coordinator's decision, per Brown.

Harrell returns after an up-and-down season for the Trojans. They started 3-3, lost marquee contests against Washington, Notre Dame and Oregon but impressed down the stretch with three straight wins. The offense was particularly effective against archrival UCLA during a 52-35 victory and will be put to the test in the Holiday Bowl against a stout Iowa defense.

The offense was also put into a difficult situation when starting quarterback JT Daniels suffered a season-ending knee injury. Backup quarterback Kedon Slovis also missed time with a head injury, though he threw for four touchdowns and more than 400 yards in four of his last five games.

Harrell's return will provide some stability moving into the bowl game and then a new season, and the Trojans will look to keep their late-year momentum rolling.

USC quarterback JT Daniels, who suffered a season-ending torn ACL and meniscus in Week 1 against Fresno State, will return to school next season and compete for the starting job with Kedon Slovis.

Steve Daniels, who is JT's father, relayed the information to Greg Biggins of 247Sports:

"JT is definitely staying. He's happy for [USC head coach Clay Helton] and has a great relationship with him but to be honest, no matter what happened with the coaching situation, JT was going to stay and compete. He loves it at SC, he has an SC tattoo on his leg so he's pretty committed to the program.

"He's a very competitive kid and has never run from a challenge before. Kedon played really well and JT was happy for him but at the same time, JT is a competitor and once he's back to 100%, he wants to compete for that job."

The news of Daniels' return comes after USC athletic director Mike Bohn announced that head coach Clay Helton will be coming back for the 2020 season.

The Trojans just finished an 8-4 regular season after going 5-7 the year before.

Daniels started for the Trojans as a true freshman in 2018, completing 59.5 percent of his passes for 14 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

The quarterback looked as though he was primed for a huge leap in year two, however. Ryan Kartje of the Los Angeles Times spoke with USC coaches and players who noted that the signal-caller looked "more relaxed" in the system run by new offensive coordinator Graham Harrell.

Daniels also put himself into a strict offseason training regimen, per Kartje, which included a diet change, blood testing and sessions with a mental conditioning consultant.

He looked much improved against Fresno State, completing 25 of 34 passes for 215 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Unfortunately, an awkward sack forced Daniels to the sideline for the remainder of 2019.

Slovis has done well in his place, completing 71.8 percent of his pass attempts for 28 touchdowns and nine interceptions. The Trojans won five of their last six regular-season games with Slovis behind center.

The intrigue now is whether Slovis or Daniels will be calling signals in 2020. For his part, Daniels seems on track for a healthy return, per his father:

"He had the surgery in September and his goal is to make it back in 10 months. He's doing double time in his rehab, every morning and again after school. Then he goes out and catches an hour of practice just to stay connected with the team and be supportive of the players.

"He's very excited though and so driven, I've never seen him more motivated before. He obviously won't be back by spring ball but if it's a 10 month recovery, that puts him back by July and in time for fall camp. He's going to be supportive and a great teammate regardless like he was this past year but he's excited about the opportunity as well so we'll see what happens."

Whoever starts in 2020 has a rough opening test, as the Alabama Crimson Tide await on Sept. 5.

USC is bringing back Clay Helton after all.

Athletic director Mike Bohn announced Wednesday that Helton would return after he led the Trojans to an 8-4 record during the 2019 season:

https://twitter.com/USC_mikebohn/status/1202351810347859969

https://twitter.com/USC_mikebohn/status/1202351811241246720

Helton released a statement about the school's decision in which he said the program's "future is bright," via Antonio Morales of The Athletic:

Clay Helton's statement on #USC's decision to retain him as its football coach. pic.twitter.com/piC9dbenND

— Antonio Morales (@AntonioCMorales) December 4, 2019

This comes after Adam Maya of Sports Illustrated cited sources Sunday who said the Pac-12 program planned on dismissing Helton and targeting former Ohio State and Florida head coach Urban Meyer as his replacement.

However, Pat Forde of Sports Illustrated talked to sources who said Maya's report wasn't true and any decision on Helton's future had not been made at the time. Forde's sources suggested it was "maybe even likely" Helton kept his job, and those who talked to Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports said any report Helton was fired was inaccurate.

The Trojans ultimately decided to maintain the 47-year-old's inconsistent tenure.

Helton took over in 2015 after USC fired Steve Sarkisian and guided the team to a 5-4 record. He seemed primed to lead the program to the heights it is accustomed to when the Trojans went 10-3 and won the Rose Bowl in 2016 and followed with an 11-3 record and Cotton Bowl appearance the next season.

After all, it wasn't that long ago USC was an annual national championship contender under Pete Carroll and won at least 11 games every year from 2002 through 2008.

Rose Bowls and Cotton Bowls against Penn State and Ohio State, respectively, is a baseline expectation for the blueblood program, but USC has just four 10-win campaigns since 2009 with Sarkisian, Lane Kiffin, Ed Orgeron—in an interim role—and Helton at coach.

The Trojans were nowhere near that in 2018 with a 5-7 record and needed a 5-1 finish to reach 8-4 in 2019.

The late surge and convincing victory over the rival UCLA Bruins was apparently enough to save Helton's job. Still, it surely doesn't help his future prospects that USC is a mere 67th in the country in the 2020 recruiting rankings, per 247Sports' composite rankings, which is a far cry from where it needs to be to compete for national titles.

He has to worry about taking the Pac-12 back from the likes of Oregon, Washington, Utah and others before USC reaches the heights it did under Carroll, but he at least knows he has the support of the athletic department for now.

Clay Helton's status as USC head football coach is up in the air, with conflicting reports surrounding his future.

Adam Maya of Sports Illustrated reported Sunday that Helton would be fired, with the school targeting Urban Meyer as his potential replacement. However, Pat Forde of Sports Illustrated spoke to multiple sources, who said "no decision has been made and it is still possible—maybe even likely—that Helton keeps his job."

Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports later added that "USC people are rightfully steamed" in the wake of Maya's report. 

The Trojans are 8-4 after entering the 2019 campaign unranked. During his tenure as USC's head coach, Helton has posted a record of 40-21 overall.

Helton's job appeared to be in jeopardy early in the 2016 season after starting 1-3, but the Trojans went 9-0 down the stretch, including a dramatic 52-49 win over Penn State in the Rose Bowl. He followed that up with an 11-3 mark in 2017, but USC fell to 5-7 last season.

Helton became USC's quarterbacks coach in 2010 and took on the role of offensive coordinator in 2013. He served as a head coach in an interim role for one game in 2013 before doing so again in 2015 after Steve Sarkisian's leave of absence and ultimate dismissal.

The 47-year-old Auburn and Houston alum went 5-4 in 2015, including a loss in the Holiday Bowl. Helton was still able to secure the full-time head-coaching job, but he has yet to get USC back to elite status.

USC was a perennial power under Pete Carroll, winning at least 11 games every year from 2002 through 2008 with the exception of vacated victories in 2005 due to an NCAA ruling.

The Trojans have just four 10-win campaigns to their credit since 2009. Since Carroll left at the conclusion of the 2009 campaign, the Trojans have fired Lane Kiffin and Steve Sarkisian and not retained Ed Orgeron after he had a 6-2 stint as the interim head coach. 

The Pac-12 has become the domain of teams such as Washington, Stanford and Oregon, and there is now an immense amount of pressure on USC's decision-makers to right the ship and get the program back on track, whether that's with Helton or a new hire.

USC president Carol Folt and athletic director Mike Bohn are reportedly "leaning toward" keeping Trojans head football coach Clay Helton despite concerns from donors and fans about his ability to build a national championship contender.

Bruce Feldman of The Athletic reported Wednesday that Folt, who became president of the university in July, has become "comfortable" with Helton and "likes the tone of his leadership," but there's rumblings from industry sources the school's decision-makers could face criticism if no change is made.

Fox Sports' Colin Cowherd reported he's also hearing Helton will return.

USC finished the regular season at 8-4 following a victory over rival UCLA last Saturday. The Trojans could still earn a berth in the Pac-12 Championship Game against Oregon should Utah, which is leading the South Division, get upset by Colorado this weekend.

The Trojans defeated the Utes 30-23 in September for their signature win.

Helton joined the USC staff as a quarterbacks coach in 2010 and served as the program's interim head coach in both 2013 and 2015 before taking on the permanent role in November 2015.

The 47-year-old Florida native defended himself amid questions about his job status following a blowout loss to the Ducks in early November.

"I've been here 10 years, and I believe in being a servant to this university and to the young men that are here," Helton told reporters. "Each and every day I wake up and I represent them and our school; and I will continue to do that, each and every day. And I'll fight like hell with the people that I believe in and the people that I love, until they ask me not to do it anymore."

The University of Houston product sounded a similar tune after his team beat the Bruins last week.

"I've had a wonderful 10 years here," he said. "I hope to have a heck of a lot more. But I have a deep fondness for this university and the people that are inside of it."

In all, Helton has guided USC to a 40-21 record across six years as head coach, including four full seasons. That includes a 2-2 mark in bowl games.

The 2019 campaign has marked a strong bounce-back performance after the Trojans failed to secure bowl eligibility with a 5-7 record in 2018.

Urban Meyer may never return to coaching after retiring following Ohio State's 2018 season, but he still thinks about the profession "every morning."

In an interview with Dom Tiberi of WBNS in Columbus (h/t Sam Marsdale of 247Sports), Meyer opened up about how he has struggled to transition away from coaching:

"Struggled. Every morning, I’ve struggled. It’s better than it’s been. When you’re in a fight for 35 years, and you’re not in that fight...Does that mean I want to go do it again? I didn’t say that, because I am very happy, and more importantly my family is very happy, and I’m ecstatic that this place [Ohio State] is doing as well as they are. But the fact that you’re not in a fight, does that say that doesn’t chew at me? No, it does."

It is notable that Meyer specifically pointed out he didn't say he will return to coaching and that his family is happy with him as a member of Fox's college football studio team instead of on the sidelines.

He has been connected to USC a number of times this season, although Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports cited "those with knowledge of the search" who said president Carol Folt prefers to go in a different direction.

Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports cited a "high-ranking college football source close to the coach" who believes Meyer will not return to coaching.

What's more, Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times reported Meyer "is not expected to be" on the short list for potential USC coaches this offseason.

All that is assuming Clay Helton will not keep his job with the Trojans even though he led them to three straight wins to finish the regular season and a solid 8-4 record despite an uneven 3-3 start.

Meyer is one of the best coaches in college football history, with three national championships on his resume, and clearly he still has a hunger for the profession. Still, there have been multiple indications he won't be on the USC sidelines next season despite the speculation.

The USC Trojans may not be looking for a new football coach during the offseason after all. 

While head coach Clay Helton's job status has been a constant source of discussion this year—especially with marquee names such as Urban Meyer drawing support from some fans—Bruce Feldman of The Athletic said the coach has "a lot of support" from athletic director Mike Bohn and president Carol Flot during an appearance on The Audible with Stew & Bruce (h/t Garrett Stepien of 247Sports):

"The biggest job out there and it's also the most entangled is the one that's happening at USC, I mean, from what I've been told ... is just there's a lot of support from the new AD Mike Bohn, as well as president Carol Folt, for Clay Helton. They're very comfortable with him, but there is going to be a lot of push back from some very influential USC people about, 'Hey, we're done with Clay Helton. We like him as a guy, we just don't think he can really get it going here and get it done.' And they're 8-4 and he actually did a good job of getting to 8-4, given all the injuries, third-string quarterback ... but that's the one that could create some dominoes, if USC does, in fact, open up."

The "push back from some very influential USC people" could set up an interesting dynamic for Bohn and the athletic department, but Helton finished the season strong.

He took over in 2015 for the fired Steve Sarkisian and went 5-4 before the program made an impressive jump and went 10-3 with a Rose Bowl win over Penn State in 2016. It followed that up with an 11-3 campaign that included a Cotton Bowl loss to Ohio State, and it appeared as if USC was primed to compete against elite programs in top-notch bowls for years to come.

Things took a turn for the worse, though, when it went 5-7 last season and appeared well on the way to another disappointing campaign in 2019 with a 3-3 start that included a loss to BYU. 

However, the Trojans went 5-1 down the stretch and easily handed the rival UCLA Bruins on Saturday to finish the regular season with a three-game winning streak.

While a 2020 recruiting class that is just 76th in the country according to 247Sports' class rankings won't help his cause, it appears the hot finish to the season has garnered Helton some support as his team waits for its bowl assignment.