A prolonged 11-month off-season for the Pac-12 finally comes to a close in a first-ever 9 a.m. (10 a.m. Arizona time) kickoff contest taking the lid off conference play and pitting Arizona State on the road versus USC. The highly anticipated South division showdown will showcase some of the best players in the league, but what adds even more intrigue to Saturday’s game is the fact that the two teams, for the first time this year, will see their new schemes on both sides of the ball in action. Let’s examine the Sun Devils’ opponent this weekend.

USC Offense

If you traveled back in time from the present day to the beginning of the 2019 season and told Trojan fans that their quarterback would throw for over 3,500 yards with 30 touchdowns and another scholarship quarterback would transfer to another Power 5 team, very few would be shocked at the news – until they found out it was Kedon Slovis who secured the starting position, effectively ousting former five-star recruit J.T. Daniels away from USC.

Daniels, the third-best quarterback of any kind in the 2018 class (pro-style or dual-threat) only behind surefire NFL Draft lottery picks Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields and the fourth-best overall recruit – coincidentally with Daniels’ high school and USC teammate Amon-Ra St. Brown ranked third overall behind Lawrence and Fields – Daniels, after reclassifying from the 2019 class, had the pedigree to be a star for the Trojans.

In one of the most forgettable seasons for USC football since the very early 1990s, Daniels started the majority of his true freshman campaign and had a good but not sensational debut year as the Trojans finished with a 5-7 record – the first time since 2000 that the program fell below .500 for a season.

Daniels was set to be the starter as a sophomore – with little true contention for the role – but suffered a season-ending injury in the season opener against Fresno State.

In his place stepped Kedon Slovis, a three-star recruit from Scottsdale’s Desert Mountain High School ranked just the 10th-best player in the state of Arizona and according to Rivals only had competing Power Five offers from North Carolina State, Oregon State, and Vanderbilt.

On the surface, Slovis signing with USC seemed like a five-year commitment to a bench seat and steady possession of a clipboard or a quick turnabout transfer to a lesser program, but the rookie quickly showed his prowess as QB1 for the Men of Troy.

In his debut start, Slovis threw for 377 yards and completed an astonishing 84.8% of his passes (28-of-33) with three touchdowns and no interceptions in a 45-20 win over No. 23 Stanford, and as the season wore on it became evident that the Arizonan very likely would be the guy from that point forward.

Daniels, who redshirted in 2019, ultimately chose to transfer to Georgia, leaving Slovis as the unquestioned quarterback of the present and future for USC.

In all, Slovis started 11 games in 2019 – he was knocked out early in a start against Utah and missed the next week’s game – and he threw for 3,502 yards with 30 touchdowns and nine interceptions, claiming the Pac-12 Freshman Offensive Player of the Year award.

In the 10 games he started and finished, Slovis had four with at least 400 passing yards and a season-high 515 in a 52-35 victory over UCLA. He threw four touchdowns in four games and three touchdowns in two.

Just one year removed from being expected to be an absolute non-factor in the Trojan offense, Slovis is likely the preseason choice of most to win the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year award and likely would be a legitimate Heisman Trophy contender if the conference were to have scheduled more than seven games for the 2020 season.

Though the run game is less of a focal point in the Air Raid offense than what has traditionally been seen from USC, the Trojans return each of their top-four rushers from a year ago. Health issues were a concern in 2019 at running back for the Trojans, as none of the top four rushers played more than 10 games, and three of the four played in eight or fewer.

Vavae Malepai (105 carries, 503 yards, six touchdowns in eight games) was the team leader in all major rushing categories, followed by Stephen Carr (72 carries for 396 yards and five touchdowns in 10 games). Kenan Christon (68 carries for 373 yards and three touchdowns in seven games) and Markese Stepp (48 carries for 307 yards and three touchdowns in six games) also contributed to the rushing stable.

Just for the heck of it, to compare the workload, these four players combined for 293 carries in 13 games. In 13 games in 2018, ASU’s Eno Benjamin had an even 300 carries – albeit a school single-season record total – all by himself.

Malepai (6-0, 220) and Stepp (6-0, 235) bring the size to complement the speedy Christon (5-10, 185), while Carr (6-0, 215) is an all-purpose weapon that was the team’s leading receiver among running backs last year and also was one of the team’s top kickoff returners.

Through three years at USC, Malepai has totaled 1,265 rushing yards on 247 carries with 14 touchdowns in 33 games, while Carr has rushed 218 times for 1,143 yards and 10 touchdowns in 29 career games

As can be expected in Harrell’s offense, the Trojan running backs are also featured as pass-catchers as Carr had 22 receptions in 2019, Malepai and 15, and Christon had 11. The trio combined for five touchdowns, with three recorded by Christon. Stepp, oddly, did not record a reception in 2019.

Despite losing one of the nation’s premier wide receivers in Michael Pittman, Jr., a Second-Team All-American and Biletnikoff Award finalist in 2019, the Trojans remain stocked at the position group with proven veterans that are backed by high elite blue chip recruits.

As difficult as it is to replace 101 receptions for 1,275 yards and 11 touchdown catches posted by Pittman; there is no reason at all to believe USC will suffer and lack of next level talent at wide receiver in 2020.

After bursting onto the college football scene in 2018 by leading USC in receptions as a true freshman, former five-star recruit Amon-Ra St. Brown improved in year two by surpassing the 1,000-yard mark with 77 catches for 1,041 yards and six touchdowns.

The only returning 1,000-yard receiver in the Pac-12 Conference, St. Brown should follow Pittman’s path of becoming one of the most prominent pass-catchers in college football.

Even with Pittman gone, USC features the top returning pair of wide receivers in the Pac-12 – quite literally, as Tyler Vaughns ranks second in the league behind St. Brown in receiving yards among returning players as he had 74 receptions for 912 yards with six touchdowns last year.

Individually, St. Brown and Vaughns are both bona fide NFL talents, but together they form one of the most dangerous duos of passing targets in the nation.

Overshadowed by the trio ahead of him last season, Drake London had an excellent true freshman season in 2019 by catching 39 passes for 567 yards (14.5 avg.) with five touchdowns in 13 games with nine starts.

Also a member of USC’s basketball team, London saw action in three games last year, but he figures to take on an even greater role on the gridiron as a sophomore with Pittman’s departure.

Behind St. Brown, Vaughns, and London, USC must completely reload its receiver depth as no wide receiver on the roster is eligible and healthy for the 2020 season that caught a single pass in 2019.

A top name to watch is Bru McCoy, one of the national jewels of the 2019 recruiting class. For those who didn’t follow, the early days of his collegiate career were quite chaotic as he initially signed with USC in December 2018, opted to transfer to Texas but then returned back to USC in the summer of 2019 and subsequently redshirted last season with the Trojans.

The No. 12 overall recruit of the 2019 class and the top-ranked prospect at the athlete position by Rivals, McCoy could jump right into the mix at receiver this season.

McCoy’s classmate, Kyle Ford, was rated the No. 65 overall prospect and the ninth-best receiver for the 2019 class, suffered an ACL injury in high school that delayed his development as a freshman. He ultimately played in four games and qualified for a redshirt year. Sadly, fate struck again this summer as he again suffered a torn ACL and is doubtful to play in 2020.

The clear gem of USC’s 2020 recruiting class, Gary Bryant, has the skill set to jump into immediate action, though reported injury issues could delay his impact. The No. 46 overall prospect and the No. 7 wide receiver recruit, Bryant is shockingly one of only two four-star players to have signed with the Trojans for the 2020 class.

Three-star 2020 signee Joshua Jackson could also be an option occasionally at wide receiver this season.

At tight end, Erik Krommenhoek (11 receptions) and Josh Falo (four) accounted for all of the offensive production at the position in 2019. Both players return for 2020.

Along the offensive line, USC loses both its tackles from a year ago as Phoenix native left tackle, Austin Jackson departed early to become a first-round NFL Draft pick while starting right tackle Drew Richmond completed his eligibility last fall.

The Trojans gained a stroke of good fortune when Alijah Vera-Tucker, a Second-Team All-Pac-12 performer at left guard last year, returned to the team after initially opting out of the 2020 season. Vera-Tucker started all 13 games as a redshirt sophomore in 2019.

Jalen McKenzie returns after starting all 13 games last year primarily at right guard, as does center Brett Neilon, the starter in 11 games in 2019. McKenzie enters 2020 with 15 career starts, the most among active Trojan offensive linemen.

It is expected that Vera-Tucker shifts to left tackle this year with McKenzie likely to move to right tackle.

Justin Dedich and former defensive lineman Liam Jimmons each started twice in 2019 and could be options to help fill the two open starting spots.

The remaining depth at the Trojan offensive line has combined for 12 appearances with zero starts in 2019.

USC Offense Summary

In the Trojans’ version of the Air Raid employed by second-year offensive coordinator Graham Harrell, who starred at quarterback in the same system under Mike Leach at Texas Tech, Slovis figures to target the likes of St. Brown, Vaughns, London, and his running backs with high frequency, while still registering somewhere in the 30-carry range per game on the ground.

Despite the loss of All-America wide receiver Michael Pittman, Jr., the Trojans still have more than enough established first-string talent at wide receiver to field what should be one of the Pac-12’s most dangerous passing attacks and overall offenses.

Aside from ASU’s pass defense being in lockdown mode all game long, the Sun Devil pass rush will need to win the day against a Trojan offensive line with two new starters and potentially two returning starters playing new positions.

USC Defense

Starting up front, the Trojans will have to make do with two substantial departures from their defensive line as multi-year starter Christian Rector has graduated, and First-Team All-Pac-12 tackle Jay Tufele has opted out of the 2020 season to enter the NFL Draft.

Last season, Tufele had 42 tackles, including 6.5 for loss with 4.5 sacks.

Nose tackle Marlon Tuipulotu returns after starting 12 games in 2019, with backup Brandon Pili (one start in 2019) back as well. In 2019, Tuipulotu had 46 tackles, including 6.0 for loss with 2.0 sacks. Pili posted 18 tackles, including 5.0 for loss with 1.5 sacks.

Hunter Echols (two starts), Caleb Tremblay (two starts) and Phoenix area native Connor Murphy (one start) saw spot starting duty last year for the Trojans at defensive end. Echols is now listed as an outside linebacker in USC’s new defensive scheme.

Tremblay had 16 tackles, including 3.0 for loss with 2.0 sacks, Echols had nine tackles, including 1.5 sacks, and Murphy notched four tackles, including one sack.

A key shift in USC’s new defensive alignment under first-year coordinator Todd Orlando is the move of last year’s freshman phenom Drake Jackson from defensive end to outside linebacker.

A Second-Team All-Pac-12 honoree last year that instantly terrorized quarterbacks, Jackson collected 46 tackles, including 11.5 for loss with 5.5 sacks despite missing a couple of games and only playing a total of 11. Jackson should be on everyone’s short list for preseason candidates for the Pac-12 Pat Tillman Defensive Player of the Year Award.

Though USC’s leading tackler, John Houston, also an Honorable Mention All-Pac-12 pick a year ago, has moved on, linebackers Kana’i Mauga (eight starts) and Palaie Gaoteote (seven starts) return after being primary starters in 2019.

Mauga ranked second on the team in tackles among linebackers behind Houston with 61, which included 7.0 for loss with 3.0 sacks. Gaoteote added 58 tackles, including 3.0 for loss in eight games.

The Trojans surely must hope that 2020 can be a breakout year for Gaoteote, as he was a five-star prospect and the No. 21 overall recruit of the 2018 class. He remains the highest ranked defensive signee for USC, since – ironically – Jack Jones in 2016, rated the No. 12 overall recruit by Rivals that year. Through two years at USC, Gaoteote has appeared in 18 games with 12 starts and has collected 96 total tackles.

USC also will get back Jordan Iosefa, who started nine games at linebacker in 2018 but missed all of last season with a knee injury. He had 38 tackles, including 4.0 for loss with 2.0 sacks in 2018.

Eli’jah Winston, whose lone start of the 2019 season came at ASU also saw some run with the first team last year at linebacker and totaled eight tackles for the season.

The entire starting secondary from 2019 returns for USC, paced by Second-Team All-Pac-12 strong safety Taylor Hufanga, who again figures to pair with free safety Isaiah Pola-Mao, a Phoenix native.

One of the top safeties in the entire conference, Hufanga is USC’s leading returning tackler from 2019 (90 tackles), which included 7.5 for loss with 3.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. Pola-Mao was USC’s leader in interceptions (four) and ranked third on the team last year in tackles (73).

Olaijah Griffin started nine games last year at cornerback and earned Honorable Mention All-Pac-12 accolades, while Isaac Taylor-Stuart (eight starts) and Chris Steele (seven) also saw significant first-string reps last year for the Trojans. All three of Griffin, Taylor-Stuart, and Steele were five-star recruits, according to Rivals.

Griffin totaled 37 tackles and nine pass breakups, Taylor-Stuart had 36 tackles with one interception and four total pass breakups, while Steele had 35 tackles with five pass breakups.

Dorian Hewett also started one game at cornerback last year and will battle for a two-deep role as a sophomore in 2020. Hewett registered 10 tackles last season.

Safeties Chase Williams (four starts) and Max Williams (two) also started a bit in the secondary last year for USC. Last year, Chase Williams had 29 tackles, and Max Williams had six tackles, including one sack.

Greg Johnson (35 tackles, two interceptions) saw time at cornerback in 2019 but has moved to safety for 2020.

USC Defense Summary

The Trojans scrapped their entire defensive coaching staff from 2019 to 2020 – in a very literal sense, as all five defensive assistants including coordinator Clancy Pendergast are gone from last year.

USC tapped into the University of Texas for Todd Orlando, now the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach for the Trojans, as well as new safeties coach Craig Naivar. Orlando is primed to run a 3-3-5 base defense and in addition to replacing Pendergast as coordinator, Orlando replaces linebackers coach Johnny Nansen and outside linebackers coach Joe DeForest from last year.

Recruiting superstar Donte Williams was hired away from Oregon to become USC’s pass game coordinator and cornerbacks coach and Naivar and Williams collectively replace former ASU assistant Greg Burns, USC’s secondary coach in 2019.

Vic So’oto was hired from Virginia to coach the defensive line in place of Chad Kauha’aha’a.

Expectations are high for the multitude of coaching changes to yield positive and immediate results for the Trojans, as USC returns nearly 75% of its total games started on defense from 2019, with the only starting departures coming from Houston (13 starts), Tufele (13 starts), and Rector (10 starts).

In returning all primary starting defensive backs – and nine total players to earn at least one start in the secondary last year – USC presumes to have the experience in its personnel to increase the roles of its defenders in the secondary.

The main personnel losses and changes come in the defensive front, where starting tackle Tufele and starting end Rector depart and starting end Drake Jackson shifts to outside linebacker. Nose Tackle Marlon Tuipulotu started 12 games last season and returns, but the remaining defensive line depth chart for 2020 started a combined total of four games in 2019.

Though Jackson has a new position attached to his name, he certainly should be USC’s top pass rusher – and one of the premier rushers in the conference – as a sophomore in 2020.

USC Special Teams

USC returns kicker Chase McGrath (14-of-17, long of 52 in 2019) and punter Ben Griffiths (41.2 avg. on 52 punts). McGrath was an Honorable Mention All-Pac-12 pick last season.

St. Brown (5.5-yard average on 12 returns) and Vaughns (6.6-yard average on seven returns) were the primary punt returners in 2019 but had limited productivity. With Velus Jones, Jr. having transferred to Tennessee running back Stephen Carr (17.7-yard average on six returns) is the top kick returner back on the roster from last season.

Key Player Departures from 2019: QB J.T. Daniels (transfer to Georgia), LB John Houston, OL Austin Jackson (NFL Draft early entry), WR Michael Pittman, Jr., DL Jay Tufele (opted out of 2020 season)

Key Arrivals for 2020: WR Gary Bryant (No 46 overall, No. 7 WR in 2020 class), OL Jonah Monheim (No. 34 OT), DL Tuli Tuipulotu (No. 23 SDE), DL Kobe Pepe (No. 44 DT), OL Courtland Ford (No. 24 OT), DL Jamar Sekona (No. 45 DT)

Series History: USC, 22-13

The two programs never met prior to ASU joining the Pac-10 Conference in 1978 and the first clash was a memorable one for the Sun Devils, as Arizona State took down second-ranked USC 20-7 in Tempe. That would be the only loss suffered by USC in 1978 and the Trojans, paced by Heisman Trophy winner Charles White would ultimately be crowned National Champions in the Coaches Poll.

Through the 1980s and ‘90s, the matchup was fairly even, as neither team won more than two straight games in the series, and ASU had an 8-7 edge across the 15 meetings from 1980-99.

The first decade of the 21st century – mainly because of the impact made by Pete Carroll as head coach at USC – was dominated by the Trojans as the Men of Troy won 11 consecutive meetings from 2000-10.

Matters would shift in ASU’s favor the next few years, as the Sun Devils won three of four from 2011-14, including the unforgettable “Jael Mary” last-second touchdown pass from Mike Bercovici to Jaelen Strong to win the 2014 outing.

Since that point, however, the pendulum has swung back in favor of the Trojans as USC has won four of the last five meetings with the lone ASU victory in that stretch coming in the last game played in Los Angeles, a 38-35 win for the Sun Devils in the Coliseum.

Across the series history, ASU has played USC in 12 seasons in which the Trojans finished in the top-10 in the Associated Press poll. The Sun Devils are 2-10 in those dozen meetings with victories in 1978 (USC finished No. 2 in the AP poll) and 2011 (No. 6).

USC has scored at least 30 points against ASU in eight consecutive games in the series and has topped 40 points in four of the past seven. The Sun Devil offense has been hit-or-miss against the Trojans in the past decade, as ASU exploded for 62 points in 2013, had 43 in a win in 2011 and 38 in victories in 2014 and 2018, but four times in the past eight games against USC, the Devils scored 20 or fewer points.

Last Meeting: USC 31, ASU 26 (Nov. 9, 2019, in Tempe)

Playing without starting quarterback Jayden Daniels, the Sun Devils had to call upon another true freshman in Joey Yellen.

The beginning of the contest could not have been much worse for the Sun Devils, as ASU was down 14-0 less than nine minutes into the game and trailed 28-7 at the end of the first quarter after a 95-yard touchdown pass and run by the Trojans to close out the first period.

ASU would buckle down admirably from that point, scoring 13 unanswered points in the second quarter and into the early part of the third to make it a one-score game at 28-20. USC added a late third-quarter field goal to reach a 31-20 edge, but ASU struck again in the fourth quarter to reach a 31-26 lead for the Trojans.

The Sun Devils appeared to have all the momentum after a three-and-out that resulted in ASU taking possession with 3:29 remaining but after marching from their own 10-yard line to the USC 32-yard line, on a first down play, Yellen was intercepted by Trojan defensive lineman Christian Rector with 25 seconds left to seal the victory for USC.

Though ASU was without starting quarterback Jayden Daniels, USC was limited as well – especially on defense – as nose tackle Marlon Tuipulotu, linebacker Palaie Gaoteote, and defensive back Greg Johnson missed the game, all of whom ultimately started more than half the team’s overall games in 2019. Running backs Stephen Carr and Vavae Malepai also did not play in Tempe.

Despite the critical interception throw, Yellen played tremendously well as he completed 28-of-44 passes for 292 yards with four touchdowns and a total of two picks. Five Sun Devil receivers had at least three receptions, topped by Kyle Williams’ eight catches for 60 yards and a touchdown and Frank Darby’s 86 yards on three receptions with two touchdowns.

For the Trojans, Kedon Slovis had a banner day in what essentially was a homecoming for the Scottsdale native, as he threw for 432 yards with four touchdowns and one interception. Michael Pittman, Jr. (13 receptions for 146 yards), Amon-Ra St. Brown (eight receptions, 173 yards, one touchdown) and running back Kenan Christon (four receptions for 82 yards and two touchdowns) were the heavy hitters as receivers for USC.

Neither team was able to establish much on the ground, as ASU rushed for 47 net yards on 21 carries, and USC totaled 70 net yards on 28 carries. Incredibly, the two teams’ quarterbacks combined for 91 pass dropbacks with only two total sacks – one for each team.

Defensively for the Sun Devils, cornerback Kobe Williams had a team-high eight tackles, while four others had seven stops. Tyler Johnson had the only sack for ASU, while Evan Fields had an interception and a fumble recovery.

For USC, linebackers John Houston and Kana’i Mauga tied for a game-high nine tackles, while Abdul-Malik McClain had the only sack of the game for the Trojans.

Overall Summary

Considered by many to be a de facto Pac-12 south division championship game despite being the season opener, the six-game “regular season” conference schedule allows a microscopic margin for error and likely will result in multiple tiebreakers in both divisions. USC was picked by the media in the preseason to win the division and ASU to finish second, lending credibility to the belief that this game and this game alone could be what separates first from second place.

After total Trojan domination in the first decade of the 2000's to the tune of 10-0 blanking of the Sun Devils in matchups from 2000-09, ASU has tilted toward leveling the playing field as USC had a 6-4 win-loss record against the Devils in 2010-19 in the post-Carroll Era for the Trojans.

To start this new decade off in the win column, ASU’s youthful offensive skill talent will have to show up big and show up fast, as the Trojans should be able to eat up yardage and score points with the best of them this season, and the Devils will have to do their best to match that explosiveness.

As it often does, line play likely will determine a great deal in Saturday’s outing, as ASU may only have one returning starting offensive lineman from 2019, while the Trojans have just one true starting defensive lineman from last year and schematically shift gears to a three-man defensive front. On the other hand, USC loses two starting offensive linemen and the Sun Devils adjust, coincidentally, from a 3-3-5 now employed by the Trojan defense to a four-man defensive line.

Last season, ASU was only able to muster one sack among Slovis’ 40 dropbacks, but on four occasions last year, Slovis was sacked at least three times. The Arizona State pass rush is very unproven, but to get to Slovis two or three (or more) times could conceivably go a long way.

Ultimately, the plausible determining factor in this ballgame will be what is expected to be a strength-versus-strength clash of USC’s pass game against Arizona State’s secondary. Needless to say, the Trojans won that battle last season – along with the game – when Kedon Slovis tied his year one career-high of four touchdowns and had what proved to be his second-highest passing yardage output of the year (432 yards) in Tempe.

ASU can’t expect Slovis simply to slump or for the Devil defenders to always win one-on-one battles, so it will be of utmost importance that the Sun Devils to interrupt and distract the Trojan pass game and throw off its timing in any way possible.

Aside from the hefty task in front of the Sun Devil defense, controlling the clock, controlling field position, and controlling the turnover advantage will be crucial for Arizona State in order to start the decade and the 2020 season with a victory.

Keys to a Sun Devil Victory

Stay in the Early Footrace: Last season, ASU had an abysmal start against USC and fell behind 28-7 after just one quarter before outscoring the Trojans by a margin of 19-3 through the remainder of the game to fall just short of what would have been an incredible comeback win. The Trojans presume to have outstanding offensive firepower again this year, so the Arizona State offense may have to go blow-for-blow in the early going and not take time to ease its way into comfort.

Establish the Run: In last year’s game, ASU had next to no luck on the ground, as the team had a net of 47 yards on 21 carries. If not for a 52-yard run by Eno Benjamin, the Sun Devils could have ended up in the red in net rush yardage for the game. Against an offense as potent as USC’s, a major key is keeping the Trojan defense on the field and eating up clock and yardage through the run game. This onus of responsibility falls to the newcomer trio of Rachaad White, Chip Trayanum, and Daniyel Ngata – all making their FBS debuts on Saturday.

Eliminate Big Plays: The last time these two teams met, USC scored first-quarter touchdowns on plays of 58 and 95 yards. In 2018, the Sun Devils – though in a victorious effort – let up an 82-yard punt return for a touchdown and a 48-yard touchdown reception that allowed the Trojans to make the game’s conclusion much tenser than it should have been. The previous year, the Trojans scored three touchdowns on plays of more than 40 yards in a 48-17 win over the Sun Devils in Tempe.

The Trojans have the artillery and ability to make big plays that can drastically shift momentum and, ultimately, the scoreboard outcome. The Sun Devil defense – and special teams for that matter – must be assignment sound to prevent that from happening.

Score 38 Points: In three of the past four games played in the series in the Coliseum, the winning team had exactly 38 points – ASU in 2018 and 2014 and USC in 2012. USC also scored 38 points in its painfully unforgettable 2005 victory at Sun Devil Stadium, so there might just be some underrated mojo to that point total in this series.

Familiar Faces

· ASU assistant coach Chris Hawkins played at USC from 2013-17 and was a two-time Honorable Mention All-Pac-12 selection (2016-17). He also was a graduate assistant in the Trojan program last season before being hired by ASU in December 2019.

· ASU’s Jack Jones signed with USC in 2016 and played the 2016-17 seasons with the Trojans, appearing in 27 games and starting all 14 of the 2017 season.

· USC K Parker Lewis (Scottsdale Saguaro), OL AJ Mageo (Mesa Red Mountain), OL Andrew Milek (Brophy Prep), DL Connor Murphy (Brophy Prep), DB Isaiah Pola-Mao (Phoenix Mountain Pointe), QB Kedon Slovis (Scottsdale Desert Mountain) and WR Zach Wilson (Scottsdale Saguaro) are all Arizona natives.

· ASU’s K.J. Jarrell, Will Shaffer, Connor Soelle, Kyle Soelle and Corey Stephens all attended Scottsdale Saguaro High School, as did Lewis and Wilson for USC

· ASU’s Ben Bray, Deonce Elliott, and Alexander Randle all attended Mesa Red Mountain High School, as did Mageo for USC.

· USC DL De’jon Benton and ASU DB Willie Harts were teammates at Pittsburg (Calif.) High School

· USC TB Matt Colombo, ILB Spencer Gilbert, ILB Ralen Goforth, ILB Danny Lockhart, Jr., DL Kobe Pepe, P Will Rose, CB Chris Steele and TE Jude Wolfe all attended Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco High School, as did ASU RB Demetrious Flowers and LB Jacob Jornadal

· USC OLB Hunter Echols attended Los Angeles (Calif.) Cathedral High School, as did ASU WR Chad Johnson, Jr. and DL Stephon Wright

· USC DL Nick Figueroa attended San Bernardino (Calif.) Cajon High School, as did ASU QB Jayden Daniels

· USC LB Jordan Iosefa and OL Gino Quinones attended Honolulu (Hawaii) St. Louis High School, as did ASU DB Kaiser Cambra-Cho and OL Ben Scott

· USC WR John Jackson III and DB Max Williams attended Gardena (Calif.) Junipero Serra High School, as did ASU WR LV Bunkley-Shelton and LB Merlin Robertson

· USC WR Joshua Jackson, Jr. and LB Raymond Scott attended Harbor City (Calif.) Narbonne High School, as did ASU LB Jordan Banks, LB Darien Butler and DB Macen Williams

· USC OL Bernard Schirmer attended Walnut (Calif.) Mt. San Antonio College, as did ASU RB Rachaad White

· USC WR Ty Shamblin attended Westlake Village (Calif.) Oaks Christian High School, as did ASU LB Dylan DeVito

· USC DL Caleb Tremblay attended Sacramento (Calif.) American River College, as did ASU DL Tautala Pesefea, Jr.

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