USC football unit preview: From Thunder and Lightning to the Mach 3|USC Hot Topics|Team BattleGround|College BattleGround

USC has three junior tailbacks ready to unleash on the Pac-12

After a resurgence in the later half of the 2016 season, the USC Trojans are now poised for a breakout campaign in 2017. The Trojans boast a young, talented wide receiver -corps with a Heisman-level quarterback in Sam Darnold – that will look to set Pac-12 secondaries on fire come fall.

However, the group that’s going to determine whether USC can make a CFB playoff push will be the running backs. Luckily for the Trojans and their fans, the position group is loaded.

Gone are the days of thunder, lightning and the traditional pro-style offense we’ve grown accustomed to for the USC offense. In its place, a high-powered spread attack, predicated on one cut, and speed backs. This fall USC will be powered by a trio of juniors who are absolute speed merchants, which I have decided to nickname: Mach 3.

Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

Ronald Jones II

The unquestioned leader of the Mach 3, the 6’1” 195 lbs. junior has led the team in rushing yards since he set foot on campus in 2015 – a trend likely to continue in the 2017 season, as Jones is likely to be the starter in the fall. The shiftiness and burst that Jones possess are phenomenal – he is a legitimate threat to take any handoff to the house.

That ability was on full display in 2016 when <a href="