Last night on his weekly “Trojans Live” show, USC Head Coach Clay Helton announced that sophomore linebacker Osa Masina would miss the first game of the season against Alabama due to a “violation of team rules.”

Today, news broke from KTSU in Utah that Masina was under investigation for sex crimes that took place in Salt Lake County this summer.

As told to KTSU by the Cottonwood Heights Police Department, Masina could face charges for rape, forcible sodomy, fondling, and “exploitation by telecom.”

It was also reported that the LAPD interviewed Masina on a case last week though the nature of the interview is unknown.

USC released a statement today to KTSU regarding the situation:

“USC is aware of the investigation involving student-athlete Osa Masina. USC is cooperating fully with authorities in Utah, the lead agency in the investigation. Due to privacy laws and to protect the rights of our students, we are not able to discuss this matter further.”

We will keep you updated as this story develops.

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On Saturday, USC earned its fifteenth commitment of the 2017 recruiting class. Defensive tackle James Lynch out of Round Rock, TX, pledged to the Trojans, lifting SC’s class to 12^th in 247 Sports’ national recruiting rankings. Although the news was widely overshadowed by the naming of Max Browne as starting quarterback for the 2016 season, Lynch is a nice pickup for the Trojans. Previously committed to TCU, Lynch is a three star recruit with a 247 sports composite rating of 86.1 that puts him as the 547^th best player in the nation and 42^nd best defensive tackle.

Listed at 6’4.5" and 282 pounds, Lynch has prototypical size for a defensive tackle. The area that the USC coaching staff likely found most intriguing is the athleticism Lynch possesses in his frame. According to Lynch’s Hudl profile, he ran a 4.97 40 yard dash—an excellent time for a 280 lb. defensive tackle that is still in high school. Lynch puts this athletic ability to use with a quick first step. He is able to quickly get out of his stance and get the first punch on his opposing offensive lineman, allowing him to drive his blocker backwards. In addition, Lynch’s impressive straight line speed sees him operate on kickoff coverage as a 280 lb. wrecking ball similar to how the Trojans used former fullback/linebacker Soma Vainuku. Lynch’s athleticism will give the coaching staff the flexibility to play him at multiple spots on the defensive line as well as on special teams.

Operating as a 3 technique in Round Rock High School’s 3-4 base defense, Lynch has a basic familiarity with many of the concepts he will be implementing for Clancy Pendergast. The Trojan defensive coordinator runs a slightly different 5-2 scheme, but the assignments for the down lineman in Pendergast’s defense are similar. As previously mentioned, Lynch has an impressive array of natural abilities that should see him contribute at multiple spots on the defensive line. The defensive end position is usually reserved for slightly smaller players than Lynch will likely become a couple years down the road, but his quickness should allow him to fill both the defensive end and tackle spots.

One downside to Lynch is his slightly thinner frame that could prevent him from becoming big enough to occupy the nose tackle position. The Trojans’ three nose tackles are all about 320-330 pounds, and it is questionable whether or not Lynch has the frame to handle that weight. As a result, Lynch could be placed in a role similar to that of Rasheem Green who primarily plays defensive tackle but can also contribute as a defensive end if needed.

Lynch is not a highly touted recruit as a mid-three star prospect who has not been offered by many Big 12 powerhouses such as Oklahoma, Texas, and Baylor. His lack of an elite rating can largely be attributed to the overall rawness in his game. Lynch’s main form of attack is to simply bull rush his opponents. His quick first step allows him to quickly get leverage and then use his size to easily manhandle offensive lineman. Unfortunately, Lynch will need to do a lot more in college where he will be facing players of equal size that are just as quick off the line. This will require Lynch to develop much better usage of his hands and body to generate leverage. His quickness is a trait that cannot be taught, but the more technical aspects of being a defensive lineman do not appear to be in Lynch’s toolbox just yet. Lynch will require time before he fills out his frame and works on the technique of being a defensive lineman, but with good coaching and a college weight program, these requirements are realistic goals.

Many Trojan fans may be tired of seeing USC receive commitments from multiple three star recruits rather than USC’s usual four and five star commits. However, most of these players appear to be under the radar gems that have the potential to be high quality players. Lynch certainly qualifies as a player of this type where he will need to spend a redshirt year and perhaps another year or two after that before becoming a significant contributor. With the Trojans no longer under sanctions and now up over 80 scholarship players, depth and immediate contributions are no longer a huge concern for the coaching staff. This will allow players such as Lynch to spend time in the program learning how to become an excellent football player before they are required to play important snaps in college. This strategy will likely result in some players that cause you to scratch your head as to why they were offered, but many of them could pay huge dividends down the road if Clay Helton’s staff can do what they are paid to do: coach.

If Lynch can get the coaching he needs, his upside as a defensive lineman with excellent natural ability and technique combined with versatility is an intriguing outcome.

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Clay Helton has finally made his decision on who his starting quarterback will be. Max Browne has been named the starting QB despite very intense competition from Sam Darnold. From spring through the majority of fall camp, it was assumed Browne was the leading candidate to take over the reins of the offense. So much so that most thought Browne would be named the starter back in the spring.

Helton repeatedly emphasized that he loved Max Browne’s performance in the off season and his abilities. Frankly, Helton just did not think Darnold would be nearly as impressive as he was and that was the reason the decision was not made in the spring as originally planned.

The narrative throughout the whole competition was that Browne was the quarterback who ran the offense most effectively who made the proper reads and quick decisions on releasing the ball. On the other hand Darnold was seen as the quarterback who brings a bit more athleticism to the position, someone with a very strong arm who could also create plays with his legs if things broke down.

This past week of practice may have been the little extra push that Browne needed to solidify himself as the man to lead the Trojans through the most difficult schedule in the country. Helton stated that Browne looked very smooth in practice all week and excelled when the pressure was on.

Browne does not have much time to celebrate, however, as Sunday the USC Trojans officially begin installing their gameplan for their opening week matchup with Alabama.

The Trojans took the pads off for practice on Thursday ahead of Friday night’s planned scrimmage which according to Helton will “solidify” his decision on the quarterback. Helton reiterated that he was meticulously watching every snap on film from both quarterbacks. It would seem from his choice of words that Helton is leaning towards either Max Browne or Sam Darnold right now and he is using Friday’s scrimmage to reassure him of his inclination.

The final question of the presser, however, directly asked Helton if he was leaning toward one player based on his choice of the word “solidify” Helton replied:

“No, I know both attributes of each kid right now, and I look forward to that type of atmosphere when they know its their last time out there how they perform. That’s one of those things you get to see this is the body of work they’ve put together through a spring, through 18 practices of Fall camp. Let’s see them in that last situation and see how they perform. So, it is important. It is very important to myself. I thank goodness that we took the time to be able to go through the Spring and not just name it there but also go through a training camp so we can make the best decision for our football team.”

It seems that Helton is not interested in discussing rotating quarterbacks during the season. He was asked if the backup would get any reps and he replied that everyone has to prepare and be ready to go. He then specifically cited having to use the fourth string center last season.

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This weekend Coach Helton continued to focus on situational football. In practice number 9 coach turned the noise up over the speakers to simulate crowd noise and other distractions in the arena. Coach was not please as the quality of play dropped when the sound was turned up. USC faces the defending National Champions in Jerry World which will no doubt be loud and rowdy. Helton Stated they would need to practice again with the noise turned up.

Coach Jon Gruden was also at practice. Gruden is a friend of USC defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast. Gruden offered Helton the advice that he just needs to go out there and be himself.

Helton was also asked what a quarterback on his team would have to do to win the starting job. Coach responded that they need to produce. When elaborating he made clear that they have to get the ball in the end zone and not make mistakes.

One of the most encouraging moments in the offseason is when Helton state he thought the defensive line was farther ahead than he thought they would be. The talented but inexperienced defensive line for the Trojans has been a point of worry for USC fans particularly since the Kenny Bigelow injury. Hearing Helton have positive things to say about the advancement of the defensive line is encouraging.

You can watch the full presser from practice 9 below:

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In Practice 11 Coach Helton lined up the offense and ran 16 run plays in a row. During the spring there was an emphasis in practice on being able to finish games. In 2015 the Trojans in spots had a tough time running the ball well when they needed to run the ball well. Helton once again practiced running the ball when everyone on defense knows they are going to run the ball.

The NCAA cleared incoming freshmen on the team and Helton anticipates that on Wednesday that all his current players will be cleared academically as well.

In addition to running the defense once again worked on going fast. With the Pac-12 loaded with teams likes Oregon moving rapidly on offense the Trojans are going to have to be comfortable moving quickly on defense if they want to return to the conference championship game. Helton also stated practice 11 was the defense’s best day.

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I can think of some examples that are comparable.

Michael Jackson ... 2005.

Sarah Palin ... 2008.

Great Britain ... 2016.

The Mariners ... pick one.

All of those were bad years for the subject in question. With the exception of the Mariners, at least those examples were limited to just one bad year.

For USC, the rollercoaster ride that has been Trojan football has been and continues to be a cluster of epic proportions, one that has now gone for about 15 years. Consider a brief history of USC football:

2001 - USC hires Pete Carroll, a wildly unpopular choice to succeed Paul Hackett.

2002 - USC recruits RB Reggie Bush, who would go on to win the Heisman in 2005.

2009 - USC named "Team of the Decade" by both CBS Sports and SI.

2010 - USC gets clobbered by the NCAA for recruiting irregularities around Reggie Bush, receiving a two-year bowl ban, a vacating of all wins that Bush participated in, and a 30-scholarship reduction.

2010 - Pete Carroll quits, Lane Kiffin hired.

2011 - USC wins South under Kiffin, but is ineligible for postseason and cedes South title to UCLA.

2013 - Lane Kiffin fired midway through the season while on the tarmac boarding the team plane; assistant Ed Orgeron replaces him.

2013 - UW head coach and former Carroll assistant - and Kiffin's best friend - Steve Sarkisian hired to replace Ed Orgeron. USC fans rejoice. So do UW's.

2015 - Sarkisian fired after a series of alcohol-related incidents, including a drunken rant at an alumni event and a dismissal from a practice after showing up intoxicated. Assistant Clay Helton takes over.

2015 - Clay Helton hired permanently and turns over most of the coaching staff, including letting go former UW assistants Peter Sirmon, Justin Wilcox, and Marques Tuiasosopo.

Man, that's a lot of shit.

Obviously, 2015 wasn't the season that USC fans were hoping for. Despite being loaded with a roster that featured A-List talents such as LB Su'a Cravens, WR JuJu Smith, CB Adoree' Jackson, and QB Cody Kessler, USC just couldn't overcome the drama. It went better than you may think - USC did finish 6-3 in the conference overall, good enough to win the South and take a trip to the PAC-12 Championship game. But they would go on to lose both of their last games - to Stanford and to Wisconsin in the Holiday Bowl.

The Trojans enter 2016 in arguably their most stable state since the 2009 season. They are back to a full roster, they have a coach with no real connections to the Carroll era and they still feature a roster of top-grade talent. But is it enough to repeat as South champions and go all the way?

That's a question for the Gekko.

USC's Offense:

Offensive Coordinator	Strengths	Weaknesses	Key Players	Newcomers to Watch
Tee Martin	Rushing Attack Explosive Play Potential OL Depth	QB Experience TE Depth	WR JuJu Smith RB Justin Davis OL Zach Banner	WR Jack Jones (TFr) WR Michael Pittman Jr (TFr)

A preview of things to come? USC's JuJu Smith-Schuster might well be the top receiver in the nation.

Let's just get this out of the way right now: USC has a scary offense. It may not look to be obvious at first blush. Injuries - particularly those on the offensive line - and off-field distractions conspired to depress their overall output a year ago. They finished just sixth in the PAC in scoring offense and seventh in total offens,e despite boasting a stable of playmaking talent that had no peers in the conference.

Much of that talent returns in 2016. The offensive line, if it can stay healthy, projects as one of the top two units in the PAC. The headliner is OT Zach Banner, the son of UW great Lincoln Kennedy. The 6'9", 360-lb behemoth is more athletic than you think and is very likely a first-round NFL pick waiting to happen. He is joined by no fewer than eight fellow linemen who can claim "starting experience" thanks to the injuries from a year ago. Senior LT Chad Wheeler, junior OG Damien Mama, and junior C Toa Lobendahn are all "top of conference" kinds of players and will set a particularly strong wall for the Trojans' new QB.

Oh yeah, about that QB. Another Washington state product, junior Max Browne, was once the #1 QB recruit in the nation. He's now the presumptive starter for Clay Helton's offense. Browne is a tall, lanky QB with decent mobility, plus arm strength and strong fundamentals. He's not been tested extensively under fire, so it is hard to say exacly how he will perform against live bullets. But he has the tools and the maturity to be an instant impact player. I think that his ceiling is far higher than that of his predecessor and I expect him to perform very well. If for some reason he falters, USC might have some problems. Big RS freshman Sam Darnold is probably next up before they get to true freshman Matt Fink. That, however, is not a situation anybody wants to see unfold.

Fortunately, whichever QB takes the snaps, the conference's best RB duo is ready to take the pressure off. Ronald Jones III and Justin Davis each topped 900 yards a year ago and both project to top that in 2016. Helton is committed to a pro-style, run-first offense which will feature heavy doses of both backs behind that massive offensive line. Both are similar in style, though Jones probably has more overall explosiveness. There are going to be a lot of yards and TDs scored by both players.

The receiving corps is also loaded. Junior JuJu Smith-Schuster returns for what is certainly his final season and is probably the best receiver in the nation. Junior Steven Mitchell and senior Darreus Rogers would be stars on most other teams and provide experienced depth for the Trojans. There is also plenty of young talent to tap into such as 5-star Tyler Vaughns, playmaker extraordinaire Jack Jones, and big man Michael Pittman Jr. The one glaring gap in the lineup for Helton is at TE. There aren't many bodies available, which implies that you might be seeing a lot of creative ways to compensate. That could include 6-OL sets as well as instances with both Davis and Jones in the backfield together.

USC's Defense:

Defensive Coordinator	Strengths	Weaknesses	Key Players	Newcomers to Watch
Clancy Pendergast	Defensive Backfield Team Speed	New Scheme Pass Rush	CB Adoree' Jackson LB Cameron Smith CB Iman Marshall	DE Oluwole Betiku (TFr) DT Josh Fatu (JUCO)

Offense? Defense? Special Teams? Adoree' Jackson is "Mr. Everything" to USC.

If you are looking for a weak link for the Trojans, you'll probably find it somewhere on the defensive side of the ball.  I'm just not quite sure how weak that space will be. At least not yet.

It might well be the defensive line. New (old?) DC Clancy Pendergast inherits a whole new unit to staff his 5-2 front seven thanks to the moving on of stars Delvon Simmons, Antuwan Woods and Greg Townsend. Taking their places are a bunch of parts you might not have heard of before. Sophomores Rashaun Green and 330-lb man-child Noah Jefferson are the main pieces that will plug the middle of the line. JUCO transfer Josh Fatu, sophomore Malik Dorton, and pass-rush specialist Porter Gustin are key players who will have the names called many times. The youth and inexperience of this unit opens the door for a true freshman that I'm particularly intrigued by, 5-star Oluwole Betiku, to have a breakout.

If defensive line depth is a problem, it isn't so with the USC linebacking corps. The challenge there is recovering from the loss of star Su'a Cravens and his 15.5 TFLs, 5.5 sacks and 2 INTs. MLB Cameron Smith is certain to be a starter, though he will face competition from the man who replaced him after an injury in Olajuwon Tucker. Both are good sized, athletic MIKEs who excel in coverage. I mentioned Gustin as a pass-rush specialist already. Keep your eye on sophomore OLB Osa Masina. He's a Travis Feeney clone at 6'4" 230 with freak athleticism. He struggled last year, but might really blow up in a new scheme that seems to better fit his game.

The secondary is in good shape overall.  Adoree' Jackson - who was competing in Olympic qualifiers as I wrote this - is one of the most explosive players in the nation whether he is playing WR or CB. He is the star of this defense and the rock of the secondary. Sophomore CB Iman Marshall returns after a breakout true freshman campaign. Depth at safety is ridiculous with guys like junior John Plattenburg (remember him?), junior Chris Hawkins, and senior Leon McQuay all in the mix. This unit will compete with UW and UCLA as the best secondary in the conference, if not the nation.

One Breakout Star

QB Max Browne

I almost went with freshman Betiku here, but the selection of Browne is almost too obvious. As I noted, Browne has all of tools you look for in a QB - he can see over the line, he's got great mechanics, and he delivers a well-spun ball, even if he doesn't have a bazooka arm. He's waited patiently in the wings for three years and his time has finally come.

He walks into a situation that is almost too good to be true. His OL projects as a dominating unit that specializes in pass protection. He's got two fantastic RBs who will shoulder more than 50% of the offensive snaps. When he does drop back to pass, he's got a mix of proven stars (JuJu, Adoree', Rogers, Mitchell) and absurd young talent (Jones, Vaughns, and Pittman) to leverage.

If Browne doesn't break out, it might qualify as the biggest flop in Los Angeles history (at least since Ishtar).

Predicting 2016

There is no doubt that the South is shaping up to be a three-man race between the "Southern U's" - Utah, UCLA, and USC. I haven't done my game-by-game forecasts yet, so I don't have a good sense of exactly where things are going to fall. However, I'd be shocked if USC wasn't in it until the very end.

The schedule bothers me. Not only does USC have to contend with the most difficult schedule in the nation (thanks to a road trip to Alabama in Week 1 and a finale versus Notre Dame), but they have to endure a PAC-12 schedule that is back-loaded. Their last three are vs Oregon, @ UW, and @ UCLA. They also have to endure road trips to Stanford and Utah during the regular season. That, my friends, is an absolute bitch of a schedule.

I'm inclined not to go in favor of USC to win the South. Despite all of the sparkling pieces and my confidence that the offensive and defensive schemes now match the personnel on the roster, the combination of a brutal schedule and youth in the defensive front seven are just enough to tip the scales away from the Trojans. It still isn't clear to me exactly how all of the players are going to mesh with an overhauled coaching staff and, honestly, it remains to be seen whether or not Clay Helton is in over his head. For all of those reasons, I'm thinking that 5 or 6 conference wins will keep them in the race, but not enough to pull it out in the end.

The 2017 College Football Hall of Fame ballot was released Wednesday and three Trojans made the cut. Safety Mark Carrier, quarterback Matt Leinart, and strong safety Troy Polamalu are the representatives for the Trojans, part of a star-studded ballot, whose class will be announced on January 6, 2017.

Mark Carrier was one of the most prolific safeties of his time. Named a USA Today High School All-American in 1985, he had a tremendous career at USC. In 1989, his junior campaign, he was named to the Playboy All-American Team and won the Jim Thorpe Award, presented to the nation’s top defensive back.

A three-year starter for the Trojans, he would finish his time at Southern California with 13 interceptions. The NFL, specifically the Chicago Bears took notice of his accomplishments as he was drafted in the 1990 NFL Draft with the eighth overall pick. From there, he began a fruitful professional career.

After backing up Carson Palmer in his first season, Matt Leinart took over the starting job for the Trojans in 2003. He would go on to throw for over 3,000 yards in all three seasons with his best campaign coming in that first year when he threw for 3,556 yards, 38 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. That year, he would win the Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year Award.

He would win the Heisman Trophy in 2004 as well as the National Championship that same year. In addition, he would have his number 11 retired by the program as well, putting the cherry on top of what was a tremendous career, finishing his time at USC with 10,693 passing yards, 99 touchdowns and 23 interceptions.

If you looked up hard-hitting safety in the dictionary in the early 2000’s, you would have seen Troy Polamalu’s picture. Playing for the Trojans as a defensive back, he would start all 12 games during his three years with the program. He would tally six total interceptions, three of which he would return for touchdowns. In regards to those returns, he ranked first in the NCAA in that department with one in 2000 and two in 2001. In 2002, he was named a Consensus All-American, providing a foreshadowing of what would be a tremendous NFL career.

Drafted in the first round, 16th overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers, he would be named to eight total Pro Bowls, named a first-team All-Pro four times, and was part of two Super Bowl wins for Pittsburgh (XL, XLIII.) He retired in 2014, putting an end to an outstanding career.

The star-power that the Trojans bring to the ballot is only a fraction of the star-studded talent in the class, in what should be one of the most prolific groups in recent memory.