Pac-12 Championship Game: Five key players for USC, Stanford
Mark Pszonak contributed to this report.
With the Power Five title games approaching, we thought we’d take a look at five key players from each team. Today we look at the Pac-12. Stanford and USC will kick off Friday night at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN at Santa Clara, Calif.
USC
The skinny: Darnold took an aggressive approach with his recruiting process, as he took unofficial visits from coast-to-coast. He checked out schools such as Duke, Oregon, Northwestern and Utah, but ultimately Darnold’s familiarity with the in-state Trojans put USC over the top. Following an impressive 2016 season which concluded with a memorable performance against Penn State in the Rose Bowl, a great deal was expected out of Darnold this fall. While he has had issues with turnovers, he has still passed for 3,462 yards and 24 touchdowns for the Trojans in 2017.
Farrell’s take: Darnold had been playing higher than his four-star ranking before this season when turnovers became an issue. In high school, he slid considerably after an underwhelming performance at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, where his arm strength was questioned, but that was an anomaly as his arm is not in question. While Darnold had some throwing issues mechanically, he could run and hurt you with his arm or legs. He could still be the top pick in the NFL Draft when he becomes eligible and when he’s cutting down on the interceptions and fumbles, he’s elite.
The skinny: Jones initially made a commitment to Oklahoma State, but left the door open for other schools. After taking official visits to both USC and Notre Dame, he then committed to the Trojans at the Under Armour All-America Game. After totaling over 2,000 rushing yards during his first two seasons with the Trojans, Jones has now established himself as one of the elite backs in the country with 1,346 yards and 16 touchdowns on the ground this fall.
Farrell’s take: Jones was a speedster and was awesome on film. He was impressive at the Under Armour Game and has put together a strong college career already. Running backs and linebackers are the hardest to evaluate in camp settings without pads, so Jones was never penalized in our rankings for not having as much of an impact as expected and it’s a good thing for us. His film and Under Armour week kept him in the Rivals100 and as one of the top backs in the country. He was disappointing at the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge, but that was the only blip on the radar during his evaluation. Now he’s the clear leader of the USC offense and what makes them go.
The skinny: Burnett originally committed to Washington State, but an offer from USC, his dream school, on National Signing Day pushed him to flip to the Trojans. He had also taken official visits to Michigan and Utah before his flip. After jumping into the national spotlight last year during the Rose Bowl with 13 receptions for 164 yards and three touchdowns against Penn State, he has carried that level of play over to this season with 73 receptions for 966 yards and nine touchdowns.
Farrell’s take: Burnett was a late blueshirt offer from USC, so he almost wasn’t a part of the Trojans' class at all. He wasn’t very big, but had explosion and excellent route-running ability as a potential slot receiver. He hasn’t added much size, but he’s become even more polished as a route runner, has great hands and has added speed. He continues the pipeline of Serra standouts to succeed at USC.
The skinny: Smith's original plan was to take his time with the recruiting process, but upon realizing that USC was the place for him, he made a commitment to the Trojans in May. Smith has done nothing but produce for the Trojans since arriving on campus in 2015, even with a torn ACL as a freshman. Currently in the midst of an outstanding season with 95 tackles, nine tackles for a loss, one interception and one fumble recovery, look for Smith to be all over the field on Friday night.
Farrell’s take: Smith had a very strong freshman season and hasn’t looked back, showing off excellent instincts and pure form tackling. He was just outside the Rivals100 for us mainly because of questions about his lateral ability and quick-twitch athleticism, but he takes such good angles, he's so physical in shedding blocks and he diagnoses plays so well that he overcomes any lack of natural speed. He’s a great example of a guy who struggles in camp settings but kills people with the pads on.
The skinny: Nwosu had been favoring Oregon State until USC offered in early October. Once he received the offer, it only took him three days to decide that he wanted to play for the Trojans. Several schools pursued him through the winter, but he remained firm with his word to USC. Nwosu has had a productive career with the Trojans, with his best collegiate season coming this fall with 68 tackles, 8.5 tackles for a loss, 6.5 sacks and one interception.
Farrell’s take: Nwosu was new to football having played only one big season at Narbonne during his high school career and as a result was a low three-star. He was raw but athletic and we had him rated as a safety with the size to grow into a linebacker if needed. Now he’s a terror, especially off the edge, and a solid tackler who is still learning the game.
STANFORD
The skinny: Love took a fall official visit to Virginia and then January visits to Stanford and North Carolina before committing to the Cardinal a few days before National Signing Day. After waiting in the shadows of Christian McCaffrey, Love was finally given the opportunity to shine this fall. He has responded by rushing for 1,848 yards and 16 touchdowns, while averaging an amazing 8.6 yards per carry even with defenses focused in on him all season long.
Farrell’s take: Love showed serious flashes of talent last season filling in for McCaffrey at times but he has taken it to the next level this year. Love was a four-star out of high school, known for his ability in space as well as his receiving ability, so he fits in greatly as a replacement for McCaffrey. He won’t match the overall numbers, but he’s a Heisman hopeful and the main reason Stanford is playing for the Pac-12 title.
The skinny: While he was a recruit in both football and basketball, the major in-state schools never seriously recruited Arcega-Whiteside. So after trimming his list of top schools down to Stanford, Pittsburgh, Michigan State and Virginia, he committed to the Cardinal in late July. While the Cardinal passing offense has lacked consistency at times, it is Arcega-Whiteside who has become their most reliable threat. Currently with 41 receptions for 633 yards and six touchdowns, look for the Cardinal to look his way during big passing downs.
Farrell’s take: Another standout from the Carolinas like Love, Arcega-Whiteside was a big, strong target at wide receiver who had sneaky speed to get deep and has shown that ability in college. He wasn’t that sudden or explosive, but he was a long strider who could use his body to beat defenders on 50-50 balls and was a move-the-chains guy as well. He’s key to the passing game for Stanford.
The skinny: Phillips trimmed his list of top schools to Stanford, Nebraska and Kansas State before committing to the Cardinal in mid-July. With Solomon Thomas moving onto the NFL, Phillips has stepped up in a big way for the Cardinal this fall. So far he has totaled 76 tackles, 14 tackles for a loss, seven sacks and two forced fumbles, while also becoming one of the emotional leaders of the team.
Farrell’s take: A tough, physical and nasty end out of high school, Phillips had the size to grow into a defensive tackle but maintain his ability to rush the passer and he did just that. A mid-level three-star mainly because of poor competition and some stiffness, he’s played better than that ranking this year and is the motor that makes the defense run.
The skinny: Reid took official visits to Stanford, Texas Tech, Notre Dame, Oklahoma and LSU before committing to the Cardinal on National Signing Day. The Cardinal didn’t actually offer until late in his process, but were still able to beat out all the competitors. Reid, who has improved his level of play during each of his seasons in Palo Alto, has now become one of the top playmaking safeties in the country. With 83 tackles, 5.5 tackles for a loss, one sack and five interceptions, Reid will play a big role in Friday night’s game.
Farrell’s take: Reid has been very effective in run support, has shown he can be a big hitter and his ball skills have improved. Out of high school, he was a mid-level three-star because he had great size but didn’t move that well. He had a frame where he could have grown into a linebacker if needed but he improved his quickness and footwork greatly in college and has emerged as one of the best strong safeties around.
The skinny: While Okereke piled up the offers during the spring and summer, at the end it became a battle between Stanford and USC. Ultimately the Cardinal picked up his commitment in early August, and while the Trojans continued to press and received a visit, he still signed with Stanford. After showing his true potential in 2016, Okereke has taken his game to the next level this fall with 76 tackles, seven tackles for a loss, four sacks, one interception and one forced fumble.
Farrell’s take: A highly regarded linebacker in 2014, we had Okereke ranked in the Rivals250 because of his size, ability to cover a lot of space and pass rushing ability. He can do a bit of everything for Stanford from coverage to blitz and is arguably the most athletic player on the defense. He has panned out well, especially this season.
