Youth Movement

The defensive line historically shoulders quite the load at USC, and expectations remain sky-high for the 2009 season.

These expectations, however, seemed uncertain just months ago. The solution to this equation, the arrival of four highly regarded freshmen defensive linemen, who seem on track to occupy the holes left by those before them.

One look at this USC roster and it is easy to see how some players get lost in the shuffle, although freshmen Armond Armstead, Jurrell Casey, Wes Horton and Malik Jackson have discovered a way to stand out in a crowded field.

“Well I think what you hear about these guys is absolutely right,” said defensive coordinator Nick Holt. “These are some really good football players and since day one picked up the defense.”

“They don’t make a lot of mistakes and you can tell they really love football.”

Armstead, a 6’5 290 lbs. defensive tackle, spent the majority of his youth terrorizing opponents on the hardwood.

It wasn’t long before his body had transformed from an undersized interior post player to one of the country’s most sought after prospects on the gridiron.

“He started with basketball when he was eight,” said his father, Guss Armstead. “But I always knew he was a football player because he was real physical when he was a kid.”

“I’d say he started getting serious about football when he was in the eighth or ninth grade.”

Always a shirt size or two above his peers, Armond (right) started his football career at a position notorious for showcasing players half his size.

“In Pop-Warner he played running back,” said Guss. “He got so big that he had to play line because of his weight, even though he could have played fullback.”

The switch from a ball carrier to a ball hawk paid off for Armstead in many ways, including scholarship offers to top programs coast to coast, although he eventually decided on the lure to play under Pete Carroll at the University of Southern California.

“You’ve got this big ol defensive lineman in Armond Armstead,” said defensive coordinator Nick Holt. “He is just a house that can really move, and we like what we’ve seen so far out of him.”

Ask Jackson, Horton or Casey and it becomes evident that it may only be a matter of time before Armstead is making a serious impact on Saturdays.

“That’s big little baby,” said defensive end Malik Jackson with a smile. “He (Armstead) is real big, but he can really move to.”

“He’s a beast, I can‘t even lie,” said teammate Wes Horton. “Give him a year or two and no one is going to be able to block him.”

“Big little baby” has maintained his focus ever since he stepped foot on the campus of USC, ignoring the early recognition with his vision steadied on the playing field.

“My goal is just to get better every practice,” he said. “We all have to go to work, and we know the competition that is ahead of us.”

The Sacramento native recorded his first collegiate tackle Saturday against Virginia, although the stat-book breaker is far-short of any goals set forth by Armstead.

“I expect way more from myself then getting in the game and making one tackle,” he said. “But it’s a start.”

Lining up alongside Armstead is nose tackle Jurrell Casey from Southern California powerhouse Long Beach Poly High School.

Casey, who tips the scales at over 300 lbs., really demonstrates a knack for disrupting the fluidity on the offensive end.

The nose tackle has drawn comparisons to one former Trojan defensive lineman and Southern California native.

“Jurrell Casey reminds us of a young Mike Patterson,” said Nick Holt.

Not shabby as far as comparisons go, although Casey (left) fully understands that his play on the practice field will dictate his future success.

“I try not to focus on the talk,” said Casey. “I just go out and try to play hard to earn the repetitions.”

Ahead of Casey on the depth chart are two very talented players in their own right, sophomore Christian Tupou and junior Averell Spicer.

“Averell (Spicer) was my roommate during fall camp,” he said. “It’s been great following him and Christian (Tupou) up.

“They’ve both taught me a lot and helped me with everything, making sure that I‘m getting better all the time.”

The Long Beach native has been forced to refine his game following his arrival at USC, although the cardinal and gold was not always the final destination.

“I was looking forward to going to Oregon,” admitted Casey. “But I took my trip to USC and realized that this school had everything that I needed.

“USC filled my needs with coaching.”

After making sport of opponents since his sophomore year in high school, it comes as no surprise that the mammoth nose tackle is giving fits to players on the next level as well, although he has made plenty of adjustments in the span of a month or two.

“At Poly, I could get by using my own techniques,” admitted Casey. “Now there are so many concepts and things to remember.”

An example has been set forth from the leaders on this team, something Casey credited for really changing his perspective in terms of work ethic.

“The older guys have really shown us the way to do things,” he said. “I know if I work as hard as them I can make it to that level.”

There seems to be a fairly good shot of reaching “that level,” starting with the support of his line-mates.

“Bull rush,” laughed Wes Horton when asked to describe Casey. “I played against him twice in high school and in summer school we had two classes together.

“He’s tough to block because of his pad level and strength.”

“Bull rush,” echoed Malik Jackson. “Great leverage and tough.”

“Jurrell has good pad leverage and never gets beat,” added Armond Armstead. “He’s just a football player.”

Common theme anyone?

The loss of senior Lawrence Jackson can not be explained using merely x’s and o’s. Jackson, an Inglewood HS graduate and now Seattle Seahawk, was a vocal leader and tone-setter on the team, although Kyle Moore has done his best to take the reigns.

Wes Horton, easily identified by his 6’6 frame off the edge, is yet another freshman drawing rave reviews from the coaching staff, including position coach Nick Holt.

“Wes Horton is really tall and rangy,” said Holt. “He reminds us a lot of a younger Lawrence Jackson.”

Joined by his brother Shane Horton, a UNLV transfer, Wes (right) is ready to bring the Trojan bloodlines to a family previously engrained with the cross-town Bruins.

“My dad is happy for both us,” he said. “He still likes UCLA and might give us a hard time here or there, but you can tell he’s happy that we’re back on the same field.”

The transition from a high school defensive tackle to a Division I defensive end has surprisingly come quite easy to Horton, who also spent time along the offensive line at Notre Dame High School.

“From day one ‘til now I’ve made a huge jump,” he admitted. “It was real fast at first, but now I’m getting used to the tempo and settling down.”

Whether anchoring strong-side run defense or rushing the passer, Horton’s play has developed some lofty expectations, expectations that he tries to block out.

“I don’t want to make any predictions,” he said. “I’m the type who will go out on the field and give it my all, and whatever happens, happens.”

The well-spoken Horton can be seen making plays in a variety of ways on Howard Jones - Brian Kennedy Field, and his teammates have caught on to just how effective he can be.

“He’s just all-around good,” said Malik Jackson.

“Wes (Horton) is your prototypical strong-side defensive end,” added Armond Armstead. “He’s smart and he is really hungry to play.”

Defensive end Malik Jackson may not have received the hype coming out of the prep ranks, but his play speaks much louder then any expectations or predictions set aside for the Birmingham native.

Jackson seemed on track to attend Fresno State following his career at Birmingham High School with twin brother Marquis, although a late scholarship offer and an impressive last-pitch effort in the classroom brought him to USC.

He is a natural, and his two tackle performance against Virginia spoke volumes about his work ethic and talent early on in the eyes of the coaches.

“Malik Jackson is such a natural pass rusher,” said Nick Holt.

Jackson (left) has made waves since his arrival on campus, although his experience at USC has been vastly different then what he had envisioned.

“I had no idea it was like this,” he said. “We have crowds at our practice and the work you put in is crazy.

“I’ve been waiting for this for a long time though.”

His acclimation has taken place not only in the film room, but on the practice field, where he was one of the largest surprises of fall camp.

“The speed is much different,” he admitted. “Watching everyone on the field, there really are no weak links at this level.”

His rapid learning curve has been the product of coaching, not only by Dave “Sweaty” Watson and Nick Holt, but his fellow defensive linemen as well.

“Kyle Moore, Clay Matthews and Gerald Washington have all taken me under their wing,” he said. “They’ve just taught me the little things that can turn me from a good player into a great player.”

His experience alongside freshmen teammates Armstead, Casey and Horton has given him a renewed sense of motivation as he looks forward.

“We’re just four guys who came in and worked real hard,” he said. “But it doesn’t stop now, we haven’t accomplished anything yet.

“We have to keep working and prove what we can do on the field.”

Regardless of the individual impact each player makes this season, Nick Holt believes that each player possesses a future as bright as the lights of the world-famous Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

“Because of all those attributes they’re going to be really good football players.”

The success of this defensive line group has been truly remarkable thus far, in particularly the hit-or-miss nature of the recruiting world.

“There’s four guys in one class, which you don’t get a lot of, that are going to be good football players.

“Sometimes you get three of the four,” said Nick Holt. “Two of the four maybe, one of the four usually.

“But this class, all four guys are going to be really good football players.”

The group has developed a continuity early on, and the future seems bright for this group of young student-athletes.

“We’ve talked about it for sure,” said Armond Armstead of the possible future together along the line with Casey, Horton and Jackson. “We know before we get caught up in the hype we have to prove it on the field.”

“We just take it one day at a time,” added Wes Horton. “But we all know that if we keep working the sky is the limit.”

“Not yet,” answered Jurrell Casey. “We’ll wait until we play and then worry about that later.”

In the back of each player’s mind is the realization that something special may be in the works.

“Sometimes we’ll joke about us being the Wild Bunch III,” said Armstead. “We know all about those groups because they’re legacy is represented all over campus.

“But before we can even think about that a lot of hard work is in store.”

No one knows how this story will end, although the sky really is the limit for the future along the defensive line at USC.