The USC Trojans’ wide receiver room was one of the more interesting talking points coming into the 2022 season. After they added Mario Williams, Jordan Addison, and Brendan Rice, everybody wondered who would be the odd man out for the Trojans. Lincoln Riley and his staff know they lack depth a lot of position groups, but wide receiver is certainly not one of them. This is arguably the deepest position group on the whole 2022 roster.
Gary Bryant Jr. could do the math.
After three weeks, Addison, Rice, and Williams have been involved a lot in the game plan on offense, while Gary Bryant has been somewhat forgotten.
According to Ryan Kartje of The Los Angeles Times, Bryant will now redshirt this season. He recorded just two catches in the first three games and was behind a number of players on the depth chart, so he will wait a year before hoping for more playing time.
USC wideout Gary Bryant Jr is expected to redshirt this season, Lincoln Riley said on Tuesday. Bryant had just two receptions in the first three weeks.
— Ryan Kartje (@Ryan_Kartje) September 20, 2022
Tahj Washington has five catches on the season for 86 yards, but Williams and Addison are the only two Trojans with double-digit catches. For some perspective, Bryant has the same number of catches as Malcolm Epps.
Last year, Bryant was a key factor in the USC passing game and one of the leaders in the WR room.
Lincoln Riley’s quote on Gary Bryant Jr. “Right now the plan is he will redshirt.”Bryant was third on #USC in receptions (44) and receiving yards (579) last season but Trojans have added several transfers at WR, and Bryant’s role has diminished – 2 receptions, 15 yards in 3 games
— Antonio Morales (@AntonioCMorales) September 20, 2022
But, the addition of Addison, Williams, and Rice — as well as running backs Austin Jones and Travis Dye — means fewer opportunities for Bryant.
This opens things up a little bit for the USC offense, and it could mean more reps for guys such as Terrell Bynum, Kyron Hudson, and even Kyle Ford.
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