Tag: Jaylin Smith

D’Anton Lynn emphasizes versatility in his scheme for USC football

Trojans Wire’s Tim Prangley gathered quotes from D’Anton Lynn after USC spring practice on March 21.

USC defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn recently talked at spring football practice about how much he values versatility.

When he was asked about ideal traits he is looking for in possible secondary transfers, Lynn explained, “Playing experience, you know, speed. We like guys that can stay on top on the outside. Size. We wanted to get some more length on the outside, and then we just want to keep improving our versatility. There’s obviously going to be some guys who play corner only, but the more guys you can have that can do both the better.”

Consider Eric Gentry’s place in Lynn’s USC defense.

Lynn has explained in the past that he sees Eric Gentry as a guy who can play all three linebacker positions: MIKE, SAM and WILL.

When he was asked on Thursday after practice about how he sees Gentry in the defense, Lynn shared this:

“Never coached a guy like him before but I’m excited, you know. He’s a guy that when the pads come on we’re excited to see what he does, and that’s on us to try to find ways to get him to make plays on the field.”

Lynn added this on Jaylin Smith, who figures to be an important piece of the puzzle in the USC secondary:

“He’s a unique guy, he really is a defensive back,” Lynn said. “He’s a guy that can play safety, he’s done that in the past. He can play nickel. He can play corner, so right now we’re kind of moving him around at a couple spots trying to find exactly what’s going to be his home, but he’s definitely going to be a guy that doesn’t just do one thing.”

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USC statistical leaders through six games

You probably can name one of these guys offhand.

USC nearly lost its perfect season against Arizona but survived. Notre Dame’s College Football Playoff chances ended with a loss at Louisville. Neither team is coming into their annual meeting with the best momentum. That means talent could be the game’s determining factor.

This is a perfect opportunity for the Trojans to make a statement. They’re catching the Irish when they’re fatigued and struggling. The only thing that could slow them down is the wet conditions forecast for the game, but they’re preparing for that by using water in rather interesting ways in practice. While there’s no way to tell if that will affect anything, it shows they’re not leaving anything up to chance.

As you’re about to see, there are several players responsible for the Trojans’ offense being the country’s highest scoring, not the least of whom is the reigning Heisman Trophy winner at quarterback. Here he is among the top Trojans players on both sides of the ball:

Jaylin Smith feels more comfortable in USC secondary

Positions and depth-chart placements are fluid in the #USC secondary. Jaylin Smith thinks he can make a big impact.

The most important position group for USC this year is the defensive line, but the position group facing the most fluidity in August is the secondary.

The defensive line doesn’t face massive positional questions in terms of who will play where. Bear Alexander will be an interior defensive lineman. That’s not really a question. The uncertainty is not where he will play along the front; it’s whether he will be the beast USC needs him to be. The defensive line faces “quality of performance” questions. With the secondary, performance obviously matters, but it’s a real debate within the coaching staff about where guys should play. We could see a lot of mixing and matching in the secondary all the way until the Notre Dame game on October 14.

Within this fluid dynamic in the USC secondary, Jaylin Smith thinks he can make a difference. He also thinks he is more comfortable in Year 2 under Alex Grinch.

Smith talked to 247Sports:

“I think from last season, it was more-so our [defensive backs] corps was learning how our coaches operate,” Smith said. “This year, we’re more comfortable with our coaches, and we know what we want to emphasize. We know what we want to do.

“I feel like I can do more than just play nickel. I can play corner, safety — free safety. I think the coaches want to see what I can do, and I think that’s ultimately the challenge that I’m ready for.”

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The Texas Longhorns Offer 2021 Three-Star Athlete Out of California

The Texas Longhorns and head coach Tom Herman have offered 2021 three-star athlete Jaylin Smith a scholarship.

The Texas Longhorns have recently offered a three-star athlete from the 2021 class. Jaylin Smith is entering his senior year at Bishop Alemany (Mission Hills, CA). He is ranked as the 39th prospect in the state of California and the 42th athlete overall according to 247 composite rankings.

Smith is the 10th athlete to receive an offer for the 2021 class, Ja’Tavion Sanders, Billy Bowman Jr (Denton Ryan) and Juan Davis (Everman) are the only ones who have committed at this point in the recruiting cycle. Smith plays both wide receiver and cornerback for Bishop Alemany.

Here are some of his highlights courtesy of Hudl.

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