Tag: Mason Cobb

College football analyst isn’t ready to give up on USC LB Mason Cobb

Rutgers Wire analyst thinks Mason Cobb could be a Day 2 NFL draft pick.

We are talking to Rutgers Wire editor Kristian Dyer about the Rutgers-USC football game this fall and its various storylines. One very unexpected answer emerged when we asked Kristian about the Trojans and how he sizes them up from his vantage point.

USC’s most important position groups are generally considered to be the offensive and defensive lines. yet, Dyer submitted an answer which went outside those two units for the Oct. 25 battle between the Trojans and the visiting Scarlet Knights. Be sure to follow Rutgers Wire for complete RU football coverage.

Trojans Wire: Which USC player are you most curious about, and whom you see as the Trojans’ main X-factor for the Rutgers game?

KD: I like Mason Cobb, the transfer from Oklahoma State. A good season at USC and I think he has Day 2 potential. Weren’t expecting that one, were you? But a good season in the Big Ten and the kid will blow up.

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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:

The Mason Cobb-Raesjon Davis situation requires nuanced thinking at USC

The coaching staff is handling Mason Cobb properly, but Raesjon Davis needs to get more snaps. Let’s explain this complicated tension point.

USC linebacker Mason Cobb did not look good against Arizona State. His speed did not seem up to par. Why did the coaching staff give him so many reps? Why didn’t Raesjon Davis play more? These are good questions from USC fans after the Arizona State game.

Let’s talk about this point a little more.

On the matter of Mason Cobb specifically, let’s realize that Cobb did not play since the San Jose State opener. He had not played any of the previous three weekends (one of which USC had off). The coaching staff needed to put Cobb on the field and give him a vigorous, strenuous workout. If he wasn’t up to par, accumulated rust played a role. He needed the playing time. Cobb is now in a better situation in terms of building up stamina and fitness heading into the Colorado game. He needs to be in game shape for Notre Dame on October 14.

However, while the coaching staff did need to give Cobb a lot of reps, there has to be some way that Raesjon Davis gets more playing time. Davis was one of the very few USC players who played well in the Cotton Bowl against Tulane. He has not been overextended in terms of workload. The staff has to find a way to get him on the field and give him more of a chance to contribute. Linebacker play was not great against Arizona State. Raesjon Davis deserves a chance to see what he can do. It might change the dynamic on this defense for the better.

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Follow Buffaloes Wire for complete coverage of Deion Sanders and Colorado, as CU prepares to play USC on Fox Big Noon Saturday.

USC win over ASU felt like a loss in many ways.

Alex Grinch is not quieting his critics, and bigger tests await.

Pac-12 analyst says USC has the No. 2 linebacker room in the conference

If #USC has the second-best linebacker room in the #Pac12 this year, the Trojans are probably headed for the playoff.

USC has the best quarterback in the Pac-12 in 2023. It has one of the two best wide receiver rooms alongside Washington. The Trojans have a top-two offensive line, matched or exceeded only by Oregon State. On the offensive side of the ball, they’re a top-two Pac-12 program. They also have the best offensive play-caller and play-designer in the Pac-12, Lincoln Riley.

Now, about that defense…

If USC can get a top-two performance from any of its defensive position groups this year, that would give the Trojans a huge boost in their attempt to win the Pac-12 and make the College Football Playoff.

Jack Follman of SuperWest Sports has the USC Trojans’ linebacker group ranked second in the league, right behind the Utah Utes. The addition of Oklahoma State transfer Mason Cobb is a huge reason why:

“The Trojans have a nice new veteran leader here with Cobb transferring in from Oklahoma State and two proven veterans in (Shane) Lee and (Eric) Gentry. They’ll be really strong if a new young player can step up,” Follman wrote.

If Follman is right in ranking USC No. 2 among all Pac-12 linebacker rooms, the Trojans will be in very good shape as long as the defensive line doesn’t collapse.

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Mason Cobb is the college football equivalent of a perfect draft pick

Mason Cobb is a quality player on his own merits, but he also meets specific needs for USC.

When an NFL team selects players in the draft, it often weighs two competing tensions: best player available versus team-specific needs. Some teams feel the need to simply take the best player on the board, knowing how much value that player can provide in the course of time. Other teams think they have to fill a glaring need at a specific position and choose accordingly.

USC linebacker Mason Cobb is, in a real sense, the college football equivalent of the perfect NFL draft pick. He is a really good player for any team and an obvious value add, but he also meets a very specific team need for this 2023 USC roster.

(h/t Don Smalley of Ducks Wire)

Mason Cobb:

“Lincoln Riley vowed to make the defense better in 2023, and he definitely did so by adding Oklahoma State’s Mason Cobb to the mix. Cobb was one of the best players for the Cowboys last year, and now he will be in the heart of the Trojans’ defense. That could be a game-changer.”

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Mason Cobb calls USC teammate Bear Alexander a ‘freak’ at Pac-12 media day

Mason Cobb is impressed by Bear Alexander’s physical prowess. Cobb likes what he sees on #USC’s defense.

USC linebacker Mason Cobb wanted to be a Trojan. He was an Oklahoma State Cowboy, but he wanted to play for Lincoln Riley, whom Oklahoma State defeated in Riley’s very last game as OU’s head coach before he went to USC.

Cobb and Riley have both left an Oklahoma-based college football program to join USC. It’s not a surprise that Riley wanted Cobb to represent the Trojans and their defense at Pac-12 media day in Las Vegas on Friday.

As reported by 247Sports and USC writer Chris Trevino, Mason Cobb called USC teammate Bear Alexander a “freak” at Pac-12 media day.

“That guy’s a freak, man,” Cobb told USCFootball.com. “He’s quick, explosive, works hard. Quiet kid. I can’t wait to see him in pads.”

Get more reactions from Cobb and other primary figures at USC and the Pac-12 from the media day marathon in Las Vegas:

Calen Bullock, Mason Cobb nationally seen as leaders of USC’s 2023 defense

In terms of national/regional perceptions of #USC’s defense, Bullock and Cobb are looked at as the two best players.

The preseason All-Pac-12 teams were released on Tuesday. On defense, only one USC Trojan was named to the first team, safety Calen Bullock. Two Trojans made the second-team defensive roster. One was Eric Gentry, who played well in the first half of the 2022 season for USC before getting hurt. He returned to the field late in the season but was not physically ready for Utah in the Pac-12 Championship Game. Gentry’s inclusion on the second team might be viewed as the most pleasant surprise for USC on the preseason All-Pac-12 rosters. 

The other All-Pac-12 second-teamer for USC is an incoming transfer. Former Oklahoma State linebacker Mason Cobb, who will represent the Trojans at Pac-12 media day this Friday, made the second team.

Let’s cast aside the topic of how USC players are viewed internally. What coaches and players think is an inside-the-program vantage point. In terms of national and regional perception of USC, it seems clear that Calen Bullock and Mason Cobb are seen as the leaders of this defense.

Part of this flows from the reality that USC had significant injuries in the secondary last year, most notably to Domani Jackson and Zion Branch. Those two could be great this year, but they just haven’t played much.

The other factor here is that USC’s defensive line has been dramatically remade in the transfer portal. People are waiting to see what the end product looks like. This leaves us with Bullock and Cobb, two proven commodities, plus Gentry as a guy who flourished in the first six weeks of the 2022 season before getting hurt.

Do Bullock and Cobb need to be the leaders most national observers think they will be for USC? Sure. Absolutely.

Yet, the real key is how those injured defensive backs and those transfer portal pieces on the defensive line support Bullock and Cobb this season for Alex Grinch and the Trojans.

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2023 Season Preview: Could 2023 be the last Bedlam matchup?

What is Oklahoma State bringing back for what could be the last Bedlam matchup for the foreseeable future?

In our next opponent preview, we take a look at the Oklahoma State Cowboys.

The Cowboys are coming off a 7-6 season and are replacing a ton of talent, especially defensively.

The Cowboys have 57% of their production returning from a year ago, which ranks 89th per ESPN’ returning production metric (ESPN+).

They return 65% of their offense which ranks 66th in the nation, and 50% of their defense, which ranks 101st.

The big loss offensively is quarterback [autotag]Spencer Sanders[/autotag]. When healthy, he was their offense last year. He threw for 2,642 yards, 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He also ran for 391 yards and eight touchdowns.

It’s no secret that when he wasn’t 100%, the offense struggled mightily and ultimately, the team suffered. They will look to replace him with transfer and former Texas Tech quarterback Alan Bowman or with Garret Rangel. Rangle saw some action last year in place of Sanders.

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The offensive line has been a major issue for several years. They finished 97th in the nation in rushing last year and, averaged just 3.43 yards per carry.

The offense finished 52nd in total offense and is expected to change up its philosophy by operating from under the center more.

This points to Alan Bowman getting the nod with his experience in an offense that goes under center a lot of the time in the Michigan Wolverines. But he hasn’t played in two years after he was a backup for the Wolverines.

Their top two rushers in, Dominic Richardson and Sanders, both transferred out, so they’ll have to replace that production. Cowboys fans have high hopes for Ollie Gordon.

Gordon showed flashes last year but only ran for 308 yards and two touchdowns.

They do return their top wide receiver Brennan Presley, who had 813 yards but only two touchdowns. However, they lose their next five leading receivers from a year ago.

Defensively they finished 115th in the nation in total defense a year ago. The Cowboys have to replace seven starters, including their top two tacklers Jason Taylor II and Mason Cobb.

They lost eight of their top 10 players in tackles and five of their top seven in sacks.

They are moving to a new defensive scheme under new defensive coordinator Bryan Nardo. Unlike Derek Mason and Jim Knowles before him, who ran mostly a 4-2-5 defense, Nardo runs a 3-3-5 defense.

This means Collin Oliver will be moving to linebacker for the Pokes. Head Coach Mike Gundy did mention at Big 12 Media Days he wants the defense to be multiple and run some four-man fronts as well. I’d expect that means Oliver will still line up on the edge plenty.

Oklahoma State is such a hard team to try to predict. If you look at everything they lost and the state of the program, this looks like an average football team, at best

But Gundy usually does his best when there aren’t a ton of expectations. See 2021, where a lot of people picked the Cowboys to finish in the bottom half of the conference standings.

As we sit here today, this is a game Oklahoma should win. However, with it being the last Bedlam for the foreseeable future, and in Stillwater, there would be nothing sweeter for the Cowboys to play spoiler.

Score Prediction: 41-13 Oklahoma

Predicted Record: 8-1

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The most important USC football players entering the 2023 season

This is a topic we fleshed out with @TrojanConquests, focusing mostly on the defense. We’ll add offensive players to this list.

Does USC have enough pieces on defense to make the College Football Playoff this season? We talked about this question in a separate piece, getting the insights of USC football analyst Tim Prangley.

The appropriate and primary point of focus for USC this season has to be the defense. We know the offense is going to be great as long as Caleb Williams and most of the offensive line remain healthy, but it’s on defense where USC faces so many questions. The hope within the program is that with another year of strength and weight training, plus added exposure to Alex Grinch’s scheme, guys will be more advanced in their physical development and their awareness of what’s happening on the field.

Then consider the new recruits (Tackett Curtis) and the transfer portal additions (Anthony Lucas, Christian Roland-Wallace, Mason Cobb, Jack Sullivan, and others) which will add depth to the roster. Then add the injured players who, if healthy, will give USC even more bodies: Domani Jackson and Romello Height come to mind here (and there are others).

Among these defensive players, which pieces are the most important ones? We will look at those indispensable defensive players, plus the biggest and most important offensive players, in this 2023 list, which will be unveiled below.

Here we go:

Notre Dame’s Benjamin Morrison named to Lott IMPACT Trophy Watch List

The Irish are lucky to have this kid.

[autotag]Benjamin Morrison[/autotag] made quite the impression as a Notre Dame cornerback in 2022. Now, he’s starting to bring in the accolades. Morrison has been named to the watch list for the 2023 Lott IMPACT Trophy. This award, which [autotag]Manti Te’o[/autotag] won in 2012, is awarded to the defensive player who best demonstrates athletic excellence and exemplifies IMPACT, which is an acronym for Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community and Tenacity.

The Irish are scheduled to face several of Morrison’s fellow watch list candidates during the 2023 season. Two of them, defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau and linebacker Tommy Eichenberg, represent Ohio State. The Irish also will draw defensive back Calen Bullock and linebacker Mason Cobb of USC. Also upcoming are Clemson linebacker Barrett Carter and Duke defensive lineman Dewayne Carter.

In short, the Irish will be seeing a lot of defensive stars who also are high-character guys in 2023. Those who think offense is getting too much leeway in college football will not be disappointed. At least it seems that way on paper.

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