USC could really use some of the players it had on the 2022 team. Four non-Caleb Williams players really seemed to stand above the rest in terms of elevating the Trojans to a higher level last year.
We asked our Pac-12 football panel this question:
Which player does USC miss the most this year: Travis Dye, Andrew Vorhees, Tuli Tuipulotu, or Jordan Addison?
Here are the responses:
Matt Zemek: All these choices are good, but it has to be Vorhees. The USC offensive line regressing is why Caleb Williams is less certain in the pocket. The USC offensive line regressing is why this offense just isn’t functioning well. It all starts with the offensive line for USC, and Vorhees was the leader of that group, the warrior who wouldn’t allow anything or anyone to slide. Travis Dye is sorely missed, as is Addison, and Tuli was certainly a pillar of the 2022 team, but Vorhees was in many ways the nerve center of the whole thing. Remember: When he got hurt and couldn’t play in the Pac-12 title game, Utah feasted on USC up front.
Zachary Neel: I’d say it’s Tuli, but I don’t think one single player is changing that defense. Having Vorhees on that line would help things, because Caleb Williams has been taking some shots recently, and I think it’s having an impact.
Matt Wadleigh: I think it’s Tuli Tuipulotu. The defense needs a spark, and he sure has made plenty of noise with the Chargers.
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