USC’s defense struggled last year. Poor linebacker play was a significant part of the problem. Lincoln Riley brought in Matt Entz to solve those problems. Entz talked about the personnel in the room and what he thinks he can do about it.
“Easton (Mascarenas-Arnold) is kind of a prototypical MIKE in what we’re looking to do very, very smart,” Entz told the media after practice on Thursday. “[He] was All-Pac-12 last year at Oregon State and is a perfectionist. Then you got you know a guy like Eric, who plays multiple spots. Eric is all about the next play is the most important one, so they complement each other.”
If you were looking for hints on how certain USC players might be deployed in the linebacker room, Entz just dropped some bread crumbs hinting at the shape of this unit. Obviously it’s still early, and the April 20 spring football game is still two weeks away, but if you are paying attention to initial observations, they can point to future realities. Coaches don’t say these kinds of things by accident. Everything is said for a reason.
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