Can freshman QB Kedon Slovis ship for Clay Helton, USC?

LOS ANGELES — A few weeks in the past, USC athletic director Lynn Swann laid out a transparent expectation for the Trojans’ 2019 soccer season: win the Pac-12 championship.

“We wish to be within the image and the dialog in regards to the nationwide championship, on the nationwide scene,” Swann mentioned. “That is the place it begins.”

For somebody in his place, it wasn’t precisely a daring declaration. Ask any coach or any participant the identical query going into a brand new season and there’s a good likelihood they’re going to echo some variation of what Swann mentioned. Particularly whereas talking publicly. The truth is, if Swann had said every other objective or expectation, it most likely would have appeared weird.

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The extra related query for Swann — not that he would significantly think about fielding it — is not what his expectations are, it is: What is going to occur if these expectations aren’t met?

It was a good query as USC stumbled to its first dropping season (5-7) final yr since 2000 and much more so after Swann felt compelled to ship out a message to the “Trojan Household” on the finish of the season to announce head coach Clay Helton could be retained. In that assertion, Swann each praised Helton’s first two seasons (Rose Bowl victory in 2016; Pac-12 title in 2017) and recognized broad deficiencies with this system’s “tradition, self-discipline, schemes, personnel and employees.”

The broadly held perception round faculty soccer is that Helton is teaching for his job in 2019. A Pac-12 title would certainly put it aside, and one other dropping season would nearly actually spell the tip. For factors in between, it is much less clear.

That was the case when the season began, and that continues to be the case within the wake of the season-ending torn ACL and meniscus harm quarterback JT Daniels suffered in Saturday’s 31-23 win in opposition to Fresno State.

Daniels was up-and-down as a real freshman final yr, however as a result of he arrived as one of the achieved, hyped recruits in latest reminiscence, it was simple to purchase into the concept he may make important strides beneath the tutelage of recent offensive coordinator Graham Harrell and his model of the Air Raid offense.

As an alternative, Helton, recent out of mulligans, is once more turning to a real freshman. Although it is turning into extra in vogue to roll with a real freshman starter in faculty soccer, it is nonetheless an enormous guess for any FBS coach — and much more so for somebody like Helton who would not have the posh of prioritizing the longer term over the current.

Kedon Slovis was simply 6-of-Eight passing for 57 yards and an interception in opposition to Fresno State. Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports activities

So as to add one other layer to the distinctiveness of this example, new starter Kedon Slovis did not arrive at USC as a can’t-miss prospect with a number of nationwide suitors, as is the norm at USC. Most of his scholarship gives got here from Group of 5 applications, and his highschool program, Desert Mountain Excessive in Scottsdale, Arizona, is not precisely recognized for profitable.

“I got here from a faculty the place we went Four-6 earlier than I grew to become a starter,” Slovis mentioned. “After which after I was a starter, we have been 6-5. After which my senior yr, we solely went Three-7.”

Although former NFL MVP Kurt Warner served because the offensive coordinator, Slovis was the one FBS participant on the crew. It was a tough scenario for him to show himself.

For distinction, Daniels was a three-year starter for one of many preeminent highschool soccer applications within the nation, Southern California powerhouse Mater Dei, the place he performed with a number of different big-time faculty recruits and earned nationwide participant of the yr honors.

“We have at all times trusted our evaluations on guys,” Helton mentioned. “Whether or not it was Sam Darnold, who wasn’t a extremely extremely recruited child — I feel he had solely two Pac-12 gives after we provided him. We consider in our analysis. In Kedon’s case, we noticed an amazing arm expertise and we additionally noticed an extremely football-knowledgeable child.”

At USC camps over the summer season, Helton mentioned, Slovis held his personal taking part in side-by-side in opposition to quarterbacks who acquired extra buzz on the recruiting circuit. Watching him up shut made it simpler to see previous the relative lack of manufacturing and accolades and award him a scholarship.

“To see the event wasn’t too huge as he was competing with four- and five-star youngsters. The second has by no means been too huge for the child. And I did not assume it was too huge [when he went in against Fresno State] for him. He walked on the market bright-eyed and mentioned, ‘Let’s go, Coach,’ and that is who he is been and who he has at all times been.

“We have been very lucky that we have been in a position to signal some actually proficient youngsters right here that are not afraid of competitors and are not afraid of the second, and I sit up for seeing his subsequent step and watching the chance he will get on Saturday [against Stanford].”

Head coach Clay Helton cannot afford to have one other dropping season at USC. Harry How/Getty Photos

When Slovis enrolled at USC within the spring, the crew already had three different scholarship quarterbacks on the roster: redshirt junior Matt Fink, redshirt sophomore Jack Sears and Daniels. Everybody was ranging from sq. one in Harrell’s new system, however nobody would have blamed Slovis had the spring served as extra of an acclimation interval than a possibility to compete for the beginning job.

The transition did not faze him. He shortly discovered success and acquired to a degree the place he thought it was within the realm of chance that he may unseat Daniels. After coming in with a much less prestigious résumé, it was validating, Slovis mentioned, and on the finish of spring apply, Helton advised him in a one-on-one assembly that his mindset throughout fall camp needs to be to win the job.

“I would not matter how younger you’re or how little expertise you’ve got, you’ve got an opportunity,” Slovis mentioned Helton advised him. “In order that’s the purpose the place I actually took issues significantly.”

For Slovis, his efficiency throughout coaching camp was at instances personally irritating, however he did sufficient to beat out Fink and Sears. He was disillusioned to not win the job straight up however acknowledged, “to be No. 2 is not the worst factor on the earth.”

On Saturday, Slovis watched Daniels go down proper earlier than halftime. It was clear immediately he would not return, which afforded Slovis the chance to debate the second-half plan with the teaching employees in the course of the break.

“That was a protracted, 10 or 15 minutes, no matter it was,” he mentioned. “I used to be pondering, ‘I simply wish to go on the market now.’

“When Coach Harrell talked to me, it wasn’t something about me being younger or being skilled or attempting to spice up my confidence. He was speaking strictly ball, and I feel that gave me quite a lot of confidence, realizing they weren’t nervous about my inexperience or any of that.”

Slovis’ efficiency did not present a lot to judge. After Daniels accomplished 25 of 34 passes for 215 yards within the first half, Slovis was simply 6-of-Eight for 57 yards and an interception within the second. The Trojans turned their 17-10 halftime lead right into a 31-13 benefit solely to see Fresno State storm again. USC may solely exhale when Isaiah Pola-Mao intercepted what may have been a game-tying landing ultimately zone with a minute and 45 seconds left.

By 2 a.m., Daniels texted Slovis to inform him the MRI on his proper knee confirmed what was feared: His ACL was torn, and he was out for the yr.

“He mentioned, ‘It is your crew now.’ It clearly sucks that he is out for the season, however he was actually encouraging. He actually did a terrific job in the course of the sport and speaking to me about what to anticipate since,” Slovis mentioned. “You by no means understand how folks will react to that sort of second of adversity, however he has accomplished a extremely nice job.”

As extremely as Helton may consider Slovis, that he is beginning the Pac-12 opener in opposition to Stanford on Saturday nonetheless most likely appears like a intestine punch. There was a time not so way back when it appeared the coach’s future could be tied to the mixture of offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, who left a month after being employed to develop into head coach of the Arizona Cardinals, and Daniels.

As an alternative, he is sitting on the new seat with secondary selections in each roles.