TrojanWire - Christian Tupou

Practice Insider: Christian Tupou's Huge Day

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 10:06:57 -0800

The few hundred fans that braved the 70-degree weather and attended practice Thursday afternoon at Howard Jones Field saw something special from sophomore Christian Tupou. With Fili Moala and Gerald Washington missing practice, coupled with the slew of injuries the defensive line was already facing, Tupou played nearly every snap of Thursday's practice with an intensity and vigor that is rarely seen

VIDEO: Scrimmage Warm-Ups and Player Interviews

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 09:14:14 -0800

In this video, check out some of the warm-up action prior to the scrimmage as well as post-scrimmage interviews with Luthur Brown, Allen Bradford and Christian Tupou.

First Signs of Spring

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 09:25:35 -0800

While much of the country hasn't begun to thaw out, the Trojans started spring practice under beautiful SoCal skies. At first it seemed like there might be a little rust, but then Joe McKnight would take a fast step or Christian Tupou would show some muscle and the team looked sharp as always.

All eyes are on the battle at quarterback battle but there's little to report on that front. Mark Sanchez is still the leader and Mitch Mustain is hot on his tail. Aaron Corp, who used to look pretty lanky, seemed much more solid (he's added 18 pounds since coming to USC). Coach Pete Carroll remained noncommittal on whether he'll even name a starter by the end of the 15-session camp. Regardless, the fact that USC has a trio of five-star recruits competing for quarterback should frighten the bejebus out of their opponents in 2008.

Yet another five-star quarterback, Matt Barkley, was also on the practice field. He was just stopping by since he's only a junior in high school. The youngest ever Gatorade National Player of the Year has already committed to the Trojans.

There will be several other compelling position battles to watch. Ricky Rosas, special assistant to Pete Carroll and Gatorade bartender extraordinaire, said he plans on paying special attention to the tailbacks and wide receivers. Similar to last year, USC has an embarrassment of riches in their backfield. In the receiving corps, transfer Damian Williams from Arkansas was a breath of fresh air and looks ready to make a big impact.

Speaking of Ricky and Barkley, both are nominated in the 2008 Southern California Sports Awards put on by ESPN 710.

LA Times football writer Gary Klein stopped by after practice to talk shop -- click play to get some more reflections on USC's first day back in the trenches:

You can also catch a few minutes from Pete Carroll's post-practice media gaggle:

UPDATE: If you listen to the audio above, Carroll doesn't get pinned down on naming a quarterback by the end of camp, merely saying, "That'd be nice ... I don't care when it happens." But offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian left little doubt that it will happen by April 19. I wouldn't call that a discrepancy, just more specificity.

Practice performer

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 09:25:05 -0800

Christian Tupou, more important in spring practice with Averill Spicer, sacked the quarterback and made his presence felt on the pass rush during the first day's practice. He suddenly is going to get a lot of reps with Spicer out until the summer.

Young Player Spotlight

Mon, 17 Dec 2007 10:16:23 -0800

Pete Carroll said defensive tackle Christian Tupou had a ``terrific couple weeks'' of bowl practices as he looks toward next season. Many younger players will get a chance tomorrow when the Trojans scrimmage. One of the focuses of the scrimmage will be the kicking game.

Insider: Dueling Tupous; Sanchez to start

Fri, 26 Oct 2007 09:01:33 -0800

If the score, the call, and the blocking scheme are right USC's Christian Tupou could end banging into his brother -- Oregon LT Fenuki Tupou -- this weekend. Also inside: Mark Sanchez will start his third-straight game at quarterback, as John David Booty's finger gets some extra rest. Drew Radovich should be ready to go -- giving USC its projected offensive line for the first time this seaso

Upon Further Review

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 09:49:45 -0800

After watching films, USC coach Pete Carroll singled out Averill Spicer, Derek Simmons, Josh Pinkard, Joe McKnight, Ronald Johnson, Rhett Ellison, Christian Tupou and Michael Reardon as players who stood out.

New Guys by the Numbers

Wed, 16 May 2007 09:59:59 -0800

New faces in familiar numbers: RoJo getting DJ's #8 is the most notable. Kalil's #67 is now freshman DE Michael Reardon. (Sophmore C.J. Gable and safety Taylor Mays have already switched to Steve Smith's #2.)

#4 - Joe McKnight, RB
#6 - Malcolm Smith, LB
#8 - Ronald Johnson, WR/CB
#15 - Aaron Corp, QB
#26 - Marc Tyler, RB
#27 - Marshall Jones, S
#29 - Broderick Green, RB
#37 - Jordan Campbell, FB
#40 - Rhett Ellison, TE
#44 - Christian Tupou, DT
#54 - Chris Galippo, LB
#61 - Kristofer O'Dowd, C
#67 - Michael Reardon, DE
#72 - Martin Coleman, OL
#80 - Brandon Carswell, WR
#82 - Damian Williams, WR
#92 - Trey Henderson, DE
#93 - Everson Griffen, DE
#98 - Da'John Harris, DT

Joe McKnight (#4) and Marc Tyler (#26) will don the same numbers they ran wild with in high school.

2007 USC FOOTBALL ROSTER [USCtrojans.com]

TrojanWire Welcomes 2007 Class

Wed, 07 Feb 2007 17:21:14 -0800

Looks to be the year of the RB again. The rotation at that position for the Trojans is probably deeper than that of any school at any time, ever.

Pete Carroll signed more 5-star rated prospects than any other university in the nation this year; but with many returning starters and limited scholarships, lost the mythical recruiting title to Florida.

Something tells us that USC's two lone 3-stars may be overlooked though.

Rhett Ellison is the son of Riki Ellison, a member of USC's 1978 national championship team and 2-time Super Bowler with the San Francisco 49ers.

Trey Henderson is from Canada? When's the last time you heard of an American footballer coming from there? He was under the radar. And USC detected him.

Here's a look at the entire class including Arkansas transfer Damian Williams.

LB Jordan Campbell 4-star 5-11/226 (Corona, CA)
WR Brandon Carswell 4-star 6-1/172 (Milpitas, CA)
OL Martin Coleman 4-star 6-5/290 (Huntington Beach, CA)
QB Aaron Corp 4-star 6-4/195 (Villa Park, CA)
TE Rhett Ellison 3-star 6-5 230 (Mountain View, CA)
LB Chris Galippo 5-star 6-3/235 (Anaheim, CA)
RB Broderick Green 4-star 6-1/230 (Little Rock, AR)
DE Everson Griffen 5-star 6-4/266 (Avondale, AZ)
DT Da'John Harris 4-star 6-4/266 (Gardena, CA)
DE Trey Henderson 3-star 6-3/264 (Vancouver, B.C.)
WR Ronald Johnson 5-star 6-0/177 (Muskegon, MI)
DB Marshall Jones 3-star 6-0/185 (Westlake Village, CA)
RB Joe McKnight 5-star 6-1/193 (River Ridge, LA)
OL Kristofer O'Dowd 5-star 6-5/315 (Tucson, AZ)
DE Michael Reardon 5-star 6-6/260 (Villa Park, CA)
ATH Malcolm Smith 4-star 6-2/200(Woodland Hills, CA)
DE Christian Tupou 4-star 6-3/260 (Sacramento, CA)
RB Marc Tyler 4-star 6-0/215 (Westlake Village, CA)
WR Damian Williams 4-star 6-1/190 (Springdale, AR)

Bios for all players after the jump (sorry we are still getting the white page to format downaward but highlighting the text and reading will have to work for now or you can go here.)