Really labored over some of these.

Offense
QB Rudy Carpenter, Sr., Arizona State
RB Jahvid Best, So., California
RB Jeremiah Johnson, Sr., Oregon
TE Rob Gronkowski, So., Arizona
OL Alex Mack, Sr., California
OL Jeff Byers, Sr., USC
OL Juan Garcia, Sr., Washington
OL Max Unger, Sr., Oregon
OL Andy Levitre, Sr., Oregon State
WR Mike Thomas, Sr., Arizona
WR Brandon Gibson, Sr., Washington State
K Thomas Weber, So., Arizona State

Defense
DE Nick Reed, Sr., Oregon
DT Fili Moala, Sr., USC
DT Brian Price, So., UCLA
DE Dexter Davis, Jr., Arizona State
LB Rey Maualuga, Sr., USC
LB Brian Cushing, Sr., USC
LB Zach Follett, Sr., California
CB Jairus Byrd, Jr., Oregon
CB Alterraun Verner, Jr., UCLA
FS Taylor Mays, Jr., USC
SS Patrick Chung, Sr., Oregon
P Keenyn Crier, So., Arizona

KR Ronald Johnson, So., USC
PR Sammie Stroughter, Sr., Oregon State

Dick Butkus was Pete’s guest and addressed the team after the scrimmage by telling them:

“You guys kicked my team’s ass in the Rose Bowl last year!”

Ken Norton also introduced Dick to his two Butkus candidates, Rey Maualuga and Brian Cushing.

More pictures after the jump.

[Thanks Bob P]

2008 CFN Unit Rankings

Defenses

1. USC
When linebackers Rey Maualuga and Brian Cushing decided to forego the NFL Draft for one more year, it ensured that the Trojans would have one of the nastiest back sevens in the country.  Not only are the two seniors All-America-caliber, but the secondary is sensational. Safeties Kevin Ellison and Taylor Mays are among six players with starting experience.  Even without current pros Sedrick Ellis and Lawrence Jackson, the defensive line will be just fine. On the outside, speedy Everson Griffen is good enough to make folks forget about Jackson. On the inside, senior Fili Moala is about to shed his anonymity while making a strong push for All-American honors and a spot in the first round of next year’s NFL Draft.    

Offenses

10. USC
Mark or Mitch? The battle between Mark Sanchez and Mitch Mustain to replace John David Booty at quarterback isn’t exactly over. Sanchez got the nod in April, but he got hurt and is questionable for the start of the season. Mustain has done nothing but impress the staff since transferring from Arkansas. Whoever gets the ball will have gobs of speed and explosiveness surrounding him. After getting a taste of action as a freshman, RB Joe McKnight is on the tarmac and preparing for national lift-off. The receivers are a year older, with the size, athleticism, and addition of former Hog Damian Williams to dominate opposing secondaries. The line loses four starters, putting the onus on sophomores Kristofer O’Dowd, Butch Lewis, and Zack Heberer to perform like vets.         

Defensive Backs

2. USC
SC has had the Pac-10’s best pass defense two years running. There’s more than enough returning talent and former prep All-Americans to run that streak to three, although a few more interceptions would be nice. In Kevin Ellison and Taylor Mays, USC is home to a couple of hard-hitting enforcers with All-America potential. If Josh Pinkard is even close to where he was a couple of years ago, no program in the country will be able to match them at the position. Sure to get picked on early, Shareece Wright needs to give opposing quarterbacks a reason to not look to his side.

Defensive Lines

3. USC
Sedrick Ellis and Lawrence Jackson were two of the first 28 picks in April’s draft, yet the Trojans are going to be more than fine up front. Fili Moala and Everson Griffen are the new headliners of a front wall that’ll rely on a deeper group of players this fall. The Trojans are so quick and strong up front, opposing backs are rarely able to get to the second level. Of course, not that things get any easier there. Moala is going to make himself plenty of money this fall, and Griffen and Kyle Moore are big enough on the outside to be valuable assets in run support.

Linebackers

1. USC
Rey Maualuga and Brian Cushing are a pair of NFL-ready linebackers still hanging around the Pac 10. Their presence will help ease the transition of Luthur Brown or Kaluka Maiava into the lineup, while giving the program a couple of intimidating defensive players who opposing coaches will have to account for every Saturday. Led by Maualuga and Cushing, this group has a nose for the football and a gift for fighting through blockers to get to the ball carrier. With the front seven that USC will be rolling out this year, the only tackles the safeties and corners make will be on completed passes.

Running Backs

6. USC
Even after Emmanuel Moody transferred to Florida, there isn’t a school in the nation that features four backs as talented as the ones in this backfield. The Trojans are basically injury-proof, meaning even if one or two players went on the shelf, the running game would survive. As is the case with many USC positions, Pete Carroll will be forced to do a juggling act to be sure that all of his gifted runners are well fed throughout the season.  It’s going to be a challenge.  While Joe McKnight is the star-in-waiting, Stafon Johnson might actually finish the year with the most carries.

For Cushing, playing a full season in 2008 is vital because he wants to be a first-round pick in the NFL draft. Some mock drafts list him as a potential first-rounder, if he can stay healthy.

"That would be helpful, because he has been banged up," USC coach Pete Carroll said. "This year will have something to say about his status if he missed a number of games."

Cushing said missing nearly 33 percent of two seasons is impossible to ignore, so he knows the NFL will inquire about it.

"I'm sure the NFL will ask, they're always looking for things," he said. "But I'm in my best shape and playing my best football ever right now. Mentally, I've never been close

to what I am now."

 

Durability is key in the NFL so Cushing needs to keep on playing his heart out and not get bit by the injury bug.

While he toyed with leaving for the NFL after last season his coming back for his senior season will go a long way to building his stock up with NFL scouts of course the key will be to stay healthy.

Although Cushing missed four games last season, he said he considered coming out early but spoke to Carroll and former USC linebacker Keith Rivers, who returned for his senior season and increased his stock.

"I knew it was the best thing to come back," Cushing said.

The temptation was there for Cushing, who earned All-American honors despite recording just 25 tackles. Some of his hits are so memorable, however, he probably gets more mileage out of his tackles than most players, except maybe middle linebacker Rey Maualuga. Cushing's potential always intrigued NFL teams, and he admitted even in April he wondered about his status.

"After watching the draft, I asked a lot of questions where I stood," Cushing said. "I wondered what teams thought of me. Next year, who knows what position they will want me to play?

It would have been weird not to have Cushing around this season when you consider that he and Rey have been practically joined at the hip since the arrived at USC. It definitely would not have felt right.

Cushing overcame a lot coming all the way from NJ. I was fortunate enough to see him play as senior. He was cocky and brash then but I could see why it was hasrd not to be. He was heading to USC a school who had just won a BCS title and who had put together one of the best defenses in nation and probably one of the most explosive offenses in the history of college football. Cush had his moments of being home hick but he quickly got into the groove in L.A. and when he has been on the field he has had some great moments.

He has turned into a leader and there is a good chance that he could be named co-team captain this week. That would be a good move as his vocal demeanor will go a long way to to setting the tone on defense.

He has been fun to watch while he has been here at USC, but it is not over yet and this season is for all the marbles.

The alarm goes off once, but if you hit snooze he jumps off your nightstand (up to 3 feet) and wheels around your room looking for a place to hide before he sounds the alarm a second time. The snooze time can be set from 0-9 minutes, so if you set it at 0 he runs right away. Nothing like a little hide-and-seek to get you going in the morning.

Wheee!

In fact, White had merely purchased a Clocky Runaway Alarm Clock for his roommate to speed their departure for early practices.  We regret the error.

In Monday’s exclusive preview of our forthcoming Tim Tebow biography, it has come to our attention that our staff may have inadvertently but falsely inflated the hopes of many of our young readers.  Mr. Tebow, as of press time, is not in the habit of punching out loose teeth of wee Gator fans as they sleep and leaving money under their pillows, nor is he currently employed as a spy, astronaut, cowboy, railroad engineer, or dinosaur hunter (although the latter would be a stone awesome premise for a TV show).  We regret the error.

In Tuesday’s Curious Index, we reported that USC’s Rey Maualuga has perfected an on-field finishing move inspired by Mortal Kombat, wherein he is able to tear out an opposing player’s spinal column and fashion it into a fetching boa in one fluid motion.  Maualuga in fact intends to construct xylophones out of the bones he collects this season.  We regret the error.

Fight on.

Last week’s edition of the Ryan Perrilloux Memorial Crime Blotter reported that LSU’s entire defensive line had been spotted joyriding through the Spanish Lake Basin in a custom airboat outfitted with satellite radio, detachable sidecars, a full-size barbecue grill, and working gun turrets.  Boosters for the Tigers have since assured EDSBS that the turrets and weaponry aboard are purely decorative in nature.  We regret the error.

Elsewhere in our SEC Literary Roundup, we misidentified the title and contents of a forthcoming book by Georgia Bulldogs coach Mark Richt.  The book is a memoir entitled Dawg Eat Dawg World, not a guide to Dixieland sexual acrobatics called DoggyDog World, as previously reported.  We regret the error.

CLARIFICATION:  We have received a number of complaints regarding our Pac-10 rankings for the upcoming EDSBS-Golden Flake Fantasy College Football Draftacular Presented By YellaWood.  It seems that many readers failed to ascertain our sarcasm in referring to UCLA’s offensive line as “fortress-like” and are having trouble rearranging their draft boards at the last minute.  The following graphic of said fortress was unintentionally omitted from our printed draft guide.

We regret the error, and have shifted the draft date ahead one week to acommodate all necessary adjustments.  Thank you for your patronage, and enjoy your weekend.

It's a regional cover. Other teams featured are Ohio State, Missouri, Georgia and Florida.

USC is ranked 3rd by SI, behind Ohio State and Georgia.

In the magazine, Phil Taylor writes that other teams are lucky to only face the scariest defender in college football once.

Maualuga's teammates are in peril every day at practice, because Sting Rey, as he is sometimes called, doesn't always differentiate between friend and foe when he's administering pain.

Rey adds:

"I want to be the player the offense game-plans around, that the offense fears coming into the game."

With that... we invite you to watch the clip after the jump.

Defensive End

1st Team–Everson Griffen, USC; Greg Middleton, Indiana

Middleton was a 2007 HP All-American and should have another great year. Griffen is a physical phenom who is ready to explode on the college scene.

2nd Team–Greg Hardy, Ole Miss; George Selvie, USF

3rd Team–Nick Reed, Oregon; Ricky Sapp, Clemson

Defensive Tackle

1st Team–Gerald McCoy, Oklahoma; Ricky Jean-Francois, LSU

McCoy will key the interior of the Sooner defense, while Jean-Francois is a unique jumbo athlete who should finally put it all together on the field (just like he did in the BCS Title Game) for a whole season.

2nd Team–Fili Moala, USC; Geno Atkins, Georgia

3rd Team–Brian Price, UCLA; Marvin Austin, North Carolina

Outside Linebacker

1st Team–Brian Toal, Boston College; Marcus Freeman, Ohio State

Seems like Toal has been making tackles forever. Freeman is underrated playing in the shadow of Laurinaitis.

2nd Team–Brian Cushing, USC; Rico McCoy, Tennessee

3rd Team–Clinton Snyder, Stanford; Ryan Reynolds, Oklahoma

Middle Linebacker

1st Team–Brandon Spikes, Florida

Spikes did it all for the Gators last year, accumulating 131 tackles, including 14.5 for losses.

2nd Team–Rey Maualuga, USC

3rd Team–James Laurinaitis, Ohio State

Cornerback

1st Team–Walter Thurmond, Oregon; Vontae Davis, Illinois

Thurmond had 103 tackles, 8 TFL, 18 deflections and 5 interceptions. Vontae Davis is a future first-rounder who was a shut-down corner for the Illini.

2nd Team–Malcolm Jenkins, Ohio State; Victor Harris, Virginia Tech

3rd Team–Syd’Quan Thompson, Cal; Tony Carter, Florida State

Strong Safety

1st Team–Patrick Chung, Oregon

Chung had 117 tackles and 7.5 TFL last year.

2nd Team–Chad Jones, LSU

3rd Team–Kevin Ellison, USC

Free Safety

1st Team–Taylor Mays, USC

Mays is a physical freak who will probably be the first safety taken in the next draft.

2nd Team–William Moore, Missouri

3rd Team–Rashad Johnson, Alabama

Sorry, no punters or kickers or return guys on this team.

The Pac-10 Media poll goes as follows:

1. USC (38)
2. Arizona State
3. Oregon
4. California (1)
5. UCLA
6. Oregon State
7. Arizona
8. Washington
9. Stanford
10. Washington State

Follow the jump for Trojan DePo's predictions, including projected conference records.

Football

• Dennis Dodd wrapped up his series of position coach evaluations by naming Pete Carroll top head coach in the land. [CBS Sports]
• The Matt Barkley hype is up to another unprecedented level. USC's future quarterback is the first junior ever to be named high school athlete of the year -- out of all male sports. No pressure, kid! [LA Times]
• Thomas Williams inked his first NFL contract. [AP]
• Chilo Rachal signed as well. [RF365]
• Hey ladies! Taylor Mays is a football star, funny, and apparently single. Check out this interview. [Video on USCFootball.com]
• USC is an early 18 point favorite over Virginia. [Vegas Insider]

Hoops

• DeMar DeRozan is good to go. [LA Times]
• O.J. Mayo made the US Select team to prep for international competition. [AP]
• SI dubbed O.J. Mayo the #8 breakout freshman of 2007-08. [Sports Illustrated]
• Davon Jefferson says he has no regrets. [Riverside Press-Enterprise]

Elsewhere

• Another publication tried to re-rank the top school in all sports from last year. USC was seventh. [Sports Illustrated]
• A trio of Trojans made Sports Illustrated's gallery of best college photos from 2007-08: Desmond Reed, Vidal Hazelton, and Janessa Currier.

Red Porkins 2: I’m with you, Red Lisp 3

(The two dive and level out just below the surface of the object. It is glossy, covered with bags of silcone, shiny brass armor plating, stunning nude women covered by glass bubbles, and laser cannons.)

Red Lisp 3: Jezuth, look at that! It’s the size of a Pollack washerwoman’s behind, I tell you!

Red Porkins 2: Right with you…um…got a problem here.

Red Lisp 3: Eject!

Red Porkins 2: I can hold it…I’ve got Clausen…and recruits…

Red Lisp 3: Come to television! It’s eathy!

Red Porkins 2: No…I just need more….time.

Imperial Cannoneer Carroll: I’m so jacked to be shooting down this fighter.

[Fires Rey Maualuga from cannon.]

Red Lisp 3: What’s the thtate theal of Baltimore doing on my helmet?

Red Porkins 2: AAAAAAAAAGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

Cannoneer Carroll: WIN FOREVER!!!!!

Red Lisp 3: Aw, come on! You named him Porkinth! He didn’t thtand a chance to begin with!

(A floating, half-eaten chicken sandwich bounces off the cockpit of the X-wing into the cold void of space.)