logo
USC football holds first practice of its 2025 preseason camp

USC football holds first practice of its 2025 preseason camp

USA Today3 days ago
USC football's 2025 preseason camp is officially underway! On Wednesday, the Trojans held their first official practice of the buildup to the coming season. This marks the start of a 4.5-week ramp-up period leading up to the season opener against Missouri State at the Coliseum exactly one month from Wednesday.
The practice marked the first of 26 camp sessions for USC. Some of those will be open to the media, while others will be closed. Head coach Lincoln Riley and defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn will both give interviews at least once per week, with other coaches and players potentially available to speak at various points throughout camp.
'Great first day,' Riley said following Wednesday's practice. 'Thought the staff, guys, really attacked it. Was really impressed with the conditioning level, discipline of the team coming out of the summer.
'Guys came in in shape, ready to go. We're pretty healthy right now.'
The Trojans are coming off a year in which they finished 7-6 with a Las Vegas Bowl victory over Texas A&M. Heading into year two in the Big Ten, USC will look to demonstrate a significant improvement on the field in 2025.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

ESPN includes Texas A&M among 32 teams that can make the 2025 College Football Playoff
ESPN includes Texas A&M among 32 teams that can make the 2025 College Football Playoff

USA Today

time6 hours ago

  • USA Today

ESPN includes Texas A&M among 32 teams that can make the 2025 College Football Playoff

Texas A&M has yet to reach the College Football Playoff since its inception, or, for that matter, made it to a conference championship game since the 1998 season. Yes, the drought is notable, but second-year head coach Mike Elko looks like the answer after six years under Jimbo Fisher, who only accomplished two nine-win campaigns in six seasons. While the Aggies failed to capitalize on what was a 7-1 start, ending the year 8-5 with consecutive losses to Texas and USC in the Las Vegas Bowl, however, this skid was primarily due to star running back Le'Veon Moss's season-ending injury, forcing then-freshman quarterback Marcel Reed to become a drop-back passer with little help from his wide receiver rotation, who failed to separate in coverage consistently. After returning 72% of the 2024 roster, head coach Mike Elko added 14 players from the transfer portal, including wide receivers KC Concepcion and Mario Craver, cornerback Julian Humphrey, and defensive lineman Tyler Odyedim, who are all in line to make a significant impact this season. Still, is the 2025 roster talented and deep enough to earn a bid to the 12-team College Football Playoff? Possibly, but that would mean at least nine or ten wins within a schedule that includes road games against Notre Dame, Arkansas, Missouri, LSU, and the Texas Longhorns to end the regular season. On Friday, ESPN writer and CFP expert Heather Dinich revealed that 32 teams, which is reportedly the most in the CFP era, have at least a 10% chance to make the field, including Texas A&M, who come in at No. 11 with a 34.3% chance to make the field, and a 2.3% chance to win the national title, according to ESPN analyitcs. So, does Dinich agree with ESPN's prediction? "Disagree. This is a lot of faith in a team that lost four of its final five games and needed a defensive overhaul. The Aggies can make the playoff as an at-large team, but having success against the nation's ninth-toughest schedule will require significant improvement. That can be measured early with a Sept. 13 win against Notre Dame, a team that beat the Aggies at home last season." Dinich makes a fair point, and it is valid to state that defeating Notre Dame, which was just a couple of plays from beating Ohio State in the 2024 National Title game, would likely result in a momentum shift and prove that the Aggies belong in the playoff picture. Dinich further states that Texas A&M's "toughest" test will come against the Longhorns in the Lone Star Showdown, but I'll disagree and say LSU in Baton Rouge, where the Aggies have not won since 1994, is the most challenging game on the schedule. It's pretty straightforward the rest of the way, as Dinich notes that the selection committee will be focused on road victories, while defeating Florida and South Carolina in Kyle Field is also critical. "Marquee road wins. The Aggies' best chances to impress the committee are trips to Notre Dame, LSU and Texas. Midseason trips to Arkansas and Missouri will also be difficult, and are part of a three-game road swing that will help define the Aggies' place in the committee's rankings. The committee would reward Texas A&M for a winning record in those five road games. That would mean Texas A&M beat at least one of the big three -- Notre Dame, LSU or Texas -- along with Arkansas and Missouri. The better they fare against those opponents, the more margin for error the committee might give them at home against Florida and South Carolina." What the Aggies need to avoid is falling off late, similar to last season. This would mean accomplishing their goals on the road, likely winning back-to-back games against Missouri and South Carolina, before taking on the Texas Longhorns. The path is there, and with Mike Elko taking over as the program's defensive playcaller, Marcel Reed improving from the pocket, and the running back room and veteran offensive line opening up holes in the run game, staying healthy should be enough to get the job done. Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Cameron on X: @CameronOhnysty.

Tobias Raymond is now a key cog — and de facto grillmaster — on uncertain USC offensive line
Tobias Raymond is now a key cog — and de facto grillmaster — on uncertain USC offensive line

Yahoo

time9 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Tobias Raymond is now a key cog — and de facto grillmaster — on uncertain USC offensive line

When he first offered to man the grill, Tobias Raymond had no intention of holding onto the role. He was not, by any stretch, a connoisseur of grilled meats. Nor was he experienced cooking over an open flame. Yet this was the offensive line's first summer barbecue, and somebody on USC's offensive line needed to step up. So Raymond, the Trojans' redshirt sophomore right tackle, volunteered. He didn't know what he was getting into at the time because what started as a gathering of linemen eventually, by its fourth iteration or so, had evolved into a full-blown team bonding event. That meant grilling up hundreds upon hundreds of hot dogs and hamburgers. And Raymond, by virtue of being the first to volunteer, had become the de facto grillmaster. It wasn't the sort of role Raymond might've willingly embraced three years earlier, when he first arrived at USC as raw talent at offensive tackle. Since then, Raymond has developed into one of the Trojans' most trusted linemen, a critical cog at an otherwise uncertain position for USC. As he stood behind the grill this summer, flipping burgers, his fellow linemen could see just how much had changed during that time. 'He held it down all summer,' center J'Onre Reed said. 'He's standing there with his shirt off, flexing like he's Captain America. He loves it, man.' It wasn't long ago that Raymond tried to actively avoid that sort of attention. Read more: USC trusts new strength coach Trumain Carroll to help Trojans open and finish strong 'He was the type of guy who would lead by example and be the hardest worker on the field, not necessarily speak up,' said Tim Garcia, Raymond's coach at Ventura High. But on the football field, he had a way of turning heads. He played with a mean streak that stood in total contrast to his chill demeanor off the field. At Ventura High, coaches marveled at his ability to finish blocks and his willingness to push through the whistle. In high school, Raymond could afford to get by with brute force. He was so athletic for his position that Garcia and his staff gave Raymond some run at tight end ahead of his senior year, just to see what he could do. That athleticism was enough to convince some college coaches right away of his future in football. But Raymond still had a lot to learn as an offensive tackle. His technique needed work. 'He was still very green, very raw as an offensive lineman,' Garcia said. Not everyone wanted to pour the time into developing Raymond that would be required. Even USC took until six months before signing day to offer. 'There were some coaches who came on board who were not interested in Tobias,' Garcia said. "Then others said, 'Well, this guy has it all. I can do this with him, that with him.'' Raymond wanted the whole recruiting process over as quickly as possible. He took one official visit to California the summer before his senior year and told Garcia right after that he wanted to commit. Just to get it over with. Three days later, USC offered. Raymond didn't want to go for the visit at first. He'd seen USC once before, on an unofficial visit. He figured that was enough. He didn't want to make a fuss. But Garcia convinced him to go through with it. Read more: Times of Troy: Seven things to look for at fall camp for USC football That Sunday, after the visit, Raymond called Garcia. 'And he says, 'Hey coach, would it be OK if I commit?'' It would be a while after that before Raymond finally made his mark at USC. He was slow to develop as a freshman and redshirted. In his second year, he was thrust into action in eight games, speeding up that process. Still, he tried to fly under the radar. 'I think that was one thing I really needed to work on, saying things when I thought it was the right time,' Raymond said. 'I was always really quiet as a freshman and sophomore, just getting into college and learning how it goes. But I feel like I'm in a spot where I can start being a more vocal person.' It was in the run-up to USC's bowl game last December that coaches could sense Raymond finally getting comfortable, on the field and off. His progress accelerated from there. When Zach Hanson took over coaching the offensive line, he kept challenging Raymond to tweak his technique. Every time, he says, Raymond had it corrected within a play or two. 'He's not afraid to try different things,' said Hanson, who's entering his first year as USC's offensive line coach. 'A lot of guys get hesitant to do that. But he's a pro at his craft.' He's still getting the hang of being a leader in the room. But what might've felt unnatural to him not that long ago, he says, is starting to feel like second nature. Thinking back on where he started, USC coach Lincoln Riley called Raymond's transformation 'radical in every way.' Now no one in the building bats an eye when Riley declares Raymond to be 'one of the best players on the team.' That's what Riley will need Raymond to be this season, if USC hopes to hold up along an otherwise thin offensive front. He's expected to play right tackle to start the season. But his teammates and USC's coaches have expressed confidence that Raymond could playany position on the line, if need be. That might have, at one point, seemed like a worrisome proposition. But Reed, the Trojans new center, saw all he needed to see this summer while watching Raymond preside over the most important job at the barbecue. 'It was hot, and he didn't have no problem sitting there sweating,' Reed said. 'He's got it, bro. He definitely did the thing.' Sign up for more USC news with Times of Troy. In your inbox every Monday morning. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store