Spring Practice Primer: Linebackers

Commentary from linebackers coach Joe Barry

Moving on: Luthur Brown, Nick Garratt

Fighting on: Will Andrew, Jordan Campbell, Ross Cumming, Chris Galippo, Shane Horton, Jarvis Jones, Devon Kennard, Michael Morgan, Marquis Simmons, Malcolm Smith, Simione Vehikite

Spring expectations for sophomore Devon Kennard...
"Devon specifically is an intriguing guy in that he was recruited here as a big-time defensive end. And he played very well early. When you put that San Jose State game on from last year, you see No. 42 playing a lot as a freshman. Then for whatever reason they were forced to move Devon to linebacker. And let me tell you, that's not an easy transition. For a kid that's been a defensive end his whole career, to move to linebacker, that'd be a challenge for a fifth-year senior, let alone a true freshman. And it's just a testament to what kind of kid he is, what kind of athlete he is, what kind of student of the game he is, because they moved him to 'sam' linebacker and he didn't miss a beat. I'm really looking forward to working with him. He's a great kid, very serious, very detailed and to play linebacker, you have to have those attributes. I've only been around him a month but I love him and I think he's going to have a heck of a future."

Spring expectations for the three most experienced linebackers (Chris Galippo, Malcolm Smith and Michael Morgan)...
"Last year was the first time in their USC careers that they got to start and play an extended period of time, and I thought they played OK. It was a learning and growing experience for them when the spotlight was on them. They weren't just the backups anymore. They were the guy. There's an adjustment with that, especially when you've been a backup behind great players, first-rounders. I think they all improved, from Game 1 to Game 13. We're all about improvement, even if it's 1 percent. They all improved as starters, and I expect all of them to continue to improve. For Michael and Malcolm, this is their last offseason, so I'm expecting big things from them, not only in terms of play-making, but leadership. For Chris also, he came in with big expectations and I'm not going to change that. I look forward to spending time with the guys."

Hopes for key backups during the spring...
"We're expecting big things out of Shane Horton. Here's a guy who was a career safety who got moved to linebacker, so he's still learning the position, learning how to play it and learning the nuances. He's a good athlete, he's smart, he's tough, so I think every day is a new learning experience for him at the linebacker position, so I'm excited to be around him more and more. We have some young guys like Marquis Simmons, who's a little bit of an unknown right now. He's a raw, unknown entity right now and we'll find out a lot about him this fall. We just moved Simi [Vehikite] from fullback to linebacker, and I was able to dig up some high school footage on him. Both Marquis and Simi are young guys who, after 15 days of spring ball, we'll know a lot more about them. And then guys like Ross Cumming and Will Andrew, two guys who are here every day working their butts off. They're unknown to me too, but that's the great thing about spring ball -- when the dust settles after 15 days, hopefully there's a ton of improvement and for me personally, I'll have a great feel for the core that I have."

Most excited about...
"We have OTAs in the NFL, but nothing where you can put pads on and hit people, so I'm looking forward to that here. The offseason is all about your approach, and our approach is that you're going to get better every single day. You have to approach every opportunity in the offseason as a chance to get better. You're either getting better or staying the same. That's what we're focusing on with our group -- let's not stay the same, let's not settle for status quo, let's get better."