Expectations for the USC Trojans this season are all over the place. While it is Year 3 for Lincoln Riley, it is Year 1 in the Big Ten and the entire defensive staff is coaching together for the first time. Coach Riley and the rest of the team will say that the expectation is to compete for championships every year, which should be the expectation, but in reality, how good can this team really be?
For one player in particular, however, expectations are sky-high.
USC EDGE Coach Shaun Nua spoke about what the standard is for sophomore Braylan Shelby and it has to have fans extremely excited.
“Probably higher than anybody on the team…He knows it, we know it, and we have all the faith that we’re going to get it out of him.”
Expectations Are Sky High For USC Trojans EDGE Braylan Shelby
In a season that didn’t have many positives on the defensive side, Shelby flashed his potential as a true freshman. When he was put in the position to succeed (not covering running backs on wheel routes…) he demonstrated quickness and strength off the line of scrimmage. He finished last year with 18 tackles, 2 sacks, and 1 forced fumble.
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After adding nearly 30 pounds (you read that right) this offseason, he is poised to take his game to the next level.
With the tutelage of Coach Nua and Coach Henny, Shelby could see a massive jump in production, and clearly the staff sees this in his future. He will be competing with Anthony Lucas and Jamil Muhammad for reps, but we should expect to see a nice rotation between all three players.