Trojans plan to use freshman Foreman early in season
LOS ANGELES >> Few true freshmen are ready in Week 1 to play every snap of their first game in college. The key is to find a role in which they can get some early success before they are prepared for a larger role.
That’s the case even for the No. 1 recruit in the country. USC defensive end Korey Foreman is still learning as the Trojans approach their season opener against San Jose State next weekend. But the coaching staff does feel like Foreman will be ready to contribute in his own way.
“He’s still learning the defense on base downs, first and second down, but I know he can do one thing,” head coach Clay Helton said on Tuesday. “He can rush the passer on third down.”
This has been apparent throughout camp, when Foreman has broken through off the edge to harass quarterbacks regularly. Even when tied up in blocks, the true freshman from Corona Centennial High is savvy enough to get his arms up and block passes at the line of scrimmage.
That’s the easy part for Foreman, what comes naturally to him, though he continues to hone those skills with outside linebacker Drake Jackson and his defensive line mates. But there are still parts of the college game where Foreman is adjusting.
He’s embracing the demands of USC’s strength and conditioning program. He’s reduced his body fat from 13% to 10% since arriving on campus this summer. Foreman is currently listed at 10 pounds below his goal weight of 275, a target that’s been difficult to achieve out of the gate.
“My weight is like fluctuating, trying to see the best I can to just maintain. That means trying to eat more and just do the best I can to work on my cardio. Because 95% of the time, I’m out here working out everything I put into my body is going,” he said Wednesday with a little laugh.
But that hasn’t stopped Foreman from being effective in practices. Where he needs to improve before he’s ready for a larger role is in his knowledge of the playbook.
He feels like he’s improved in that area as camp has progressed. As he’s had more reps in practice, there’s less confusion about what is asked of him when a play call comes.
But there’s still more to learn, which is why he spends most of the time when he’s not on the field next to position coach Vic So’oto, going over the play calls and watching his position.
“Now that we’re done with camp and been able to use some of those plays, the majority of those plays throughout camp and see how they are, my assignments and everything else, it’s looking a lot better,” Foreman said. “I’m just trying to crisp it all down.”
It’s a common situation for other true freshmen on the roster. Linebacker Raesjon Davis is in a similar boat. But USC still wants to find ways to get these young players involved early in the season to prepare for longterm roles.
“They have to play. They’re going to play. What kind of role on defense? It depends,” defensive coordinator Todd Orlando said. “Most of the time what you end up seeing is when you get into Game 6 or 7 those guys, once they get a couple games under their belt, they really start to take off, so you have to play them early.”