No. 4 USC Trojans

Editor’s Note: Beginning every May 1, Athlon Sports counts toward the release of its College Football Annuals by releasing one spot in its Top 25 every weekday for five weeks. The No. 1 team will be revealed June 4. Check AthlonSports.com every day to see who’s next in the countdown. The 2008 College Football Annuals hit newsstands June 3rd.

For all of the overabundance of high school phenoms flocking to USC during the Pete Carroll era, the most important player on the 2008 roster might be a transfer from Arkansas. Damian Williams, a five-game starter for the Razorbacks as a true freshman in ’06, could stir up a wide receiver corps that underperformed spectacularly last fall. Patrick Turner, Vidal Hazelton, David Ausberry and Ronald Johnson need to turn their vast potential into production now that All-America tight end Fred Davis isn’t around for Trojan QBs to lean on anymore, and Williams could be the catalyst.

Veteran quarterback Mark Sanchez, who started three games last season filling in for the injured John David Booty, beat out Mitch Mustain (another Arkansas transfer) for the top job. Sanchez and Mustain are two of the most highly rated pro-style quarterback prospects to emerge from the high school ranks over the last four years.

Only one full-time starter — guard Jeff Byers — returns in the offensive line, but there is an abundance of candidates with game experience, including three who started eight games among them as freshmen last year. Leading rusher Chauncey Washington has moved on, and yet the tailback picture is almost too crowded. Stafon Johnson averaged nearly seven yards on 98 carries with five touchdown jaunts last season, and he will be sharing the load in 2008 with exciting sophomore Joe McKnight and probably one or two others. The ball-carriers will follow Stanley Havili, one of the nation’s best fullbacks, into the line.

On defense, the front four could feel the absence of end Lawrence Jackson and tackle Sedrick Ellis, but the back seven is arguably the nation’s most formidable. The last two Rose Bowl Defensive MVPs — Brian Cushing and two-time first-team All-Pac-10 performer Rey Maualuga — enter their senior year at linebacker as Butkus Award candidates. Kevin Ellison and Taylor Mays, both entering their third year as starters, comprise America’s top safety tandem.

This is the year Ohio State has been targeting for a national title, and the Trojans will host the Buckeyes in Game 2. In the even-year rotation, USC will host Notre Dame and travel across town to UCLA in the final two games.

The new standard USC is riding a six-year streak of 11-win seasons and has played in six consecutive BCS bowls — both NCAA records.

The Man Carroll is the nation’s winningest active coach at 84.4 percent (76–14).

Squeakers The few Trojan losses under Carroll have been by an average of 4.2 points, with only one by more than a touchdown.

USC superlatives:

LB Rey Maualuga and S Taylor Mays are named First-Team All-America and First-Team All-Pac-10.

OL Jeff Byers is named Second-Team All-America and First-Team All-Pac-10.

LB Brian Cushing is named Third-Team All-America and First-Team All-Pac-10.

RB Stafon Johnson and DL Fili Moala are named First-Team All-Pac 10.

RB Joe McKnight, DL Everson Griffen, S Kevin Ellison and K David Buehler are named Second-Team All-Pac-10.

WR Patrick Turner and KR Ronald Johnson join the All-Pac-10 Third Team.

New: Tell us what you think! Rank your Top 25.

You can read the entire USC preview in the 2008 Athlon Sports College Football magazine, available for purchase now at the Athlon Sports store.

Also coming to AthlonSports.com this summer:
— Top 25 Heisman Hopefuls
— Live chats with Athlon editors
— Conference-preview videocasts
— Launch of the 2009 Athlon Consensus 100
— Athlon's college fantasy football draft kit

Other in-season offerings:
— Previews for every college football game
— Fantasy games
— Sideline Spirit voting
— Scenes From Saturday
— Updated Athlon 119
— Much more

Be sure to return to AthlonSports.com after June 15 when complete team previews for all 119 teams will be available.

You can also get mobile text alerts on the Athlon Sports Preseason Top 25 by texting “Top25“ to “4INFO“.