Where the USC defense stands as spring practice winds down

LOS ANGELES — Last season was a disheartening one for the USC defense. A unit many expected to take the next step under then-defensive coordinator Todd Orlando instead regressed in confounding areas. Even the pass rush, expected to be the strength of the entire USC team, was confoundingly ineffective as the Trojans struggled with the basics of angles to the ball and tackling.

But with new head coach Lincoln Riley has come a fresh start for the unit. Orlando has been replaced by Alex Grinch, who has been tasked with returning the defense to some semblance of competence this season. Spring football was the first opportunity for Grinch and his assistants to install their system on the field at USC. Here’s a progress report ahead of Saturday’s spring game:Grinch: “We got a lot of it in and we take a lot pride in that. We’ve always taken the approach of putting really all of it in as fast as we possibly can, which gives you a chance to continue to rep it.

Edge rush coach Roy Manning: “In the beginning, you’re telling them, here’s the plan. You’re teaching them the defense, but they haven’t done it, they haven’t reaped any benefits from it on a day-to-day level. So now, 14 practices in, these guys got a better feel for it. They can see, ‘Oh, OK, this is what it’s supposed to feel like when we do X, Y and Z.’ So I think they are grasping it and embracing it more and more, so it’s a cool thing to see.

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