College football has been absent not yet four months and already in some parts of this great country wild-eyed savages are rioting the streets, hurling lemons and indecipherable epithets at any innocent bystander with enough gall to smile during such a dark and depraved period of the year. Thank the Lord, then, for spring football. A thick slab of fatty meat to satiate the bloodlust of us hopeless football junkies.
The Toreros' iteration of spring football began in early April and concluded with last Saturday's spring game. Of course, this year's spring ball was accompanied by an enhanced sense of focus and urgency. Last season the Toreros (4-7) had their worst record since the Clinton administration, a shocking and sudden valley following years of expected dominance.
This season, though, the program will have returning starters at many key positions, and spring ball served as their showcase, an emphatic proclamation to Torero Nation that a return to the top is imminent.
"Defensively I think we can dominate opponents," All-Conference cornerback Adi Adeyemi said, "And offensively, with the running backs we have, we can run the ball and set up the play action pass with Sam [Scudellari] throwing to Godfrey Smith, John McGough and Eric Fiege."
If nothing else, last season indicated the program's transition from the high-octane explosive passing attack led by Torero legends like Josh Johnson and John Matthews, to a smash mouth running attack led by a fast and vicious defense. The strength of the defense was evident in the spring game. Linebackers Hanner Hart and Loka Kanongataa each had two of the unit's seven sacks. Kanongataa in particular will be essential to Torero success. Last season the redshirt sophomore from Bellevue, Wash. consistently burst through the offensive line like a canon and caused more disruption than a fat guy at a crowded club, notching nine tackles for loss, two sacks, five quarterback hits and three pass breakups despite playing in only seven games.
Other returning standouts include defensive tackle Paul Tremblay, who will anchor the defense with quickness and athleticism in the trenches, and defensive end Mario Kurn, a blur in the pass rush who will stalk the nightmares of PFL quarterbacks like a deranged puma.
While the front seven features mostly familiar faces, the secondary appears in transition, a transition powerfully illuminated on Saturday. Four hours after the spring game, four-year-starter and three-time All-PFL cornerback, Gabe Derricks signed a free agent contract with the Atlanta Falcons, marking the third consecutive year a Torero football player has signed with an NFL team.
Derricks, however, has dutifully passed the torch of "best corner in the PFL" to Adeyemi. Two seasons ago, opponents kept the ball away from Derricks' side of the field and challenged the true freshman from Santa Monica. Adeyemi made them pay with five picks, two for touchdowns.
Last season, teams decided to keep the ball away from both of them. Adeyemi is a true lockdown corner, an overused term for an exceptionally rare resource. Only the most potent cocktail of courage and stupidity tempts a quarterback to throw the ball into his vicinity.
Cornerback Jamil Wade and safety Fred Obi seek to join Adeyemi in the starting defensive backfield. According to Adeyemi, Wade, who is entering his redshirt sophomore year, has looked very impressive in spring practice.
And Obi, for his part, has played with fire and hunger all month. He capped the spring with two first half interceptions on Saturday. The safety from Inglewood was a lumber-laying, ball-hawking beast during his true freshman year, earning the starting spot by the end of the season. Unfortunately, injuries forced Obi to sit out last season, using his redshirt year. The talented Obi has been further motivated this year by the accomplishments of his former teammate.
"With my comrade and brother Gabe Derricks' success and life changing dream coming true, I've realized just how possible making dreams a reality really is," he said. "I wish him the best and know he'll do great, and I'm hoping and working for the same in a few years, with any luck."
The most significant alteration to the defense was the promotion of defensive line coach Jon Sumrall to defensive coordinator, following the retirement of George Darlington. The switch has ignited the squad.
"We are more energetic and fired up from day to day," Adeyemi said, "Coach Sumrall really has a fire burning in his belly and he does a great job communicating that fire to us."
"Our coaches have our defense playing extremely hard, fast, smart, physical and with an intensity that is unparalleled," Obi said.
The sacks and interceptions that vindicated the defense on Saturday naturally induce questions regarding the Torero offense. The team loses three starters on the offensive line, but brings back starters at every skill position. Quarterback Sam Scudellari, who exhibited glimmers of brilliance last season before getting injured, brings leadership and athleticism to a deceptively veteran offense. Scudellari will have his three top receivers back in Smith, McGough and Fiege, as well as tight end Patrick Doyle. And though losing JT Rogan, USD's all-time leading rusher and unquestioned leader, will hurt both on the field and in the locker room, the void has opened opportunities for eager and talented Toreros.
Running backs Phil Morelli and Matt Jelmini, who were initially called into duty two years ago when Rogan injured his knee, have proven to be a sensational backfield combo. Morelli brings smooth acceleration and strong receiving skills, while Jelmini brings uncanny vision and the shiftiness of a cricket on Red Bull. Bruise and Cruise.
In addition to the aforementioned returning standouts, teammates have been impressed by running back Jon Harris, a transfer from Cal Berkeley; defensive back Joey York, a junior college transfer; and wide receiver and special teams mogul Joey Orfini, who is entering his redshirt junior year.
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