LOS ANGELES — Defensive coordinator Gary Patterson was originally denied when he asked USC’s equipment manager to place a white vertical stripe down the helmets of all defensive players.
“When I initially went to the equipment guy, he goes, ‘We don’t put those things on those helmets.’ And I was OK with it if we didn’t, but all of a sudden we came out and they were on the helmets,” Patterson said on the USC-run “Trojans Live” interview show.
Now that Patterson has his way, the lines intersect with the horizontal last name that’s pasted on the front of the helmet and are one example of a practical change Patterson has made to improve fundamental technique and communication on the defense.
When coaches review film from practice, they can tell where the player is looking and who they might be communicating with when a play is called based on the angle of the white tape.
“When you match up routes and do things, then you have to talk to each other,” Patterson said. “And what they find out is that when everybody is on the same page and everybody’s communicating, less people make mistakes.”
Patterson is also requiring his players to point in the direction of the teammate they’re communicating with, which holds players even more accountable during film review.
“The eye in the sky don’t lie,” said linebacker Desman Stephens II, who, along with cornerback Marcellus Williams, told reporters he had never used a white line or the pointing technique before.
“Every rep, everything that you do is going to be watched by people on the field, and then later in the day in the film room and stuff. We all just try to get better every day and just show our best reps, give 110%.”
Patterson is constantly moving from position group to position group during the spring practices, coaching on a one-on-one and group level. The whole practice facility heard his voice, too, when a song he wrote and recorded was blasted through the speakers.
“A lot of coaches want us to just work on overcommunication so that when we’re in a game situation, we don’t have to worry about those problems,” Williams said. “Everybody on the defense has to be on the same page. One person makes a call, everybody relays the call, and that’s gonna get us through the down, when we can make a play like that.”
RETURN MEN
Four players were seen fielding punts during Wednesday’s practice: cornerback Elbert “Rock” Hill, receiver Trent Mosley, receiver Terrell Anderson and safety Kendarius Reddick.
Zacharyus Williams, who was spotted fielding punts in previous spring practices, was not with the group Wednesday morning. It’s expected that players will rotate as the coaching staff sifts through all the new and returning talent that could play on special teams this fall.
“We’re going to train a handful of guys,” head coach Lincoln Riley said. “Get an idea of, number one, the person that we trust the most and then, number two, the person that can get out there and make some explosive plays. The talent’s here on this roster, but that’ll be one of the biggest areas that we’ve got to really kind of narrow down who exactly it’s going to be.”
USC will have to choose a return man to replace Makai Lemon, who excelled on special teams nearly as much as he did as much as a slot receiver. He averaged 18 yards per kick return in 2025 and 11.8 yards per punt return.
He posted even higher numbers in 2024, averaging 27.1 yards per kick return with a season-long return of 80 yards.
