Trojans and Bruins Watching Their Backs

Reggie Bush’s departure was almost a foregone conclusion.

LenDale White’s also was no surprise.

So, long before USC’s electrifying football backfield bolted for the NFL, Trojans coaches pitched a chance for immediate playing time to high school recruits in the class of 2006.

C.J. Gable, Emmanuel Moody and Stafon Johnson recognized opportunity. Allen Bradford did too, though tackling running backs initially appealed more to him than being one.

All four signed national letters of intent with the Trojans in February, less than a month after Bush and White announced they would forgo their final seasons of eligibility and make themselves eligible for the draft.

On Saturday, one of the freshman foursome might start, and all could play, when the sixth-ranked Trojans open their season at Arkansas.

“We lucked out,” said Lane Kiffin, USC’s offensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator. “To have four guys really bring something.... I can’t imagine it working out better.”

Make no mistake: USC’s coaching staff would have loved to send Bush, the Heisman Trophy winner, and White onto the field again this season.

But had they returned ...

“These guys all wouldn’t have been here, I know that,” Coach Pete Carroll said, chuckling. “We would have been playing against them.”

Carroll had hoped to ease the freshmen into the tailback rotation the way the Trojans did in 2003 when newcomers Bush, White and Chauncey Washington played behind sophomore Hershel Dennis.

But Dennis, now a fifth-year senior, injured a knee for the second time last spring and is out for the season. Washington, a junior who is eligible for the first time since 2003, is struggling to overcome a hamstring injury. Junior Desmond Reed, coming off knee surgery, is regarded for now as a situational back and sophomore Michael Coleman has struggled to come back from hip surgery.

Enter the freshmen.

Gable, 6 feet 1, 190 pounds, played running back and safety at Sylmar High and rushed for nearly 2,300 yards and 34 touchdowns as a senior.

“They told me I was coming as an athlete,” Gable said. “I like defense too, so it wouldn’t have mattered what side I played on.”

Gable has been the most consistent tailback since the start of training camp. His slashing running style, sure hands and aggressive blocking put him on track to possibly start the opener.

“I’m just trying to get everything set so I won’t have any mess-ups, so they can know they can count on me,” he said.

Like Gable, Bradford was a two-way star in high school, averaging 13 yards a carry and dominating as a linebacker for Colton High. Carroll recruited the 6-foot, 235-pound Bradford as a safety, a move that some recruiting experts saw as a strategy to not scare off other running backs.

Bradford spent the first 10 days of training camp at safety before Carroll asked him to switch to offense because of Washington’s slow recovery. On his first carry during team drills, Bradford ran off left tackle and cut to the sideline on his way to a 40-yard gain.

Bradford describes his running style as a combination of power and finesse -- “I try to bring attitude to the table. I play offense like I play defense, real aggressive,” he said -- and he is stunned that he could be the first tailback to carry the ball against Arkansas.

“I would never imagine it in a million years, but I guess the possibility is looking good,” he said.

The 6-1, 195-pound Moody is perhaps the flashiest freshman, a style that initially set him back because he left the ball exposed and fumbled.

“I’m a guy that likes to shake and bake out there so it takes some discipline to keep it high and tight,” he said. “It’s coming together now.”

Moody rushed for nearly 1,200 yards and 14 touchdowns last season at Coppell High in Texas. The son of an African American father and Korean mother, Moody said one of the reasons he chose USC was the opportunity to play before a large Korean fan base in Southern California.

“The education, the fan base and definitely the offense,” he said.

Johnson, 6-1, 210 pounds, combined shiftiness and power to rush for nearly 2,200 yards and 22 touchdowns last season at Dorsey High. He impressed during training camp scrimmages but has been working with the scout team to prepare the defense for Arkansas.

“You just have to work hard and press on,” he said.

Todd McNair, USC’s running backs coach, nurtured Bush and White through their sophomore and junior seasons. The former NFL player has seen flashes of the duo in the four freshmen.

“They’re working hard and learning,” McNair said. “Obviously, Saturday night is going to be a different thing. It ain’t the practice field. We’ll see what happens and what goes down.”

Carroll would not predict which freshmen would emerge in the opener.

“We need them all,” he said. “We need every one of them.”

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Pac-10 leaders

USC needs to find replacements for Reggie Bush and LenDale White -- two of the top five leading rushers in the conference last season. UCLA’s Maurice Drew was eighth in the conference in yards a game and Chris Markey, who is vying for the Bruins’ No. 1 tailback spot this year, averaged 5.1 yards a carry. The 2005 leaders:

*--* RK PLAYER, SCHOOL CAR YDS AVG YDS 1-Jerome Harrison, Washington State 308 1,900 6.2 172.7 2-Reggie Bush, USC 200 1,740 8.7 133.8 3-Marshawn Lynch, California 196 1,246 6.4 124.6 4-Yvenson Bernard, Oregon State 299 1,321 4.4 120.1 5-LenDale White, USC 197 1,302 6.6 100.2 6-Mike Bell, Arizona 200 952 4.8 86.5 7-Justin Forsett, California 132 999 7.6 83.3 8-Maurice Drew, UCLA 186 914 4.9 76.2 9-Keegan Herring, Arizona State 158 870 5.5 72.5 10-Terrence Whitehead, Oregon 156 679 4.4 61.7 11-Rudy Burgess, Arizona State 145 644 4.4 53.7 12-Chris Markey, UCLA 110 561 5.1 46.8

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Source: Associated Press

USC OPENER

Saturday at Arkansas

5:45 p.m. PDT

ESPN