USC football: Linebacker Anthony Sarao constructing a master plan

Anthony Sarao could not wait for the first day the USC football team practiced in shoulder pads.

The junior linebacker was eager for contact.

“I was anxious all day,” he said of the run-up to Wednesday’s workout. “So this was fun.”

Sarao appears on track to start alongside Hayes Pullard in the Trojans’ 3-4 defensive scheme.

Sarao, a New Jersey native, started the final seven games last season and finished with 44 tackles.

He said he is enjoying his role as a veteran, tutoring younger linebackers on the field and in position-group meetings.

Sarao is on track to graduate in December with a degree in policy, planning and development. He also will pursue a master’s degree in construction management.

“That’s the plan,” he said.