Williams, Ross Feel at Home

USC receiver Mike Williams and safety Mike Ross, both freshmen from Florida, are happy to be back in their home state for the Orange Bowl.

“It’s almost like a storybook,” Ross said Friday after the Trojans’ went through their first practice, a one-hour workout in shorts.

Ed Orgeron, USC’s defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator, is even more pleased. Williams’ emergence as one of the top receivers in the nation has opened the door for the Trojans in the Sunshine State.

“We’re getting more interest from kids down here,” said Orgeron, who coached at Miami from 1988 to ’92.

Ross envisions a day when the USC roster will be stocked with players from California and many others from Florida and Texas.

“As we continue to win and as we continue to get more Florida players on the team, it’s going to be a place everyone is going to want to play,” he said.

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USC Coach Pete Carroll said the short practice helped coaches smooth organizational kinks.

The Trojans, for example, are using a portion of a gym at Nova University as their locker room.

“Under the circumstances we did well,” Carroll said. “We succeeded in getting this one out of the way.”

The real work begins today, when the Trojans will be in full pads for a regular game-week workout.

“I’ll be able to gauge much more where we are after that,” Carroll said.

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The Trojans had dinner in South Beach and then were allowed to tour the area nightlife on their own.

Earlier in the day, local law enforcement officers briefed players about the Miami area.

“They were just letting us know about everything we need to stay away from,” cornerback Marcell Allmond said. “It’s good stuff to know and I think everyone was paying attention.”

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The Trojans are scheduled to take a chartered fishing trip after today’s morning practice.