Cassel Decides He’ll Move to Tight End

For the first time since he arrived at USC in the fall of 2000, Matt Cassel wore a white practice jersey instead of quarterback’s yellow on Tuesday.

Earlier in the day, Cassel ended a week of contemplation by telling offensive coordinator Norm Chow that he would move from quarterback to tight end as requested to help the fifth-ranked Trojans shore up a depth problem caused by the season-ending knee injury suffered by Dominique Byrd.

“Right now, this is the best thing for the team,” Cassel said. “It comes down to whether I wanted to play or not. And right now, this looks like the best opportunity for me to get on the field.”

Cassel started the season as the No. 2 quarterback behind Matt Leinart. He played most of the second quarter against Arizona State on Oct. 4 when Leinart was injured, but Brandon Hance was warming up to start the second half when Leinart returned. The next week, Coach Pete Carroll and Chow elevated freshman John David Booty to No. 2 on the depth chart.

When Byrd was injured against Stanford on Oct. 11, Chow approached Cassel about switching positions. Cassel, who turned down a similar request after the 2001 season, decided to make the move after he was told the Trojans might travel with only three quarterbacks.

“I think he realized he’s helping the football team,” Chow said.

Cassel, 6 feet 5 and 225 pounds, was outfitted Tuesday with bulkier shoulder pads and a new face mask. He began and ended practice performing blocking-technique drills.

“It was definitely a different kind of practice,” he said. “I’m used to standing on the sideline and taking a knee throughout 75% of it.

“It was fun to get in there and rile it up there a little bit with the big guys.”

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Defensive end Omar Nazel, wearing an elbow-high cast for a dislocated right thumb, did not practice but said he would play against Washington. Sophomore defensive tackle LaJuan Ramsey has been taking snaps at end as a precaution.... An MRI exam on offensive tackle Jacob Rogers’ right knee revealed no ligament damage other than a sprain. Rogers said he would play Saturday. If John Drake does not start in Rogers’ place, he will play right guard, Carroll said.... Linebacker Matt Grootegoed (ankle) did not practice, but Carroll said he would travel to Washington and could play.