Johnson Reviews His Performance

Seeing is believing.

That’s what freshman tailback Stafon Johnson found out early last month in USC’s film room when he dissected his daily performance.

Since that lengthy session, Johnson has slowly progressed from the bottom of the depth chart. On Wednesday, with C.J. Gable out again because of a groin strain and Allen Bradford working with the scout team, Johnson returned kickoffs and took numerous repetitions with the first- and second-unit offenses.

“You’ve just got to be patient and let things come to you,” Johnson said.

Like most freshmen, Johnson was in a hurry to play when he arrived from Dorsey High as one of the Trojans’ most prized recruits.

While fellow freshmen Gable, Bradford and Emmanuel Moody worked with the regulars and scored touchdowns in the Trojans’ season-opening victory over Arkansas, Johnson donned a black shirt for the scout team.

“I was like, ‘What is going on? What did I do? Am I good enough?’ All those thoughts go through your head,” Johnson said.

USC coaches told him he was plenty good enough.

“They just wanted 110% every play,” he said. “No laying back, practicing like you play the game.”

Johnson thought he was delivering until one of his high school coaches advised him to get into the film room and review every one of his plays from the first day of practice.

“I went in there and looked at the film and started kind of seeing, ‘Well, I could have finished right here. I could have done this right here, done that right there,’ ” Johnson said. “There wasn’t room for excuses anymore.”

After four games, Moody and junior Chauncey Washington are regarded as the Trojans’ top tailbacks. But Gable’s groin problem and Bradford’s multiple switches from defense to offense could put Johnson on track to carry the ball or catch passes for the first time Saturday against Washington.

“As long as you do the things that you’re supposed to do, you should have no problem,” he said. “Everything else will fall into place.”

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Steve Smith sported a large purple bruise over his right eye immediately after the Trojans’ victory over Washington State last week. The senior flanker thought of it as a badge of honor, a reminder that he caught a career-best 11 passes despite multiple body blows.

“I felt surprisingly good the day after. It wasn’t till Monday that I started feeling it,” Smith said Wednesday.

All-American split end Dwayne Jarrett, who didn’t play against Washington State because of a shoulder sprain, participated again in a few drills and was fitted with special pads. Jarrett’s status for Saturday could be a game-time decision.

“I don’t know if he’s going to be back this week, but he’s looking good catching the ball,” Smith said. “That shoulder stuff is tough. You don’t want to come back too soon and aggravate that injury.”

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Kicker Troy Van Blarcom was limited for much of practice and said he might have suffered a strain.... Nose tackle Sedrick Ellis said he would play against Washington. “At this point, it’s just mentally getting over the fact that I was hurt,” Ellis said. “The knee is physically fine.”

gary.klein@latimes.com