Eight Trojans to watch in the fall practices

Thompkins preseason hype looks real in early returns

- RYAN KARTJE

EXTENDING Andy Stankiewicz was critical.

USC Athletics

So much can change in a few short weeks of fall camp. But here are eight players — four freshmen and four returning players — worth buying stock in, at the midway mark.

Devan Thompkins, defensive tackle. No sense in ignoring the hype any more. Everyone agrees that Thompkins is a foundational piece of the Trojans’ front now. He's locked in next to Keeshawn Silver up front, even with Jide Abasiri pushing for more time.

Kameryn Fountain, defensive end. If not for Eric Gentry, Fountain would be my favorite to lead the Trojans in sacks. He always had the ability, but his football IQ seems to have taken a major step forward.

Waymond Jordan, running back. Here's another player whose effusive praise is now impossible to ignore. No one seems to be entertaining the idea that Jordan and Eli Sanders could equally split carries. Pretty clear that Jordan is the guy.

Walker Lyons, tight end.

Lyons caught just six passes as a freshman, but intuition tells me he's bound for a much bigger role as a sophomore. Don't be surprised if he and Lake McRee are on more equal ground than you'd expect.

Floyd Boucard, defensive tackle. A few years ago, Boucard might have started on USC's defensive line as a freshman. Now USC is deep enough to not have to worry about that. However, Boucard and his natural passrush instincts may be too impressive to ignore.