Los Angeles was anything but gloomy around the USC football team on Tuesday morning. The Trojans were stretching to a country music playlist featuring The Zac Brown Band and Toby Keith, setting an upbeat tone for the day.
The players were visibly excited, sprinting to their positions after warmups, with a few even caught grooving to the tunes. “It’s been an awesome vibe moving forward.
I really love where this team is going right now,” said quarterback Jayden Maiava. “I don’t know who controls the aux, but sometimes, to be honest, I appreciate it.”
This infectious energy has been a hallmark of the entire spring camp. It’s a vibe that seems to be organically growing from the players themselves, much to the delight of the coaching staff.
The coaches are certainly doing their part, too. Special teams coordinator and linebackers coach Mike Ekeler is hands-on during drills, while defensive coordinator Gary Patterson is known for his enthusiastic communication. Their passion is clearly rubbing off on the team.
Offensive lineman Aaron Dunn highlighted the players’ motivation to improve daily. “The energy we bring out here is competitive, and everyone wants to get better,” Dunn said.
“The coaches push us, but it’s team-driven and team-led. When the team is doing it, that energy is contagious.
It’s been great this year.”
Starting spring football earlier this year has been a game-changer. Practices kicked off in early March and will wrap up in the first week of April, giving new recruits a chance to dive in early and allowing players recovering from offseason procedures more time to heal before summer camp.
“It’s changed a good bit,” Dunn noted about the schedule. “I kind of like how practices are bunched together. It’s more like four weeks instead of six weeks.”
With three practices left, the energy shows no signs of slowing down. Whether it’s country, hip-hop, or rock blasting through the speakers, the Trojans are keeping the vibe alive.