The most pressing question hanging over UW’s depth chart this fall sits right in the backfield: is there a true starting-caliber running back in the room?
Jonah Coleman is in the NFL, Adam Mohammed is at Cal, and Jordan Washington is working back from a serious neck injury. That leaves sophomore Quaid Carr as the presumptive Week 1 starter.
Running backs coach Scottie Graham identified Carr out of Servite HS in Anaheim even though he came in with a middling recruiting rating and only lukewarm interest from top teams. Christian Caple recently dug into Carr and his belief that he can be a difference-maker, and while nobody can know for sure until the games begin, the reporting offers plenty of reason to feel better about where this room stands.
There’s also a little more juice coming to one of UW’s game-day rituals. The school announced that fans will now be brought into the “Say Who, Say What” chant the players use before they run onto the field. The whole thing comes with the usual tension of trying to manufacture a tradition, but the chant already has a fun feel to it, and opening it up to the crowd should only make it louder.
Another battle worth watching is at right guard, where Geirean Hatchett and Champ Taulealea are both pushing hard for the job. Hatchett brings the stronger resume of steady play, while Taulealea got early experience as a true freshman and made noise during spring practices while Hatchett was sidelined by injury. Both have handled the competition the right way, and each has said he’ll back his teammate if he wins the spot.
In Other News...
USCs Ticket Surprise Raises An Uncomfortable Question About Fan Interest
USCs season opener against San Jos State came with an unexpected side story before the first snap: resale tickets were sliding to around $9, a striking number for a program that usually treats home dates as a premium draw. The matchup itself offered one explanation, given the Spartans modest profile, but the soft market also pointed to bigger factors around the program, from scorching game-day temperatures to a growing sense of fan fatigue with what has unfolded under Lincoln Riley.
The Trojans have tried to make the Coliseum experience more appealing with several game-day upgrades, and the schedule still gives them chances to reset the mood. Multiple ranked opponents are coming to Los Angeles this season, which should tell a better story about where demand really stands. For now, though, the cheap opener is a reminder that interest can cool quickly when expectations and results stop matching the brand. [Read more 🡒]