There was real concern that the USC Trojans‘ receiver room was going to endure a huge drop-off. There was a lack of experience in this room, and a lot of pressure was being placed on veterans Terrell Anderson and sophomore Tanook Hines. The irony is this receiver room has been fueled by the young guys. Seven weeks in, this position group looks even better than last season due to how good the freshmen have been.
Here are my midseason report card grades for the USC Trojans‘ receivers:
Kayden Dixon-Wyatt – A
Kayden Dixon-Wyatt has been right behind Mosley in production. With Mosley’s injury, he picked up the slack and became the Trojans #1 guy at receiver. Dixon-Wyatt leads the Trojans with 400 receiving yards in 7 games. He has met the expectations of the player he was projected to be, just earlier than expected. The Trojans will have another guy who will be drafted early at the receiver position in Dixon-Wyatt. Even with the return of Mosley, Dixon-Wyatt still found a way to find the end zone and make a big play for Jayden Maiava. At worst, he’s the second-best weapon for the Trojans, and that was a lot more than many expected for him this season.
Trent Mosley – A+
Trent Mosley started off as the biggest surprise on this team. In every game he has played for USC, he has looked like one of the best players on the field as a freshman. His stardom rose each week, and his name was etched in conversations about being one of the best players in college football prior to his injury. This past week, he returned from injury, and it was as if nothing happened. Mosley has scored a touchdown in every game he has played, and he has 3 100-yard receiving games out of his 4 games played. He is the Trojans’ driving force on offense and Jayden Maiava’s best weapon. His freshman season could not have gone any better.
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Zacharyus Williams – B+
Williams has a nice streak going as a playmaker for the Trojans. You can count on him to keep the chains moving. He is dominating on the medium routes, and he is showing elite receiver traits. So far through 7 games, Williams is 3rd in receiving yards on the team with 315, and he has 1 touchdown. He is the perfect complement to the 2 dominant freshmen receivers the Trojans have. Williams is the best example of how truly deep this receiving room is, even with all the injuries.
Tanook Hines – B
Tanook Hines is slowly getting back to the player he was to end the season last year. He is becoming a reliable target, and the trust between him and Maiava is on full display. Coming off a 4-catch, 83-yard receiving, and a touchdown stat line against Penn State, he is ready to be a key contributor. Jayden Maiava has a real target in Tanook Hines, and that will be crucial moving forward in a tough stretch of games.
Corey Simms – A-
Losing Corey Simms is a big loss. Simms was a player who consistently gave the Trojans big offensive plays. When Mosley went down, he immediately became that home run guy. Against Rutgers was his breakout game, as he had 4 catches for 72 yards. There is a lot to love with this sophomore. Jayden Maiava could just throw up the football to him, and he would make plays. Having him with the return of Mark Bowman and Mosley would have made the Trojans’ offense nearly unstoppable. Now USC will have to wait till next season to see Simms take that next step.
Tron Baker- B
Tron Baker is another guy to be excited about. The first few weeks, he was making plays. Jayden Maiava developed some early trust with Baker. Should any more injuries ensue in this room, Baker will be the first guy who gets more involved. He is a player that the Trojans will be looking at more next season. 111 yards receiving in his first 6 games is a nice start for Baker’s collegiate career.
Ethan Feaster – C+
As of late, Feaster has been getting more involved, but not by much. It is clear, though, that his talent would add more to the Trojans’ offense. He made some really nice plays against Washington. The star freshmen in the Trojans’ offense have separated themselves. When it is Feaster’s time to join them, it will be exciting. It just looks like this season is more of a developmental year for him.
Terrell Anderson – D
Terrell Anderson is out for the rest of the season, but prior to that, it was already a disappointing season for Anderson. Some of it isn’t on him; the coaching staff really did not find a way for him to fit into things. Other players rose above him. He started off the year missing time with injury. It is disappointing to see a player with his skill set was not able to be the next Ja’Kobi Lane in the Trojans offense. Hopefully he returns to USC for next season.
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This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Midseason report card for USC football receivers after seven games