LOS ANGELES — Todd Orlando’s first season as USC’s defensive coordinator produced some promising returns.
The Trojans’ defensive coaching staff remains intact from 2020, but several key figures from the personnel side of things are gone. Star safety and Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year Talanoa Hufanga is preparing for the NFL Draft, as are first-team All-Pac-12 defensive lineman Marlon Tuipulotu and starting cornerback Olaijah Griffin.
But those losses were met with the addition of the Class of 2021’s No. 1 prospect, five-star defensive lineman Korey Foreman, along with several other blue-chip defensive prospects, such as four-star linebacker Raesjon Davis and four-star corner Ceyair Wright.
So it’s shaping up to be an interesting season for Orlando and his charges. The bones of a solid defense are in place. Standouts like linebacker Drake Jackson and Chris Steele, who were both All-Pac-12 selections in 2020, return as…
