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The college football offseason is in full swing for all the teams which are not playing in the College Football Playoff semifinals. That’s the new reality for this sport. It used to be — 40 years ago — that if a team was playing in a prestigious bowl game, even one which didn’t have national championship implications, that game took on a lot of importance for the school and its players.
Now? Players want to prepare for the NFL draft or — if they’re coming back for another season of college football — transfer to places where they feel they can get more reps and make more of an impact.
At USC, the focus is not on the Holiday Bowl against Louisville, except for quarterbacks Miller Moss and Malachi Nelson. The only truly big storyline for USC at the Holiday Bowl is how Caleb Williams’ backups perform heading into 2024. Otherwise, the roster’s transition into next year is now the main point of focus for the program. Accordingly, you will see a lot of players enter the portal.
De’Jon Benton is one of the first defensive linemen to leave.
There are echoes of 2021 in this portal stampede. You can bet that Lincoln Riley and new defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn are having conversations with players about their intentions in the portal and about likely playing time in 2024. Players who are unlikely to be starters for next season can — and should — seek an opportunity elsewhere. Benton clearly did the math for himself.
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Story originally appeared on Trojans Wire
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/usc-defensive-lineman-jon-benton-160518178.html
Author : Trojans Wire
Publish date : 2023-12-05 16:05:18
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