USC linebacker Brian Cushing shifts to the middle
USC FOOTBALL
The Trojan will be moved from the outside to the middle for Saturday's game against Oregon, replacing Rey Maualuga.
USC linebacker Brian Cushing spent three seasons on the outside looking in.
Now, he looks like he will be the man in the middle.
Cushing is on track to start in place of injured senior Rey Maualuga at middle linebacker on Saturday against No. 23 Oregon.
Moving from his strong-side spot to the middle should be no problem for Cushing, the Trojans' second-leading tackler.
"He likes the feel of the game from the middle out, from working over the football," Coach Pete Carroll said. "Sometimes on the edge you don't get as many opportunities, so he has a chance to be very active in this game."
Cushing, 6 feet, 3 inches and 255 pounds, was at his best this season against Ohio State. Though Maualuga stole the spotlight by returning an interception for a touchdown, Cushing played a more productive and -- in Ohio State's case, disruptive -- role with 10 tackles.
Cushing began his career on the strong-side backing up Dallas Sartz, played the "elephant" position along the line of scrimmage as a sophomore and now gets a turn in the middle. The versatility could help the prospects of a player already regarded as a first- or second-round NFL draft pick.
"Hopefully, they can see I'm not just an outside guy," Cushing said of NFL scouts. "I can play inside too, and there's more game film for the guys to look at."
gary.klein@latimes.com
