Football

USC football coaches will either sleep in the office or arrive early this morning to await the faxed arrival of signed letters of intent from recruits. But perhaps the most important member of the 2009 class is already on campus. So on Tuesday, after going through conditioning workouts on the field and in the weight room, quarterback Matt Barkley went to work on his cellphone, reaching out to players he met during a high school all-star game and campus visits.

Question: Which of these is not like the others? A) Olympics; B) NFL; C) U.S. Open; D) Notre Dame Answer: When NBC and Notre Dame renewed their contract to televise home football games in June, NBC's Dick Ebersol compared Fighting Irish football with A, B and C, claiming all of the above defined the network's sports. It's about branding, and America's college football brand is Notre Dame. That status entitles it to a presumably bailout-esque broadcast deal.

Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinart was among the hundreds of onlookers at USC's first spring workout Saturday. And he was probably the only one who could truly relate to the four quarterbacks vying to become the Trojans' starter. Leinart won a spring quarterback competition over three others in 2003, setting the stage for one of the most celebrated careers in college football history.

With nine starters returning on offense, the competition to become USC's starting quarterback probably won't be determined by who makes the most plays. It could come down to who makes the fewest mistakes. Sophomore Aaron Corp arguably took an early lead Tuesday by avoiding what befell junior Mitch Mustain and freshman Matt Barkley: interceptions. Meanwhile, Corp emerged unscathed in the turnover department as the Trojans completed the second of their 15 workouts.

The months went by fast for UCLA tailback Christian Ramirez after being ruled academically ineligible last July. Now his self-imposed mandate is simple. "I want to pick up where I left off," Ramirez said. A year ago, Ramirez left spring practice earmarked for playing time. His spot now is less certain, as he is a part of a herd of tailbacks trying to distinguish themselves.

USC's quarterback competition stalled Friday, though the players vying for the starting job were mostly blameless. There just wasn't much Aaron Corp, Mitch Mustain or Matt Barkley could do to push things forward. Not with defensive linemen constantly in their faces. "They just kind of wiped us out today," Corp said. Junior end Everson Griffen led the charge as the defense recorded sack after sack after sack during the full-team scrimmage portion of the workout.

Aaron Hester announced his presence with authority during UCLA passing drills, shouting, "I'm coming after you," at receiver Morrell Presley after an incomplete pass. Hester has the swagger to be cornerback. He ran step for step with Chris Forcier, who is billed as having 4.43 speed in the 40. Hester has the speed to be a cornerback. He cut across the middle, leaped, and picked off a pass. Hester has the ability to be a cornerback. Now comes the tricky part.

With the job legitimately open for the first time since 2003, this is the spring of the quarterback at USC. But it also is an extended audition for tailback Marc Tyler. "I'll walk by Coach [Pete] Carroll in the hallway and he'll say, 'This is your spring,' " Tyler said. With senior Stafon Johnson and junior C.J. Gable proven and juniors Allen Bradford and Joe McKnight sidelined or limited because of injuries, Tyler is getting perhaps the longest look of the spring.

USC's defense is in a transitional phase, the starting linebacker corps and several linemen from last season now preparing for the NFL draft. But after one-third of spring practice, it's clear the unit does not seem to have lost much, if any, speed. "The whole group can run and they're showing it," Coach Pete Carroll said after the defense mostly dominated during a 63-play scrimmage Sunday. Linebacker Malcolm Smith displayed his burst after scooping up a fumble.

The congestion in the UCLA backfield continues to have a bottleneck, with six tailbacks trying to force their way into the rotation. Johnathan Franklin has navigated his way into a spot where he may be a factor come the fall. A performance in this afternoon's scrimmage similar to one he put on in last Saturday's scrimmage can further his case. "My attitude has been to focus every day like it's a game," said Franklin, who was a redshirt as a freshman last fall.