‘I’ve seen him do some crazy stuff, bro.’ Anthony Lucas highlights new-look USC defense

Take one look at Anthony Lucas — or, rather, glance up at him as he towers over you — and it’s not difficult to connect the dots of how he ended up here, in the middle of a USC defense that was walked over like a doormat late last season.

Lincoln Riley didn’t mince words in the wake of that disappointing finish: His defense had to get bigger and stronger up front, adding depth wherever it could, and here, waiting in the transfer portal, was precisely the sort of hulking presence they were hoping to find, a 6-foot-6, 275-pound ball of raw athleticism and potential.

“Just not many body types like that walking around,” Riley said.

The massive former five-star has certainly made for a convenient signpost this spring for a defense in desperate need of change.

Since Lucas has arrived at USC, coaches and teammates say he’s made himself impossible to miss. Down to the shock of newly dyed blonde hair atop his head.

“I’ve seen him do some crazy stuff, bro,” linebacker Shane Lee said Thursday, with a laugh.

Others will finally get an extended glimpse Saturday, when USC unveils its revamped defense during the spring game. All eyes will be on a front seven that was last seen being run over for more than 10 yards per play in the Cotton Bowl.

If the buzz around Lucas this spring has been any indication, he could make quite the impression in his Coliseum debut. USC hasn’t been shy about testing the boundaries of his ability this spring, trying him all over the Trojans’ retooled front. He’s spent time at defensive tackle, defensive end and edge rusher, chasing the quarterback on one play, then flipping his hips to drop into coverage on the next. During a recent scrimmage, he recovered and returned a fumble for a touchdown.

After just a few weeks, coaches have already started comparing him to departing defensive lineman Tuli Tuipulotu, who led the nation in sacks last season. Albeit with some caveats.

“The great ones you just kind of feel a presence,” Riley said, “and Anthony — I’m not saying he’s Tuli. I’m not saying he’s a great player yet. But he’s certainly got the chance to be.”

That was the expectation when Lucas enrolled at Texas A&M a year ago, one of eight five-star prospects in the nation’s top recruiting class. But his single season in College Station ended after just six games. He was suspended in October following a locker room incident in the aftermath of the Aggies’ loss to South Carolina. He never returned to the team.

“The situation that went down over there, I didn’t feel like I fit in the culture over there … so I chose to remove myself from the situation,” Lucas said. “Why am I going to elongate a stay somewhere I’m obviously not wanted?”

USC offered a fresh start, with a defensive line coach who’d already earned his trust. Shaun Nua was at Michigan when he first met Lucas as a standout at Chaparral High in Scottsdale, Arizona. The two formed a close bond over a lengthy recruitment, a relationship that later paid off for USC.

That trust has been reciprocated this spring as Nua hasn’t hesitated to add new roles to his plate.

“That’s what we did with 49 last year,” Nua said, referring to Tuipulotu. “We want all of our great players to embrace and accept that role. You should see him everywhere up front.”

But like Tuipulotu before him, Lucas alone won’t fix all the issues facing USC’s defensive front. Its biggest problem last season wasn’t the talent at the top of the depth chart, but the steep dropoff in depth after its standouts like Tuipulotu.

Riley says he believes “that gap has closed” this spring.

“We have more competition, more depth, guys are really having to push, guys know the system better, we’ve got some good leaders on that side of the ball,” Riley said. “So certainly a long ways from where we were a year ago, there’s no question about that, but still a long ways to go.”

It’s hard to argue with his optimism at linebacker especially, where new additions, Mason Cobb and freshman Tackett Curtis, have made it feel like “a completely different room,” says inside linebacker coach Brian Odom.

Along USC’s defensive line, Lucas isn’t the only newcomer who’s made an early impact. Nua characterized versatile Purdue transfer Jack Sullivan as “a great addition”, capable of playing multiple positions, while Kyon Barrs, at 6-2, 290 pounds, has provided much needed size and experience on the interior.

Whether that’s enough to change USC’s fate up front remains to be seen. At least now, Nua says, they have the numbers to try.

“The one thing that was missing last year was just the numbers,” Nua said. “We were not deep in numbers at all. Talent-wise, that’s hard to tell. This group still has got to prove themselves.”