Moreno Is the New Man in the Middle

Chris Claiborne has taken his Butkus Award to the NFL, leaving USC with a hole to fill at middle linebacker, and Zeke Moreno, after a season as starter on the outside, will step in.

“When you play in the middle, you get to make plays and you get a lot more freedom,” said Moreno, who was USC’s fourth-leading tackler last season as a sophomore. “I’m very happy. It was a good thing when Chris left--not just for me, but for him.”

Claiborne is wealthy, but USC is starting over with three linebackers who are all new at their positions.

“Yes, we’re going to miss Chris Claiborne,” Coach Paul Hackett said. “But I think Zeke Moreno [has] gotten himself in great shape and is ready to roll.

“There are a lot of questions in the back seven defensively, we know that.”

Sultan Abdul-Malik, USC’s sack leader as a defensive end last season, is replacing Moreno at strongside linebacker. He switched back to his high school position in the spring, and has made progress.

“He’s . . . more in the flow and recognizing things,” Hackett said.

The incumbent at weakside, David Gibson, has moved back to his natural position at strong safety. Darryl Knight is penciled in as the weakside starter, with junior college transfer Markus Steele expected to challenge him.

But Knight is suspended from USC’s opener Sept. 4 against Hawaii, along with defensive end Shamsud-Din Abdul-Shaheed, because of academic shortcomings in the spring, and USC is still awaiting the paperwork confirming Steele’s eligibility. In the interim, Henry Wallace has been the weakside linebacker.

Hackett’s goal is for Steele and receiver Craig Mitchell, the other transfer who has been delayed, to join the team shortly and be in pads by Saturday.

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Receiver R. Jay Soward’s speed and spirit seem the same as ever, even though he didn’t attend voluntary workouts this summer.

He also has been dropping passes, an old problem.

“Inconsistent. Drops are a concern,” Hackett said. “But it’s not a surprise. [Quarterback Carson Palmer’s] ball is a very, very hard ball and comes at you fast. He just has to get used to Carson again.”

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Wind sprints have been conspicuous by their absence for the Trojans.

“We’ve decided we’re not going to run during two-a-days,” Hackett said, saying the team is well conditioned because of voluntary summer drills and adding that players also are working out in the UC Irvine pool.

“When we get back to one-a-days, we’ll run,” he said.

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Tempers often flare among players, but Monday it was offensive line coach Steve Greatwood and defensive line coach Ed Orgeron who got into a brief but heated verbal confrontation during a drill.

It looked for a moment as if things might turn physical, but instead the players took up their coaches’ sides in one of their most intense drills of the day.