Silas Redd

After joining the program in August after transferring from Penn State in the wake of the NCAA’s extensive sanctions, Redd had little trouble establishing himself as the Trojans’ top runner, finishing with a team-high 905 yards on the ground on a healthy 5.4 yards per carry. Although Redd entered spring practice as the clear favorite for the starting job, he sustained a torn meniscus in his left knee and is expected to be sidelined until fall practices, potentially giving an opening for sophomore Tre Madden or freshman Justin Davis to see more carries if Redd shows a lack of explosion coming from the injury. If fully healthy, Redd figures to see a big uptick in last season’s 167 carries, especially given the team’s lack of experience at quarterback and the departure of backfield mate Curtis McNeal (116 carries) to graduation. In addition, Redd should provide a decent check-down option for any of the young quarterbacks, as he averaged 12.5 yards per catch last season.