LOS ANGELES — During training camp, Coach Pete Carroll called USC’s secondary “the best group we’ve had.”

That group will be without one of its key members for the 2009 season.
Redshirt junior cornerback Shareece Wright was declared academically ineligible Monday after failing to raise his grade-point average to the required level. Wright, who also has been battling a sore knee, will be able to practice with the team and regain his eligibility for 2010. However, he will have missed most of two seasons by then after sitting for 11 games in 2008 because of a neck injury.
Carroll had his contingency plan in place during Saturday’s scrimmage, when he shifted senior Josh
Pinkard from safety to cornerback and inserted senior Will Harris in Pinkard’s spot.
Pinkard, who filled in for Wright last season, returned to USC for a sixth year in part to showcase his safety skills to the NFL. Now he’s back at corner barring other injuries.
“I think if he had his way, he would like to play all the time at safety,” Carroll said of Pinkard.
“But more important, he wants to play all the time.”
The four starters in USC’s defensive backfield — Pinkard, Harris, safety Taylor Mays and cornerback
Kevin Thomas — rank among the nation’s best, but the loss of Wright will test the Trojans’ depth.
Second-year players T.J. Bryant and Brian Baucham are the leading candidates to play cornerback in the nickel defense. Freshman safety T.J. McDonald, who returned Monday from an ankle injury that had kept him out for most of fall camp, is “going to be in the mix of things for us,” Carroll said.
O’DOWD OUT
Junior center Kristofer O’Dowd, on the mend from a dislocated right kneecap, all but declared himself out for Saturday’s opener.
“I’ll just be there in case something happens,” O’Dowd said. “It still needs a little bit more time.”
O’Dowd suffered the injury Aug. 17. He worked on the side during Monday’s practice and said he hopes the extra rehab will enable him “to be the best I can be for Ohio State” on Sept. 12.
Senior guard Jeff Byers continued to start at center, with Alex Parsons and Butch Lewis at the guard spots. Pre-camp starter Nick Howell returned from an ankle injury and is also in the mix at guard.
NOTES
Although his leg isn’t as strong, junior Billy O’Malley beat out JC transfer Jacob Harfman for the punting job. Carroll said O’Malley’s quicker release was among the factors. “I’d rather be efficient than try to go for the home run here,” Carroll said. ... Redshirt freshman Curtis McNeal will fill in for injured Ronald Johnson on kickoff returns alongside C.J. Gable. ... Junior receiver Damian Williams will be the No. 1 punt returner, with Joe McKnight backing him up.