LOS ANGELES — Last season was a disheartening one for the USC defense. A unit many expected to take the next step under then-defensive coordinator Todd Orlando instead regressed in confounding areas. Even the pass rush, expected to be the strength of the entire USC team, was confoundingly ineffective as the Trojans struggled with the basics of angles to the ball and tackling.

But with new head coach Lincoln Riley has come a fresh start for the unit. Orlando has been replaced by Alex Grinch, who has been tasked with returning the defense to some semblance of competence this season.

Spring football was the first opportunity for Grinch and his assistants to install their system on the field at USC. Here’s a progress report ahead of Saturday’s spring game:

Where the defense is now:

Grinch: “We got a lot of it in and we take a lot pride in that. We’ve always taken the approach of putting really all of it in as fast as we possibly can, which gives you a chance to continue to rep it. We really try to stress these guys mentally before we get to the grass and then when spring ball comes around, now all of a sudden you have the added element of both the mental and the physical and try to stress them again that way. We don’t ever hit the pause button or ever slow down.”

Edge rush coach Roy Manning: “In the beginning, you’re telling them, here’s the plan. You’re teaching them the defense, but they haven’t done it, they haven’t reaped any benefits from it on a day-to-day level. So now, 14 practices in, these guys got a better feel for it. They can see, ‘Oh, OK, this is what it’s supposed to feel like when we do X, Y and Z.’ So I think they are grasping it and embracing it more and more, so it’s a cool thing to see.”

What the players think:

Defensive back Prophet Brown: “It’s been fun, challenging with the new staff of course. They work at a high level and everything is very up-paced. I’ve been liking it so far.”

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Defensive back Lattrell McCutchin: “I think from an effort standpoint, they’re pretty good as a team. I feel like all the other stuff will come together once we get there from an effort standpoint, get everybody on board.”

What still needs to be installed for the fall:

Grinch: “From an install standpoint, they’re very comfortable with what we’ve gotten in. Now, an ability to execute it, it’s hard to find two plays in a row of 11 guys doing the right thing. So that’s the reality of it but we’re also a little bit accepting of it. We’ve got a lot of time to correct that piece of it. Guys are running around playing hard.”

Areas of need:

USC has already made some additions at linebacker in the form of Alabama transfer Shane Lee. But the Trojans could stand to add more bodies to the position to compete. Honestly, the same could be said for just about every position on the defense except for safety. This is especially true for cornerback, which currently has four healthy scholarship players for Saturday’s spring game.