No. 3: LT Charles Brown

Vitals: 6-6, 295, junior, Diamond Ranch High (Chino Hills)

The skinny: Brown is penciled in as the starter at left tackle, replacing the departed Sam Baker – a multiyear starter and first-round pick in the 2008 NFL draft. Left tackle is the most important position on the offensive line in modern football, the player charged with protecting the blind side of right-handed quarterbacks and handling most opponents’ best pass rushers. If Brown fails to keep Mark Sanchez upright, the USC passing game won’t get off the ground — and Brown could lose his spot. But Pete Carroll isn’t thinking that way about Brown right now, even though the coach relishes competition at every position.

“Charles is really a gifted athlete,” Carroll said. “He’s got all of the tools that you want. … Charles, we think, is going to be a really good player. He’s got all of the athleticism that big-time tackles have: great flexibility, quickness, long arms, the whole body makeup.” The part in Brown’s bio that intrigues me most is that he started his USC career as a tight end. That leads me to believe he’ll have “good feet,” which is as important as any trait for a left tackle.

The offensive line is in flux for the 2008 Trojans. Returning starter Jeff Byers is set at one guard spot. Carroll loves the way Kristofer O’Dowd has stepped up at center. If Brown can fulfill the promise Carroll sees in him, the line could go from potential liability to major asset.

Coming up: Part 4.

See also: Part 1 (Mark Sanchez), Part 2 (Joe McKnight).

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