The Heisman campaign is officially underway for USC wide receiver Marqise Lee. So, too, is Lee’s apparent campaign to play on both sides of the ball, however partially deflated it may be.
Looks like Lee will have a chance to become an impact player on both sides of the ball, after all. Lane Kiffin said on Thursday that Lee could see playing time on defense as early as this Saturday against Arizona State.
“We’ve looked at some different situations of putting him over there to help us out,” Kiffin said. What kind of “situations”? TBD, but Lee was a highly-touted safety coming out of high school. If nothing else, the Trojans defense could use a spark after giving up over 1,300 yards and 101 points over the past two weeks.
Not to mention Lee as a two-way player could help his Heisman chances. Lee has 877 all-purpose yards over the last two weeks and just over 2,000 all-purpose yards for the season. His 1,286 reception yards are second-best in the country. While Kiffin has been hesitant before to put more stress on arguably his best playmaker, the combination of need and Lee’s ability has altered Kiffin’s thinking.
Depending on how the move goes, it could alter the Heisman race as well.
(Hat tip: FOX Sports)