Forty-eight hours after earning USC’s starting quarterback job, Aaron Corp insisted he was “still the same guy.” But his life might never be the same.

Corp said Thursday that he has received about 100 text messages offering congratulations, including one from his predecessor, Mark Sanchez, who’s about to be a first-round pick in the NFL draft. Corp (Orange Lutheran High) also knows that his new gig demands a new level of responsibility.

“The preparation you have to do as a starter is more intensive,” Corp said. “Last year, when I wasn’t, going into game week, I could maybe slack off and not watch as much game film because I knew I wasn’t going to play — whereas Mark would be in there all the time watching film. That’s the same way I’m going to have to be.”

Receiver Damian Williams has noticed a change in Corp since last season.

“I think he’s more serious now,” Williams said. “Not that he wasn’t before, but it’s a different focus when you know you’re not necessarily going to be that guy than when you come into it like, OK, shoot, I’ve got a chance to be that guy, to be the quarterback of the team, to be the general.”

Williams said Corp has become more vocal, making sure the team breaks the huddle with alacrity and that players pay attention even when they’re watching from the sideline.

Something else that was different about Thursday’s practice: Corp threw his first interception of the spring, in the 14th and final practice before Saturday’s Trojan Huddle at the Coliseum. Nose tackle Jurrell Casey victimized Corp by stepping into the path of a screen pass.

Corp plans to avoid a repeat during the spring game, saying his goal is to “show the coaches that they can trust me and that they made the right decision.”

Post from: USC