It’s not often high school seniors who are league rivals face each other the following season as starters at two critical positions.

But when USC plays Washington on Thursday night, true freshman middle linebacker Cameron Smith is expected to start for the Trojans against the Huskies’ true freshman quarterback, Jake Browning.

Not that the pair need an introduction. Smith, who played at Granite Bay High School, faced Browning’s Folsom team the past two seasons in Sierra Foothill League games, outside Sacramento.

“Jake Browning is awesome,” Smith said Monday. “It’s my first game against somebody back home. I will definitely see him after the game and wish him luck and congrats on what he’s doing. That’s the hardest position to start at. He’s got great accuracy.

“He’s thrown a couple (interceptions), so maybe we can get one.”

Browning has passed for 996 yards with five touchdowns and four interceptions. Smith’s also exceeded expectations by being the quarterback of the defense. The middle linebacker also worries about where the safeties and defensive linemen are lined up each play.

“You just have to know everything,” Smith said. “In high school, you worry about yourself.”

Smith leads the Trojans with 30 tackles despite some rocky moments against Stanford, which is expected for a first-year player. Perhaps the most famous recent USC middle linebacker, Rey Maualuga, was often inconsistent during his first season.

Quarterback target

Smith might be friends with Browning, but the rest of the USC defense sounds eager to face a true freshman.

“We definitely want to rattle his cage,” defensive end Jabari Ruffin said. “He has a lack of experience at this level. We don’t just want (tackles for loss), we want to affect him.”

USC underrated?

It is not often someone says USC is underrated, but that was the opinion of Washington coach Chris Petersen on Monday.

“Definitely one of the elite teams in our conference, without question,” Petersen said. “Completely underrated.

“I look at that tape, and you’re going, ‘OK, that’s USC.’ They usually have some pretty good players and these guys have some special guys.”

USC is a 17-point favorite over the Huskies. Washington is also motivated because 42 of its players are from Southern California.

Wide receiver Jaydon Mickens of Los Angeles was committed to USC before he switched to Washington.

“Some things happened with Lane Kiffin and myself,” Mickens told the Seattle Times. “I’m planning on doing a lot of Reggie Bush stuff (on Thursday).”

Quick transition

True freshman Iman Marshall looks entrenched as a starter at cornerback, which would be bigger news if Adoree Jackson did not do the same thing last season.

“It’s not hard at all,” Jackson said. “It’s probably the best feeling in the world. You’re eager and you want to do good for the team.”

Injury updates

Defensive tackle Claude Pelon was carted off the field with an apparent sprained ankle. He was scheduled to undergo further tests. Cornerback Kevon Seymour (knee) finally looks like he is going to play and be close to his normal self. Wide receiver Darreus Rogers (hamstring) seems doubtful because he did not practice.