![]() Kiffin and Orgeron are more than competent, so USC probably will have the top recruiting class in the nation even with fewer scholarships.The defense has looked better as a whole through the first two games of the season, but the turnovers aren’t there just yet. And if you are a competent recruiter, it attracts a lot of them. So even if Carroll gave his son too much responsibility, he likely would not have finished a “disappointing” 9-4 his final season with those three linebackers. Linebacker Frankie Telfort was diagnosed with a heart condition that ended his career. He transferred to Georgia and was an All-American last season. Linebacker Jarvis Jones suffered a neck injury that sidelined him and he never was cleared by USC doctors. Carroll thought he landed three of the nation’s top linebackers, but Vontaze Burfict decommitted because he did not think he would gain admission to USC and signed with Arizona State. USC lost out on some big recruits, like Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o, and some in Heritage Hall privately blamed it on sloppiness.Īs another example, USC signed few offensive linemen in Carroll’s final class, which left holes for Kiffin to fill when he inherited the job.įor all the sniping about Carroll’s failings, the truth is he probably would not be the target of any criticism if not for some unusual circumstances heading into his final season. That could affect this year’s team, which has depth issues at those positions.Įven if they were a little off, however, they are a big improvement over the final years of Carroll’s tenure, when he let his son Brennan be the recruiting coordinator. USC did not sign a tailback in last year’s recruiting class and was a little lax in securing top defensive linemen. ![]() Kiffin and Orgeron do deserve credit for appearing more disciplined and aggressive in securing early commitments. The Trojans easily could sign more than 25 players, so other schools figure to benefit from scholarship limitations. The only negative is NCAA sanctions limit USC to 18 scholarships for the class of 2013 (three mid-year enrollees, 15 signees in February). 2 in most preseason polls and recruiting probably assures its status even after Barkley leaves. No school ever weathered probation like USC, which barely blinked. The fact USC looks like a national championship contender this season with a Heisman Trophy frontrunner (quarterback Matt Barkley) and a $70 million football complex about to open also bolsters the Trojans’ case. It might seem like the Trojans shrugged off probation with last season’s 10-2 record, but in recruiting circles there were plenty of episodes in which schools tried to use the ban as a hammer to keep prospects from going to USC, particularly out-of-state recruits. USC no longer is facing a two-year bowl ban and other schools can’t use probation as a negative recruiting tactic. But the fact is USC being USC is the top reason. ![]() On the Internet, much of the credit for the class goes to USC coach Lane Kiffin and recruiting coordinator Ed Orgeron. He is considered one of the nation’s top 10 receivers, but it did not take much leg work to land him. How easy is it for USC to get athletes? Last month, Alemany wide receiver Steven Mitchell committed on the spot after being offered a scholarship at a USC football camp. None of those schools have three five-star prospects (quarterback Max Browne, safety Su’a Cravens, defensive lineman Kenny Bigelow) and the other eight commitments are all four-star players. USC has only 11 commitments while the other top five schools have at least 18. 5 nationally by, but it is considered the nation’s best by quality. The Trojans’ recruiting class is ranked No. But the way recruits are flocking to the Trojans right now, everything looks brilliant. It was viewed as another master stroke by USC in the recruiting battles. When high school football recruits recently checked into their hotel at an elite camp, some were greeted by a fax in their rooms from USC coaches, reminding the prospects of the Trojans’ interest.
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