The USC Trojans were picked to win the Pac-12 this year in a poll of conference media that was released Tuesday at Pac-12 media day.
The predictions were as follows:
South: USC, Utah, UCLA, Arizona, ASU, Colorado.
North: Oregon, Stanford, Washington, Cal, WSU, Oregon State.
League champ: USC.
The predictions were as follows:
South: USC, Utah, UCLA, Arizona, ASU, Colorado.
North: Oregon, Stanford, Washington, Cal, WSU, Oregon State.
League champ: USC.
The USC Trojans have notified Penn State of their interest in talking with junior running back Silas Redd about the possibility of transferring, according to Joe Schad of ESPN.
There are a lot of factors at play here but, on the surface, it’s a move that could make sense for the Trojans.
Redd (5-foot-10, 209 pounds) is a durable and dynamic player who rushed for over 1,200 yards last season as a sophomore. He is expected to be counted on as a centerpiece for the Nittany Lions offense in 2012, but the NCAA penalties handed down on Monday gave all Penn State players the right to transfer without having to sit out a year.
There are a lot of factors at play here but, on the surface, it’s a move that could make sense for the Trojans.
Redd (5-foot-10, 209 pounds) is a durable and dynamic player who rushed for over 1,200 yards last season as a sophomore. He is expected to be counted on as a centerpiece for the Nittany Lions offense in 2012, but the NCAA penalties handed down on Monday gave all Penn State players the right to transfer without having to sit out a year.
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ESPN's Joe Schad talks about the possibility of Penn State junior running back Silas Redd transferring to USC after Penn State was hit by heavy sanctions by the NCAA on Monday.
The unofficial kickoff to the college football season is upon us with the Pac-12 media day set for Tuesday.
The media day will take place at Universal Studios in Los Angeles and will get started at 9 a.m. PT. Each conference team will be represented by the head coach and two players (for the Trojans the player representatives will be Matt Barkley and T.J. McDonald).
Here’s the schedule of team appearances at the main press conference podium:
9:15 a.m. Colorado Jon Embree, David Bakhtiari, Ray Polk
9:35 a.m. Arizona Rich Rodriguez, Matt Scott, Jake Fischer
9:55 a.m. Arizona State Todd Graham, Cameron Marshall, Brandon Magee
10:15 a.m. Utah Kyle Whittingham, John White, Star Lotulelei
10:35 a.m. UCLA Jim Mora, Johnathan Franklin, Tevin McDonald
10:55 a.m. USC Lane Kiffin, Matt Barkley, T.J. McDonald
11:25 a.m. Washington St. Mike Leach, Jeff Tuel, Travis Long
11:45 a.m. Oregon St. Mike Riley, Markus Wheaton, Jordan Poyer
12:05 p.m. California Jeff Tedford, Keenan Allen, Josh Hill
12:25 p.m. Washington Steve Sarkisian, Keith Price, Desmond Trufant
12:45 p.m. Stanford David Shaw, Stepfan Taylor, Chase Thomas
1:05 p.m. Oregon Chip Kelly, Kenjon Barner, Michael Clay
You can follow the action in several ways:
" WatchESPN (ESPN3): http://espn.go.com/watchespn/index/_/channel/espn3
&8226; Live stream on Pac-12 site: http://www.pac-12.org/SPORTS/Football/MediaDay.aspx
" Live stream on Pac-12 YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/pac12conf
" WeAreSC will be providing message board and twitter coverage throughout the day (@wearescstaff), so be sure to check in for regular Trojan updates.
The media day will take place at Universal Studios in Los Angeles and will get started at 9 a.m. PT. Each conference team will be represented by the head coach and two players (for the Trojans the player representatives will be Matt Barkley and T.J. McDonald).
Here’s the schedule of team appearances at the main press conference podium:
9:15 a.m. Colorado Jon Embree, David Bakhtiari, Ray Polk
9:35 a.m. Arizona Rich Rodriguez, Matt Scott, Jake Fischer
9:55 a.m. Arizona State Todd Graham, Cameron Marshall, Brandon Magee
10:15 a.m. Utah Kyle Whittingham, John White, Star Lotulelei
10:35 a.m. UCLA Jim Mora, Johnathan Franklin, Tevin McDonald
10:55 a.m. USC Lane Kiffin, Matt Barkley, T.J. McDonald
11:25 a.m. Washington St. Mike Leach, Jeff Tuel, Travis Long
11:45 a.m. Oregon St. Mike Riley, Markus Wheaton, Jordan Poyer
12:05 p.m. California Jeff Tedford, Keenan Allen, Josh Hill
12:25 p.m. Washington Steve Sarkisian, Keith Price, Desmond Trufant
12:45 p.m. Stanford David Shaw, Stepfan Taylor, Chase Thomas
1:05 p.m. Oregon Chip Kelly, Kenjon Barner, Michael Clay
You can follow the action in several ways:
" WatchESPN (ESPN3): http://espn.go.com/watchespn/index/_/channel/espn3
&8226; Live stream on Pac-12 site: http://www.pac-12.org/SPORTS/Football/MediaDay.aspx
" Live stream on Pac-12 YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/pac12conf
" WeAreSC will be providing message board and twitter coverage throughout the day (@wearescstaff), so be sure to check in for regular Trojan updates.
It’s a familiar feeling today for USC fans as the NCAA brings down the swift hands of punishment on the Penn State football program.
While the process for rendering the penalties was unprecedented for the NCAA, the dramatic impact of the penalties was not. Just as USC was faced with bowl bans and scholarship reduction that threatened to stagger the program for many years, the Penn State Nittany Lions are faced with a real challenge to maintain any semblance of the elite program they have known for so many years.
While the process for rendering the penalties was unprecedented for the NCAA, the dramatic impact of the penalties was not. Just as USC was faced with bowl bans and scholarship reduction that threatened to stagger the program for many years, the Penn State Nittany Lions are faced with a real challenge to maintain any semblance of the elite program they have known for so many years.
Video: Day 3 recap of Elite 11 Finals
July, 21, 2012
7/21/12
9:00
AM PT
By ESPN.com staff | ESPN.com
Notre Dame commit Malik Zaire and Tennessee-bound Riley Ferguson are just a couple of the standouts that caught Tom Luginbill's eye on day 3 at the 2012 Elite 11 Finals.
Top-ranked cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III (Tampa, Fla./Wharton) named a new top five on his Twitter account Friday and, surprisingly, it did not include USC.
Hargreaves had named the Trojans as his leaders after a visit to campus last week, but the pressure generated by USC's dwindling scholarship numbers appeared to have triggered his decision to keep looking.
The 5-foot-11, 185-pound Hargreaves tweeted: "Top 5 ) 1.Florida 2.Clemson 3.Vanderbilt 4.Miami 5.Notre Dame , USF is not in my top 5 but still considering !"
It's not a catastrophic loss by any means -- the Trojans have cornerback commitments from seventh-ranked Jalen Ramsey (Brentwood, Tenn./Brentwood Academy) and 11th-ranked Chris Hawkins (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./Rancho Cucamonga). And it's still July, so USC could make a run at the five-star corner if anything falls through elsewhere.
Hargreaves had named the Trojans as his leaders after a visit to campus last week, but the pressure generated by USC's dwindling scholarship numbers appeared to have triggered his decision to keep looking.
The 5-foot-11, 185-pound Hargreaves tweeted: "Top 5 ) 1.Florida 2.Clemson 3.Vanderbilt 4.Miami 5.Notre Dame , USF is not in my top 5 but still considering !"
It's not a catastrophic loss by any means -- the Trojans have cornerback commitments from seventh-ranked Jalen Ramsey (Brentwood, Tenn./Brentwood Academy) and 11th-ranked Chris Hawkins (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./Rancho Cucamonga). And it's still July, so USC could make a run at the five-star corner if anything falls through elsewhere.
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ESPN 150 cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III (Tampa, Fla./Wharton) disclosed his list of top five schools Friday via Twitter.
"Top 5 ) 1.Florida 2.Clemson 3.Vanderbilt 4.Miami 5.Notre Dame , USF is not in my top 5 but still considering !" Hargreaves wrote.
Hargreaves also holds offers from Florida State, Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State, USC and numerous others.
The 5-foot-11, 185-pound cornerback is the No. 4 player in the nation and No. 1 at his position.
See video of Hargreaves at ESPN RecruitingNation.
"Top 5 ) 1.Florida 2.Clemson 3.Vanderbilt 4.Miami 5.Notre Dame , USF is not in my top 5 but still considering !" Hargreaves wrote.
Hargreaves also holds offers from Florida State, Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State, USC and numerous others.
The 5-foot-11, 185-pound cornerback is the No. 4 player in the nation and No. 1 at his position.
See video of Hargreaves at ESPN RecruitingNation.
WeAreSC recruiting reporter Blair Angulo answers reader questions in his mailbag every Friday. Have a USC recruiting question of your own? Submit it here.
Dan (Santa Clara, Calif.): Only two spots left for the 2013 class. Who do you think takes those last two spots and when? I am hoping for [Jason] Hatcher and [Vernon] Hargreaves. What do you think?
I think you're correct in naming Hatcher and Hargreaves as the top two remaining targets for the current class. Based on necessity alone, Hatcher (defensive lineman) and Hargreaves (cornerback) would be the ideal fits. Hatcher is set to announce his decision next Friday and could very well give the Trojans their 17th commitment.
Dan (Santa Clara, Calif.): Only two spots left for the 2013 class. Who do you think takes those last two spots and when? I am hoping for [Jason] Hatcher and [Vernon] Hargreaves. What do you think?
I think you're correct in naming Hatcher and Hargreaves as the top two remaining targets for the current class. Based on necessity alone, Hatcher (defensive lineman) and Hargreaves (cornerback) would be the ideal fits. Hatcher is set to announce his decision next Friday and could very well give the Trojans their 17th commitment.
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FULLERTON, Calif. -- A bevy of attributes make Tyler Luatua of La Mirada (Calif.) an elite prospect, but it’s one you can’t see that stands out above the rest: His dissatisfaction.
He’s physically imposing, yes. He’s strong, quick and versatile, too. Scouts rave on and on and on about the class of 2014 athlete’s advanced skill set. He’s smooth enough to play tight end, yet gritty enough to play linebacker.
The 6-foot-4, 230-pound athlete received his first scholarship offer from UCLA in February and, in a matter of weeks, had gone national. At least locally, no underclassman had a bigger spring. Luatua piled up offer after offer, and is considered one of California’s top recruits in next year’s class.
He’s physically imposing, yes. He’s strong, quick and versatile, too. Scouts rave on and on and on about the class of 2014 athlete’s advanced skill set. He’s smooth enough to play tight end, yet gritty enough to play linebacker.
The 6-foot-4, 230-pound athlete received his first scholarship offer from UCLA in February and, in a matter of weeks, had gone national. At least locally, no underclassman had a bigger spring. Luatua piled up offer after offer, and is considered one of California’s top recruits in next year’s class.
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Watch: Luginbill talks Max Browne
July, 20, 2012
7/20/12
6:42
AM PT
By RecruitingNation staff | ESPN.com
Tom Luginbill breaks down Max Browne at the 2012 Elite 11 Finals.
Class of 2014 offensive lineman Mason Cole (Tarpon Springs, Fla./East Lake) wasn't able to take part in the one-on-one portions of the Jimbo Fisher Camp on Wednesday evening because of an injured hand.
"I broke a bone in my wrist a couple of weeks ago," Cole said. "I will be in this cast for another 2-3 weeks but I should be good to go for the start of my team's training camp."
The 6-foot-5, 270-pound junior spent the remainder of the evening chatting with offensive line coach Rick Trickett.
"I broke a bone in my wrist a couple of weeks ago," Cole said. "I will be in this cast for another 2-3 weeks but I should be good to go for the start of my team's training camp."
The 6-foot-5, 270-pound junior spent the remainder of the evening chatting with offensive line coach Rick Trickett.
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With Pac-12 media day coming up and the release of the media preseason picks, give your predicted order of the conference finish (both North and South) as well as the title game participants and winner.
Garry Paskwietz
South Division: USC, Utah, Arizona, Arizona State, UCLA, Colorado
Garry Paskwietz
South Division: USC, Utah, Arizona, Arizona State, UCLA, Colorado
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2014 DE Denzel Ware has plenty of options 
July, 19, 2012
7/19/12
7:13
AM PT
By
Corey Long | ESPN.com
Afternoon rain didn't dampen Crestview (Fla.) defensive end Denzel Ware's enthusiasm toward's Florida State. The class of 2014 has called the Seminoles his leader in the past and an evening workout at the Jimbo Fisher football camp did nothing to change his status with the program.
"It was a good workout and coach [D.J.] Eliot and I remain in contact pretty often," Ware said. "We have a solid relationship and I really enjoy all of the coaches here."
Ware has several offers with programs such as Alabama, USC, Ohio State and Clemson joining FSU at the top of the list. And while the Seminoles appear to be a favorite, Ware will be checking out the competition.
"It was a good workout and coach [D.J.] Eliot and I remain in contact pretty often," Ware said. "We have a solid relationship and I really enjoy all of the coaches here."
Ware has several offers with programs such as Alabama, USC, Ohio State and Clemson joining FSU at the top of the list. And while the Seminoles appear to be a favorite, Ware will be checking out the competition.
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Santa Monica (Calif.) receiver Sebastian LaRue might very well be one of the most even-keeled recruits in the nation. With signing day more than six months away, the four-star Trojans commit knows the process is far from over, so he's keeping things in proper perspective.
If that means acknowledging that he could change his mind, then so be it.
LaRue knows a lot can happen in six months. His status, as that of many other recruits, might change -- that's just the nature of recruiting. Last week the speedy, all-purpose star got the attention of USC fans by posting on Twitter that he and five-star cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III (Tampa, Fla./Wharton) planned to attend the same school, even if it wasn't USC.
If that means acknowledging that he could change his mind, then so be it.
LaRue knows a lot can happen in six months. His status, as that of many other recruits, might change -- that's just the nature of recruiting. Last week the speedy, all-purpose star got the attention of USC fans by posting on Twitter that he and five-star cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III (Tampa, Fla./Wharton) planned to attend the same school, even if it wasn't USC.
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ABOUT WE ARE SC
Garry Paskwietz
Garry Paskwietz is the publisher and founder of WeAreSC.com and has covered the Trojans since 1997. Send him an email at garry@wearesc.com.
Blair Angulo
Blair Angulo covers USC Trojans recruiting. He joined ESPNLA.com in 2010 and also interned at the Los Angeles Daily News. Email him at blair.angulo@gmail.com.