It was a flurry of activity on Sunday at the USC skills camp with a verbal commit, several new offers and a look at some top underclassmen.
Things were particularly strong at the wide receiver position. Two players came into the camp with USC offers -- Darrell Daniels (Freedom, Calif./Oakley) and Demorea Stringfellow (Moreno Valley, Calif./Rancho Verde) -- while two other receiver offers were made to Steven Mitchell (Mission Hills, Calif./Alemany) and Sebastian Larue (Santa Monica, Calif./Santa Monica). The Trojans also offered Tyree Robinson from San Diego Lincoln, an athlete who could end up at receiver.
With the commitment of Mitchell -- to go along with an earlier verbal from Eldridge Massington from Mesquite (Texas) West Mesquite -- the Trojans now have two commitments at the wide receiver spot, and most recruiting projections had the Trojans taking two receivers in this class. The USC coaches confirmed with Larue that his offer was on the table -- even after the Mitchell verbal -- so that could be an indication that the Trojans might not be done at that position.
Things were particularly strong at the wide receiver position. Two players came into the camp with USC offers -- Darrell Daniels (Freedom, Calif./Oakley) and Demorea Stringfellow (Moreno Valley, Calif./Rancho Verde) -- while two other receiver offers were made to Steven Mitchell (Mission Hills, Calif./Alemany) and Sebastian Larue (Santa Monica, Calif./Santa Monica). The Trojans also offered Tyree Robinson from San Diego Lincoln, an athlete who could end up at receiver.
With the commitment of Mitchell -- to go along with an earlier verbal from Eldridge Massington from Mesquite (Texas) West Mesquite -- the Trojans now have two commitments at the wide receiver spot, and most recruiting projections had the Trojans taking two receivers in this class. The USC coaches confirmed with Larue that his offer was on the table -- even after the Mitchell verbal -- so that could be an indication that the Trojans might not be done at that position.
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When you consider USC’s limited scholarship numbers the fact that they have committed to taking at least two wide receivers is a sign that Kiffin and Co. are preparing for early departures to the NFL from both Robert Woods and Marqise Lee.
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LaRue grabs an offer from a local power 
June, 10, 2012
6/10/12
9:43
PM PT
By
Erik McKinney | ESPN.com
One of the most highly-recruited receivers in California added another offer to his growing list on Sunday, as the USC Trojans told Sebastian LaRue (Santa Monica, Calif./Santa Monica) the good news. LaRue impressed enough during USC's one-day skills camp that head coach Lane Kiffin pulled the 5-foot-11, 180-pound receiver into his office.
"Excitement just overwhelms your body," LaRue said of the feeling of receiving an offer from USC. "It's a big thing getting that offer. Especially when you're from here -- I grew up right down the street from USC -- that's big."
LaRue adds the USC to offer to those from schools such as Michigan, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Boise State, Texas A&M and UCLA. The Trojans offered a slight twist during their camp, flipping all the wide receivers to cornerback and cornerbacks to receiver early in the day. But LaRue said his offer definitely came on the offensive side of the ball.
"Excitement just overwhelms your body," LaRue said of the feeling of receiving an offer from USC. "It's a big thing getting that offer. Especially when you're from here -- I grew up right down the street from USC -- that's big."
LaRue adds the USC to offer to those from schools such as Michigan, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Boise State, Texas A&M and UCLA. The Trojans offered a slight twist during their camp, flipping all the wide receivers to cornerback and cornerbacks to receiver early in the day. But LaRue said his offer definitely came on the offensive side of the ball.
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The Robinson twins haven't been discussed much this spring in football recruiting circles. Standout basketball players as well, Tyrell Robinson and Tyree Robinson (San Diego, Calif./Lincoln) have been busy on the hardwood and absent from every 7-on-7 event, but that doesn't mean college coaches haven't taken notice.
The 6-foot-3 dynamos had collected offers from virtually the entire Pac-12 Conference, as well as national powers such as Oklahoma and Notre Dame. On Sunday afternoon, they took another big step by receiving an offer in football from the USC Trojans after their performance at USC's one-day camp. Both players are four-star recruits, and Tyree is the No. 282 player in the country.
USC had already offered both in basketball, but getting Lane Kiffin and staff on board was a big deal for the Trojans, as there is no doubt that the twins will be playing two sports in college. They are also a package deal in every sense.
The 6-foot-3 dynamos had collected offers from virtually the entire Pac-12 Conference, as well as national powers such as Oklahoma and Notre Dame. On Sunday afternoon, they took another big step by receiving an offer in football from the USC Trojans after their performance at USC's one-day camp. Both players are four-star recruits, and Tyree is the No. 282 player in the country.
USC had already offered both in basketball, but getting Lane Kiffin and staff on board was a big deal for the Trojans, as there is no doubt that the twins will be playing two sports in college. They are also a package deal in every sense.
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Mitchell gives Trojans WR versatility
June, 10, 2012
6/10/12
2:54
PM PT
By
Garry Paskwietz | ESPN.com
The Trojans made an offer at their skills camp today to Mission Hills (Calif.) Alemany wide receiver Steven Mitchell and the ESPN 150 prospect immediately accepted.
Mitchell (5-foot-11, 176) is the No. 142-ranked player in the country and will be taking part in The Opening next month in Oregon. He’s long made clear his desire for a USC offer after having received earlier offers from top schools such as Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Texas A&M and Washington.
“[Lane] Kiffin said ‘how would you like to be a Trojan?’ and Steven replied ‘I would love to be a Trojan, it’s been a dream of mine. If you’re offering, I’m committing,’" said Steven Mitchell Sr., Steven Mitchell's father.
Mitchell (5-foot-11, 176) is the No. 142-ranked player in the country and will be taking part in The Opening next month in Oregon. He’s long made clear his desire for a USC offer after having received earlier offers from top schools such as Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Texas A&M and Washington.
“[Lane] Kiffin said ‘how would you like to be a Trojan?’ and Steven replied ‘I would love to be a Trojan, it’s been a dream of mine. If you’re offering, I’m committing,’" said Steven Mitchell Sr., Steven Mitchell's father.
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The USC Trojans continued to roll with the 2013 recruiting class, adding one of the state's top receivers on Sunday afternoon.
Steven Mitchell (Mission Hills, Calif./Alemany) was offered a scholarship during a skills camp hosted by the Trojans and jumped on it. Mitchell could not immediately be reached for comment, but his father, Steven Mitchell Sr., confirmed the commitment.
Mitchell Sr. and his wife were eating lunch across the street when they received a phone call from Mitchell Jr. He said coaches Lane Kiffin and Ed Orgeron wanted to meet with the whole family in their office.
Steven Mitchell (Mission Hills, Calif./Alemany) was offered a scholarship during a skills camp hosted by the Trojans and jumped on it. Mitchell could not immediately be reached for comment, but his father, Steven Mitchell Sr., confirmed the commitment.
Mitchell Sr. and his wife were eating lunch across the street when they received a phone call from Mitchell Jr. He said coaches Lane Kiffin and Ed Orgeron wanted to meet with the whole family in their office.
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When cornerback Dashon Hunt (Westlake, Calif./Westlake) announced his decommitment from the UCLA Bruins class of 2013 on Saturday, it caught some off guard. But Hunt said he had been wrestling with the decision for about a month.
"After talking to my coach and family, I just wasn't really in love with it as much as I was before," Hunt said of UCLA. "I still really like UCLA and it has always been my top choice, but I just wasn't feeling it like I used to."
The No. 153 player in the country became UCLA's first verbal commitment for this class back in August, but a coaching change this past winter left things up in the air for Hunt. He feels that the new staff would like to evaluate him during his senior season and could pick up their recruitment of him during that time.
"After talking to my coach and family, I just wasn't really in love with it as much as I was before," Hunt said of UCLA. "I still really like UCLA and it has always been my top choice, but I just wasn't feeling it like I used to."
The No. 153 player in the country became UCLA's first verbal commitment for this class back in August, but a coaching change this past winter left things up in the air for Hunt. He feels that the new staff would like to evaluate him during his senior season and could pick up their recruitment of him during that time.
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The Trojans held their lineman camp on Saturday and the big news from the day was a verbal commitment from class of 2014 prospect Jordan Poland from La Jolla (Calif.) Country Day.
Poland has massive size (6-foot-7, 333 pounds) and was extended the offer immediately after the camp ended. He was one of the top linemen in Arizona last season and was originally scheduled to be a member of the class of 2013, but he has now be classified in the 2014 class after moving to the San Diego area.
One trend that continues is the run of tall tackles being recruited by Lane Kiffin and staff. Recent additions to the tackle spot include Zach Banner (6-foot-8) and Chad Wheeler (6-foot-6), so Poland should fit in just fine with that group.
Poland has massive size (6-foot-7, 333 pounds) and was extended the offer immediately after the camp ended. He was one of the top linemen in Arizona last season and was originally scheduled to be a member of the class of 2013, but he has now be classified in the 2014 class after moving to the San Diego area.
One trend that continues is the run of tall tackles being recruited by Lane Kiffin and staff. Recent additions to the tackle spot include Zach Banner (6-foot-8) and Chad Wheeler (6-foot-6), so Poland should fit in just fine with that group.
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The USC Trojans held their first summer camp of the season on Saturday and it paid off in a big way. Shortly after the lineman camp, an offer was extended to 2014 standout Jordan Poland (La Jolla, Calif./La Jolla Country Day) and the 6-foot-7, 333-pound tackle jumped on it.
Originally a member of the 2013 class, Poland adjusted to the 2014 recruiting class after moving from Arizona to San Diego. He collected offers from Arizona, Arizona State, San Diego State and Boise State, among others, but held USC among his top two schools and committed immediately when the offer was presented.
Originally a member of the 2013 class, Poland adjusted to the 2014 recruiting class after moving from Arizona to San Diego. He collected offers from Arizona, Arizona State, San Diego State and Boise State, among others, but held USC among his top two schools and committed immediately when the offer was presented.
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DANA POINT, Calif. -- Here are some notes from the Nike AirStrike Dana Hills passing tournament which was held on Saturday at Dana Hills High School:
• Oaks Christian -- The Trojans are looking for linebackers and one who could end up getting more of a look is Cameron Judge. He has offers from several Pac-12 schools and the Trojans were interested in the spring evaluation period. He saw time at both linebacker and wide receiver today. The big guns for the Lions are a pair of juniors in quarterback Brandon Dawkins and receiver Chris Davis. Dawkins has good size, he reminded me of former Long Beach Poly and Stanford quarterback Chris Lewis at first glance. Dawkins recently picked up a Notre Dame offer. Davis has good quickness and runs crisp routes. One person in the Oaks Christian program said Davis will be better than recent signees Jordan Payton (UCLA) and Blair Holliday (Duke).
• Mission Viejo -- Max Redfield is a stud. He looks the part and then he goes out there and backs it up with good play on both sides of the ball. It’s been well-documented that schools are showing interest in Redfield at both safety and receiver and it’s easy to see why, as he’s real fluid at both. Redfield had one catch in the end zone that was a jump ball which he went up effortlessly in the air to get. He said his preference is safety, but Redfield has no problem playing receiver if that’s the way things work out. Max was wearing an Oregon sweatshirt at one point. When asked about it, he simply said “It’s just a shirt.”
• Oaks Christian -- The Trojans are looking for linebackers and one who could end up getting more of a look is Cameron Judge. He has offers from several Pac-12 schools and the Trojans were interested in the spring evaluation period. He saw time at both linebacker and wide receiver today. The big guns for the Lions are a pair of juniors in quarterback Brandon Dawkins and receiver Chris Davis. Dawkins has good size, he reminded me of former Long Beach Poly and Stanford quarterback Chris Lewis at first glance. Dawkins recently picked up a Notre Dame offer. Davis has good quickness and runs crisp routes. One person in the Oaks Christian program said Davis will be better than recent signees Jordan Payton (UCLA) and Blair Holliday (Duke).
• Mission Viejo -- Max Redfield is a stud. He looks the part and then he goes out there and backs it up with good play on both sides of the ball. It’s been well-documented that schools are showing interest in Redfield at both safety and receiver and it’s easy to see why, as he’s real fluid at both. Redfield had one catch in the end zone that was a jump ball which he went up effortlessly in the air to get. He said his preference is safety, but Redfield has no problem playing receiver if that’s the way things work out. Max was wearing an Oregon sweatshirt at one point. When asked about it, he simply said “It’s just a shirt.”
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It's going to be a busy weekend out West, as events are scheduled up and down the coast.
Oregon will play host to the Nike Football Sparq Combine on Saturday and Nike Football Training Camp on Sunday. Several top prospects will be in attendance on Sunday, and the linemen battles should be of particular interest. Defensive tackle Eddie Vanderdoes (Auburn, Calif./Placer), the No. 57 prospect in the ESPN 150, will have an opportunity to go up against Oregon offensive tackle commit Evan Voeller (West Linn, Ore./West Linn), the top offensive lineman in the West. Vanderdoes could also be challenged by center Scott Quessenberry (Carlsbad, Calif./La Costa Canyon). Oregon has offered both Vanderdoes and Quessenberry, and Voeller will likely do some recruiting of his own during the camp.
But Oregon won't be the only school hosting an event this weekend. In what is likely far from a coincidence, USC and UCLA have the same camps scheduled this weekend -- linemen on Saturday and skill-position players on Sunday. One of the names to keep an eye on there is offensive tackle Cameron Hunt (Corona, Calif./Centennial). Hunt has hauled in more than a dozen scholarship offers, but has yet to receive one from either of the local schools. He'll attend both camps on Saturday in the hopes of earning one in person. Hunt has had a very strong spring, earning an invitation to The Opening along the way.
Oregon will play host to the Nike Football Sparq Combine on Saturday and Nike Football Training Camp on Sunday. Several top prospects will be in attendance on Sunday, and the linemen battles should be of particular interest. Defensive tackle Eddie Vanderdoes (Auburn, Calif./Placer), the No. 57 prospect in the ESPN 150, will have an opportunity to go up against Oregon offensive tackle commit Evan Voeller (West Linn, Ore./West Linn), the top offensive lineman in the West. Vanderdoes could also be challenged by center Scott Quessenberry (Carlsbad, Calif./La Costa Canyon). Oregon has offered both Vanderdoes and Quessenberry, and Voeller will likely do some recruiting of his own during the camp.
But Oregon won't be the only school hosting an event this weekend. In what is likely far from a coincidence, USC and UCLA have the same camps scheduled this weekend -- linemen on Saturday and skill-position players on Sunday. One of the names to keep an eye on there is offensive tackle Cameron Hunt (Corona, Calif./Centennial). Hunt has hauled in more than a dozen scholarship offers, but has yet to receive one from either of the local schools. He'll attend both camps on Saturday in the hopes of earning one in person. Hunt has had a very strong spring, earning an invitation to The Opening along the way.
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WeAreSC publisher Garry Paskwietz answers reader questions in his mailbag every Friday. Have a USC recruiting question of your own? Submit it here.
Brady (Reading, Pa.): With Su'a Cravens' commitment and our chances looking good for getting either Max Redfield, Priest Willis, or Tahaan Goodman for the other safety spot, what do you think is a bigger need, CB Vernon Hargreaves or Mackensie Alexander, or DL recruits like Eddie Vanderdoes, Robert Nkemdiche, Joe Mathis or Montravius Adams?
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As part of ESPN.com's series on the best individual seasons in college football history, it takes a look at Marcus Allen's Heisman Trophy-winning season in 1981. Enjoy, Trojans fans.
The Trojans are sitting at No. 8 in the initial ESPN team recruiting rankings, which were released Thursday.
That ranking is to be expected when you see the class sizes of the teams ranked ahead of the Trojans. USC has eight commits so far while No. 1 Michigan has 21, No. 2 Florida has 16, No. 3 Texas has 15, No. 4 Alabama has 14 and No. 15 Georgia has 19.
The key evaluation mark for USC fans is the percentage of ESPN 150 players who make up the verbal commitments. Of USC’s eight verbals, six are in the ESPN 150. That percentage is much higher than the top five schools mentioned earlier; Michigan (11 of 21), Florida (7 of 16), Texas (7 of 15), Alabama (6 of 14) and Georgia (5 of 19).
The Trojans will be limited in class size this year because of NCAA scholarship reductions, but the staff has done a good job so far of making those scholarships count and getting terrific quality for each spot.
That ranking is to be expected when you see the class sizes of the teams ranked ahead of the Trojans. USC has eight commits so far while No. 1 Michigan has 21, No. 2 Florida has 16, No. 3 Texas has 15, No. 4 Alabama has 14 and No. 15 Georgia has 19.
The key evaluation mark for USC fans is the percentage of ESPN 150 players who make up the verbal commitments. Of USC’s eight verbals, six are in the ESPN 150. That percentage is much higher than the top five schools mentioned earlier; Michigan (11 of 21), Florida (7 of 16), Texas (7 of 15), Alabama (6 of 14) and Georgia (5 of 19).
The Trojans will be limited in class size this year because of NCAA scholarship reductions, but the staff has done a good job so far of making those scholarships count and getting terrific quality for each spot.
It sounds like Lane Kiffin had a similar assessment of Su'a Cravens when evaluating him in the early stages as our staff. On film, we saw a big, fast and physical prospect who did not project precisely at one particular position but was simply a great football player who would end up high on our board. We still see the potential as a West Coast fullback or outside linebacker but as a safety, the position he will likely start his career off at with the Trojans, there are a lot of impressive qualities.
Cravens has the size and strength to play down in the box and provide stout run support and the range and athleticism to match up in coverage and make plays. We do feel he will be more productive in underneath zone coverages at the next level and is not a defender who will shine in space or in man-to-man isolated over quicker slots. Cravens is at his best driving on the ball in front of him; he can run, close and hit as good as any in this class and is a sure tackler. We would not be surprised if Kiffin’s veteran defensive staff finds a role early for their ball-hawking hybrid type defender. The instinctive, instate pledge could add immediate depth at strong safety or even outside linebacker where the Trojans rely on speed and athleticism more than size. This is likely an immediate special teams performer as well which holds a lot of under-appreciated value.
Cravens has the size and strength to play down in the box and provide stout run support and the range and athleticism to match up in coverage and make plays. We do feel he will be more productive in underneath zone coverages at the next level and is not a defender who will shine in space or in man-to-man isolated over quicker slots. Cravens is at his best driving on the ball in front of him; he can run, close and hit as good as any in this class and is a sure tackler. We would not be surprised if Kiffin’s veteran defensive staff finds a role early for their ball-hawking hybrid type defender. The instinctive, instate pledge could add immediate depth at strong safety or even outside linebacker where the Trojans rely on speed and athleticism more than size. This is likely an immediate special teams performer as well which holds a lot of under-appreciated value.
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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.
Johnny Curren
Johnny Curren covers USC Trojans football and recruiting. He joined WeAreSC in 2012 after spending the previous two years at ESPNHS, and the nine years before that at Fox Sports West covering high school sports in the Los Angeles market. Email him at johnnycurren@hotmail.com.