USC Trojans

Priest Willis (Tempe, Ariz./Marcos De Niza), the No. 62 player in the ESPN 150, entered the spring with 29 offers and has become one of the most highly recruited players on the West Coast. He has already received phone calls from USC -- which called the first day contact was allowable -- as well as Arizona State and Notre Dame. This week, Marcos De Niza High School has received visits from Florida State, LSU and Arkansas, with USC coach Ed Orgeron scheduled to make a stop on Thursday. Willis said that since the spring evaluation period began, Georgia, Rutgers and Alabama have also begun showing interest.

Willis said the Trojans making the first call on April 15 stood out, but he is grateful for the interest from every school. And increased attention from the two programs that played in the most recent national championship game is difficult to ignore.

Willis said the Alabama coaches have been talking to him about how he would fit into their defense, but it's obvious that LSU has made a statement for Willis.

"They have a great defense," said Willis of LSU, a school he plans to camp with this summer. "And it would be great to just play football in that atmosphere."

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Chans Cox (Pinetop, Ariz./Blue Ridge) is one of the more versatile athletes on the West Coast in the class of 2013. The 6-foot-2, 225-pound two-way standout is at home at linebacker or running back. He excels enough on both sides of the ball that college coaches are split on where they see him fitting best.

Cox said while most schools among his 15 scholarship offers see him fitting better on defense, USC and Nebraska are two schools that see him as an offensive player. But he said playing on one side or the other won't affect his decision.

"I love both sides of the ball," Cox said. "If I went to a school to play offense, those coaches would coach me up and make me a good player there, and the same would be true of defense."

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A CIF and state title in 2011 was enough to prove that the Rancho Santa Margarita Eagles boasted the top offensive line in California last year. But if there were any lingering doubts, this spring is providing further evidence for that claim. Senior Max Tuerk is readying himself to enroll at USC, but class of 2013 linemen Riley Sorenson, Erik Bunte and Dane Crane have been busy with recruiting.

While Bunte committed to UCLA after receiving his first offer, Sorenson and Crane have taken the process slowly. Sorenson has collected offers from Colorado, SMU, Washington and Washington State, while Crane has made the most noise this spring, and now holds offers from Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida State, San Diego State and Washington. The latest offer was extended Wednesday by the Golden Bears.

Crane has several connections to USC, as his father, Bob Crane, played tight end for the Trojans. Crane is also good friends with Tuerk.

USC offensive coordinator Kennedy Polamalu stopped by Santa Margarita in the middle of last week to check in on Crane, and the 6-foot-3, 290-pound center. Crane said the USC coaches would like him to attend their lineman camp in June, which is a real possibility for him.

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“This year’s draft class for USC has Matt Kalil and Nick Perry going early but a lot of uncertainty after that. Give your thoughts on three draft eligible players -- outside of Kalil and Perry -- who will have the best chance of sticking with a team, either through the draft or free agency.”

Garry Paskwietz

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When the USC Trojans were hit with sanctions, many wondered how its staff would recruit with 30 fewer scholarships over three years. As it turns out, Lane Kiffin and staff can get the job done even without scholarships.

The thought was that with 75 scholarship players rather than 85, the Trojans would need to find several walk-ons capable of providing either game minutes or quality practice reps to fill in for the empty scholarships. Thus far, the plan has gone smoothly.

This fall, USC will add at least three preferred walk-ons in athlete Christian Tober (San Clemente, Calif./San Clemente), safety Elijah Steen (Irvine, Calif./Beckman) and cornerback Ryan Dillard (Buford, Ga./Buford), all of whom turned down scholarship offers from other programs to enroll at USC.

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One of the most anticipated arrivals for Sunday's NFTC was that of the nation's top-rated offensive lineman, Laremy Tunsil (Lake City, Fla./Columbia).

Tunsil, the No. 3 overall prospect in the ESPN 150, has kept his recruitment close to the vest but was willing to reveal his top five Sunday.

"My top five as it stands is Oklahoma, Georgia, Florida, LSU and Alabama," Tunsil said. "I like their playbooks, the offense will allow me to pull and have my hand in the ground.

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LOS ANGELES -- USC head coach Lane Kiffin said one of his biggest concerns coming out of spring ball was the depth on the interior of the defensive line.

Kiffin made it clear that he was talking about players outside of George Uko, who locked up the defensive tackle spot with flashes of dominant play this spring. When it comes to a starter at nose tackle or a dependable option behind Uko, that’s where things get pretty shaky.

The coaches tried Greg Townsend at the DT spot, but just as quickly moved him back out to end as a reserve to Devon Kennard. Walk-on Zack Kusnir ended the spring as the No. 2 DT on the depth chart but it stands to reason that either Christian Heyward -- who missed spring due to shoulder surgery -- or an incoming player such as Leonard Williams will eventually grab that spot.

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LOS ANGELES -- There are still unanswered questions for several reserve skill players on offense who were limited or unavailable in spring ball due to injuries.

George Farmer couldn’t have asked for a better start to spring with the way he looked on the first day. It was only one day, but it was a clear look at the potential he brings to the wide receiver group. Then he got hurt on the second day and didn’t return until some brief action at the end.

Lane Kiffin has been clear about stating how good Farmer can be but has also expressed frustration at the injuries that have continued to slow his progression during his first year at USC.

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Part of the reason wide receivers coach Tee Martin was brought in this past spring was due to his terrific record as a national recruiter. But after coaching in the high school ranks at North Cobb (Kennesaw, Ga.) and North Atlanta high schools, Martin developed a reputation as a strong recruiter in Georgia, which is where the Trojans will utilize his talents this week.

After stops in New Jersey, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington D.C. last week, Martin hit Atlanta on Monday, making an early stop at Alpharetta (Ga.) Milton High School to check in on defensive end Carl Lawson. The No. 5 player in the ESPN 150 calls himself a solid commitment to Auburn, but he is only one of several Georgia standouts with early offers from the Trojans, who will likely receive visits from Martin.

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Max Redfield (Mission Viejo, Calif./Mission Viejo) checked in as the No. 2 athlete and No. 31 player overall in the recently released ESPN 150. Shortly thereafter, he made another statement, agreeing to play in the Under Armour All-America Game.

Redfield said via text that the decision to choose that game came down to two factors.

"We recently switched from Nike to Under Armour and I want to represent my school there," Redfield said of his high school. "And I also feel like it's a more competitive game."

Redfield becomes the second California product to commit to the game, joining wide receiver Demorea Stringfellow (Moreno Valley, Calif./Rancho Verde). He is also one of 20 early commitments to the game that rank either first or second at their position in the initial ESPN 150.

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WeAreSC recruiting editor Erik McKinney answers reader questions in his mailbag every Friday. Have a USC recruiting question of your own? Submit it here.

James (San Francisco): With Scholarship limitations, how many mid-year enrollees will SC bring in and who are they looking at for a depleted running back position?

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