In this episode of RecruitingNation 411, we focus on the offensive side of the ball in the 2013 recruiting class. Our experts tell you which prospects are primed to be the stars of the 2013 class, and which ones have already given a verbal commitment.
Former Trojans to take part in NFL Combine
February, 7, 2012
2/07/12
3:37
PM PT
By
Erik McKinney | ESPN.com
The USC Trojans were a young team in 2011, but several upperclassmen made their marks on a 10-2 season and will now have an opportunity to do it again at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Seven draft-eligible former Trojans will take part in the event, which begins Feb. 22 in Indianapolis.
The players are offensive tackle Matt Kalil, defensive end Nick Perry, tailback Marc Tyler, tight end/fullback Rhett Ellison, linebacker Chris Galippo and defensive tackles DaJohn Harris and Christian Tupou.
The events each player will participate in at the combine is yet to be determined, as some may wait to take part in events -- such as the 40-yard dash or three-cone drill -- at USC's Pro Day, which is scheduled for March 7.
Seven draft-eligible former Trojans will take part in the event, which begins Feb. 22 in Indianapolis.
The players are offensive tackle Matt Kalil, defensive end Nick Perry, tailback Marc Tyler, tight end/fullback Rhett Ellison, linebacker Chris Galippo and defensive tackles DaJohn Harris and Christian Tupou.
The events each player will participate in at the combine is yet to be determined, as some may wait to take part in events -- such as the 40-yard dash or three-cone drill -- at USC's Pro Day, which is scheduled for March 7.
Nothing is set in stone and your job is always on the line when you step on to the practice field, but here is my projected two-deep heading into next season.
DE
Wes Horton (5th/Sr.) -- Will be the only returning starter on the D-line.
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Southern Cal has successfully recruited three top prospects out of Tallahassee (Fla.) Lincoln over the past five years. Lane Kiffin and staff are hoping to make it four in six after offering 6-foot-3, 180-pound athlete Taj Williams, according to Lincoln head coach Yusuf Shakir.
The rising senior has played both wide receiver and cornerback for Lincoln since his freshman year while making major contributions on special teams.
The rising senior has played both wide receiver and cornerback for Lincoln since his freshman year while making major contributions on special teams.
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Nothing is set in stone and your job is always on the line when you step on to the practice field, but here is my projected two-deep heading into next season.
QB
Matt Barkley (Sr./Sr.) -- Projected No. 1 NFL draft pick.
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We like doing Power Rankings at ESPN.com. These are the post-signing day Power Rankings.
If you want to see where your team stood on Jan. 10, go here.
The schedule does not factor into these. This is a projected pecking order based on where a team stands right now.
And if you don't like where your team is in the post-signing day Power Rankings, then I'd suggest whining about it until your team plays better.
1. USC: The Trojans ranked 13th in the final recruiting rankings with just 12 signees. They will be ranked in the preseason top 5, perhaps even No. 1. If things go according to plan, USC will blow a big raspberry at Paul Dee next January.
2. Oregon: The Ducks surprisingly lost QB Darron Thomas to the NFL, but the far more important news is not losing coach Chip Kelly to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. A strong recruiting class and another likely top-5 preseason rankings sets the Ducks up nicely to enter the national title chase.
3. Stanford: Stanford signed the best recruiting class in the Pac-12. It was ranked 12th by ESPN Recruiting and much higher by just about every other recruiting service. While the Cardinal have big holes to fill -- most notably behind center -- a glance through the roster suggests those rooting for the program to topple after a grand rise are going to be disappointed.
4. Washington: Much of the recruiting season had been disappointing for the Huskies, particularly losing almost all of the top in-state prospects, including a pair of A-list linemen who would have addressed major needs. But Steve Sarkisian made a series of aggressive moves rebuilding his coaching staff, most notably with the hiring of defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox and ace recruiter Tosh Lupoi. That supplies much of the positive momentum here.
5. Utah: The Utes signed a strong recruiting class and welcome back a wealth of starters from a team that won eight games without much production at QB. The promotion of 24-year-old Brian Johnson to offensive coordinator was a surprising move, particularly with fans rooting for a "celebrity" hire. It could prove to be a stroke of genius, but the onus is now on Johnson to make it become so.
6. UCLA: The Bruins are the big climbers from our Jan. 10 power rankings -- moving up from No. 10 -- but that's what happens when new coach Jim Mora punches back at skepticism with an outstanding recruiting class. A team that looked like a "neh" is moving closer to a "maybe."
7. California: Despite all the hand-wringing over the loss of Lupoi and receivers coach Eric Kiesau to Washington, the Bears still signed a top-25 recruiting class that addresses needs. Still, perception matters, and at present, Bears fans seem more worried than optimistic. Nothing, of course, a few wins in a shiny remodeled stadium can't change.
8. Arizona: Rich Rodriguez's recruiting class finished at or near the bottom of the Pac-12, according to most rankings. That said, Rodriguez got his man at defensive coordinator, Jeff Casteel, which is significant because most trace the problems at Michigan to his failure to do so for the Wolverines.
9. Washington State: The Cougars didn't soar in the recruiting rankings just because of the hiring of coach Mike Leach. Still, that doesn't appear to be dampening the enthusiasm in Pullman.
10. Arizona State: New coach Todd Graham did a solid job salvaging the Sun Devils' recruiting class. But the loss of QB Brock Osweiler to the NFL and the NCAA's rejection of receiver T.J. Simpson's bid for a sixth year of eligibility leave the program with plenty of questions on offense. And just as many on defense.
11. Oregon State: The Beavers were victimized by a handful of late recruiting flips that put dents in what was shaping up to be a strong class. And the loss of secondary coach Keith Heyward to Washington also was a blow. On the plus side, the Beavers will see 17 returning starters during spring practices.
12. Colorado: The Buffaloes remain at the bottom because the bottom line is this: They welcome back 13 starters from a team that went 3-10 and ranked last in both scoring offense and scoring defense. Still, coach Jon Embree put together a solid recruiting class, one that could become the foundation of his substantial rebuilding project.
If you want to see where your team stood on Jan. 10, go here.
The schedule does not factor into these. This is a projected pecking order based on where a team stands right now.
And if you don't like where your team is in the post-signing day Power Rankings, then I'd suggest whining about it until your team plays better.
1. USC: The Trojans ranked 13th in the final recruiting rankings with just 12 signees. They will be ranked in the preseason top 5, perhaps even No. 1. If things go according to plan, USC will blow a big raspberry at Paul Dee next January.
2. Oregon: The Ducks surprisingly lost QB Darron Thomas to the NFL, but the far more important news is not losing coach Chip Kelly to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. A strong recruiting class and another likely top-5 preseason rankings sets the Ducks up nicely to enter the national title chase.
3. Stanford: Stanford signed the best recruiting class in the Pac-12. It was ranked 12th by ESPN Recruiting and much higher by just about every other recruiting service. While the Cardinal have big holes to fill -- most notably behind center -- a glance through the roster suggests those rooting for the program to topple after a grand rise are going to be disappointed.
4. Washington: Much of the recruiting season had been disappointing for the Huskies, particularly losing almost all of the top in-state prospects, including a pair of A-list linemen who would have addressed major needs. But Steve Sarkisian made a series of aggressive moves rebuilding his coaching staff, most notably with the hiring of defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox and ace recruiter Tosh Lupoi. That supplies much of the positive momentum here.
5. Utah: The Utes signed a strong recruiting class and welcome back a wealth of starters from a team that won eight games without much production at QB. The promotion of 24-year-old Brian Johnson to offensive coordinator was a surprising move, particularly with fans rooting for a "celebrity" hire. It could prove to be a stroke of genius, but the onus is now on Johnson to make it become so.
6. UCLA: The Bruins are the big climbers from our Jan. 10 power rankings -- moving up from No. 10 -- but that's what happens when new coach Jim Mora punches back at skepticism with an outstanding recruiting class. A team that looked like a "neh" is moving closer to a "maybe."
7. California: Despite all the hand-wringing over the loss of Lupoi and receivers coach Eric Kiesau to Washington, the Bears still signed a top-25 recruiting class that addresses needs. Still, perception matters, and at present, Bears fans seem more worried than optimistic. Nothing, of course, a few wins in a shiny remodeled stadium can't change.
8. Arizona: Rich Rodriguez's recruiting class finished at or near the bottom of the Pac-12, according to most rankings. That said, Rodriguez got his man at defensive coordinator, Jeff Casteel, which is significant because most trace the problems at Michigan to his failure to do so for the Wolverines.
9. Washington State: The Cougars didn't soar in the recruiting rankings just because of the hiring of coach Mike Leach. Still, that doesn't appear to be dampening the enthusiasm in Pullman.
10. Arizona State: New coach Todd Graham did a solid job salvaging the Sun Devils' recruiting class. But the loss of QB Brock Osweiler to the NFL and the NCAA's rejection of receiver T.J. Simpson's bid for a sixth year of eligibility leave the program with plenty of questions on offense. And just as many on defense.
11. Oregon State: The Beavers were victimized by a handful of late recruiting flips that put dents in what was shaping up to be a strong class. And the loss of secondary coach Keith Heyward to Washington also was a blow. On the plus side, the Beavers will see 17 returning starters during spring practices.
12. Colorado: The Buffaloes remain at the bottom because the bottom line is this: They welcome back 13 starters from a team that went 3-10 and ranked last in both scoring offense and scoring defense. Still, coach Jon Embree put together a solid recruiting class, one that could become the foundation of his substantial rebuilding project.
The recruiting beat goes on for USC head coach Lane Kiffin, although he will now shift his attention from high school seniors to a slightly older crowd. Already facing one coaching vacancy, Kiffin will now need to make two hires, as the San Diego Union-Tribune reported Friday that the San Diego Chargers have reached an agreement with USC linebackers coach Joe Barry to fill that position with the Chargers.
Barry had become a significant part of the USC coaching staff, developing a very young group of linebackers into one of the top returning units in the conference, and transitioning into an impact recruiter for the Trojans.
Barry had become a significant part of the USC coaching staff, developing a very young group of linebackers into one of the top returning units in the conference, and transitioning into an impact recruiter for the Trojans.
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The Trojans ended their recruiting season with the No. 13 class, but Lane Kiffin and his staff put together, pound for pound, one of the most impressive recruiting classes in the nation.
Their biggest need was along the offensive line, especially at the tackle position. The Trojans picked up a true left tackle in Zach Banner (Lakewood, Wash./Lakes) as well as Max Tuerk (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif./Santa Margarita) who can play both tackle and guard. These two will probably not have the luxury of taking a redshirt this season. They’ll both have to contribute and contribute early. The Trojans also picked up another good player in Jordan Simmons (Encino, Calif./Crespi). I don’t see Simmons’ needing to play as early as the tackles and he will most likely redshirt this season, but if the Trojans have a repeat of the injuries they had on the interior of the line at the beginning of last season, his number might be called upon early.
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ESPN The Magazine and RecruitingNation compiled the past five years (2007-11) of ESPNU 150 rankings and then crowned college football's top 10 recruiting programs.
Here's how they did it:
Here's the top-10.
1. Florida
2. Texas
3. USC
4. Alabama
5. Florida State
6. Notre Dame
T-7. Georgia
t-7: LSU
9. Miami
T-10. Ohio State
T-10. Oklahoma
Here's what it says about USC:
(USC actually signed three out-of-state recruits, including receiver Nelson Agholor and DT Leonard Williams, who are both from Florida).
What's clear from this list: Sometimes teams with lots of ESPNU 150 players produce on the field (Alabama, LSU, Oklahoma, Ohio State) and sometimes they do not (Florida, Texas, Florida State, Notre Dame and Miami).
Florida is 15-11 over the past two seasons, when these highly rated classes should have been peaking. Texas is 13-12 over the same span. Miami has lost fewer than six games just once since 2007. Notre Dame's best years came the past two seasons -- both 8-5. Florida State has averaged 4.8 losses since 2007. Georgia was 10-4 this season, but it was a combined 14-12 in 2009 and 2010. Ohio State probably can be forgiven its 6-7 finish this year, based on the NCAA issues and firing of coach Jim Tressel. Oklahoma's lone blip was an 8-5 campaign in 2009. USC's "downturn" came in 2009 and 2010 when the Trojans went 17-9.
Conclusions?
Well, it's possible that Florida recruiting -- as good as it is -- is overrated. Perhaps the same can be said for Texas. Or at least these four programs -- Florida, Florida State, Miami and Texas -- aren't doing the best job of evaluating their wealth of in-state talent.
Here's how they did it:
Our methodology was simple: We re-tallied the scores following signing day and ranked the schools based on total number of ESPNU 150 recruits (there have been 900) hauled in over the last six years. Of course, like success on the field, recruiting is cyclical -- and fans of programs both on and off this list might look back on Feb. 1, 2012 as the day their team began its rise (or fall) on the trail.
Here's the top-10.
1. Florida
2. Texas
3. USC
4. Alabama
5. Florida State
6. Notre Dame
T-7. Georgia
t-7: LSU
9. Miami
T-10. Ohio State
T-10. Oklahoma
Here's what it says about USC:
Top states: California (36), Florida (six), Arizona (four)
Surprise state: Georgia (three)
Sure, the Trojans have California locked up. But USC has also signed four of Arizona's 12 ESPNU 150 prospects and Georgia's second-best preps in 2008 (WR Brice Butler of Norcross) and 2010 (WR Markeith Ambles of McDonough). In 2012, USC signed seven ESPNU 150 commits -- OT Zach Banner (Lakewood, Wash.) was the lone out-of-state recruit.
(USC actually signed three out-of-state recruits, including receiver Nelson Agholor and DT Leonard Williams, who are both from Florida).
What's clear from this list: Sometimes teams with lots of ESPNU 150 players produce on the field (Alabama, LSU, Oklahoma, Ohio State) and sometimes they do not (Florida, Texas, Florida State, Notre Dame and Miami).
Florida is 15-11 over the past two seasons, when these highly rated classes should have been peaking. Texas is 13-12 over the same span. Miami has lost fewer than six games just once since 2007. Notre Dame's best years came the past two seasons -- both 8-5. Florida State has averaged 4.8 losses since 2007. Georgia was 10-4 this season, but it was a combined 14-12 in 2009 and 2010. Ohio State probably can be forgiven its 6-7 finish this year, based on the NCAA issues and firing of coach Jim Tressel. Oklahoma's lone blip was an 8-5 campaign in 2009. USC's "downturn" came in 2009 and 2010 when the Trojans went 17-9.
Conclusions?
Well, it's possible that Florida recruiting -- as good as it is -- is overrated. Perhaps the same can be said for Texas. Or at least these four programs -- Florida, Florida State, Miami and Texas -- aren't doing the best job of evaluating their wealth of in-state talent.
One day later, the USC Trojans’ 2012 recruiting class still registers as an overall success for Lane Kiffin and his staff. The 12 signees and five early enrollees will be a big part of the future of this program. WeAreSC hands out awards for the 2012 class.
Biggest Surprise -- DT Leonard Williams (Daytona Beach, Fla./Mainland)
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High four-star athlete Stefon Diggs (Olney, Md./Good Counsel), ranked No. 13 in the ESPNU 150, stuck to his plan and did not sign Wednesday.
Diggs took official visits to California (Dec. 2), Auburn (Jan. 13), Florida (Jan. 20) and Ohio State (Jan. 27). Other programs including USC, Maryland, Virginia and Virginia Tech could still be in the mix.
Diggs took official visits to California (Dec. 2), Auburn (Jan. 13), Florida (Jan. 20) and Ohio State (Jan. 27). Other programs including USC, Maryland, Virginia and Virginia Tech could still be in the mix.
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Shelley Smith reports on USC's signing day. The Trojans had a small recruiting class and lost out on some of their top targets.
4:49 p.m. -- Bryce Treggs (Bellflower, Calif./St. John Bosco) was the last Trojans target to announce, as he stuck with his original commitment to California. He resisted overtures to UCLA and USC, though it was unclear if Treggs had a commitable offer to the Trojans. Rogers has submitted his letter of intent, meaning that all 17 Trojans are now officially signed.
4:38 p.m. -- Carson, Calif., wide receiver Darreus Rogers announced for USC over Arizona State and Oregon. Rogers had been committed to the Trojans for over a year, but recently opened up his recruitment before deciding to go back to the Trojans.
3:04 p.m. -- Stanford took another prospect that USC was going after, as defensive tackle Aziz Shittu (Atwater, Calif./Buhach Colony) announced for the Cardinal. Shittu committed to Stanford early before opening up the process. Darreus Rogers and Bryce Treggs are the only USC targets that have yet to announce. They'll announce within the next two hours on Fox Sports Prime Ticket.
4:38 p.m. -- Carson, Calif., wide receiver Darreus Rogers announced for USC over Arizona State and Oregon. Rogers had been committed to the Trojans for over a year, but recently opened up his recruitment before deciding to go back to the Trojans.
3:04 p.m. -- Stanford took another prospect that USC was going after, as defensive tackle Aziz Shittu (Atwater, Calif./Buhach Colony) announced for the Cardinal. Shittu committed to Stanford early before opening up the process. Darreus Rogers and Bryce Treggs are the only USC targets that have yet to announce. They'll announce within the next two hours on Fox Sports Prime Ticket.
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Wide receiver Darreus Rogers (Carson, Calif./Carson) made fans of USC and Arizona State sweat it out to the end, but it was Trojans fans celebrating as Rogers announced Wednesday that he will sign with USC.
While he may have had the most questions surrounding him during this final week, Rogers is the longest standing commitment in USC’s 2012 recruiting class, verbally committing in January of 2011 and seeing it all the way through.
He took an official visit to Arizona State late in the process, but the USC coaches made Rogers a priority in this class and he is looking forward to earning the right to wear the No. 1 jersey at USC. He displayed his determination to do so with this commitment, as Arizona State offered a clear shot at immediate playing time. Rogers has made a point to already begin learning from USC receivers Robert Woods and Marqise Lee and has attended players-only throwing sessions.
While he may have had the most questions surrounding him during this final week, Rogers is the longest standing commitment in USC’s 2012 recruiting class, verbally committing in January of 2011 and seeing it all the way through.
He took an official visit to Arizona State late in the process, but the USC coaches made Rogers a priority in this class and he is looking forward to earning the right to wear the No. 1 jersey at USC. He displayed his determination to do so with this commitment, as Arizona State offered a clear shot at immediate playing time. Rogers has made a point to already begin learning from USC receivers Robert Woods and Marqise Lee and has attended players-only throwing sessions.
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Stanford's big national signing day continued, as defensive tackle Aziz Shittu (Atwater, Calif./Buhach Colony) chose Stanford, the school he originally committed to early in the process. Shittu picked Stanford despite a late push by USC, which impressed Shittu on an official visit to Los Angeles two weeks ago. California and UCLA were also finalists for Shittu.
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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.