USC Trojans

After weeks of speculation involving USC, Louisville and Kentucky, ESPN 300 defensive end Jason Hatcher has made up his mind heading into signing day.

To continue reading this article you must be an Insider

In a topsy-turvy recruiting season that has had Trojans fans teetering on the brink of insanity with the decommitments of one-time USC verbals Eddie Vanderdoes, Max Redfield, Eldridge Massington, Sebastian LaRue and Kylie Fitts -- not to mention the uncertain status of others such as Jalen Ramsey and Torrodney Prevot -- it’s worth taking a quick look back to signing day 2011. While the saga of the Class of 2013 has been filled with plenty of drama, nothing compares to the way Lane Kiffin and his staff were rocked by the last-second defection of De’Anthony Thomas.

To continue reading this article you must be an Insider

The sudden decommitment of ESPN 150 defensive end Kylie Fitts (Redlands, Calif./Redlands East Valley) on Tuesday added a twist to the ever-changing USC recruiting landscape, stirring a bit of drama with less than four weeks until national signing day.

To continue reading this article you must be an Insider

While the participation of 14 commits in all-star events over the weekend provided USC Trojans fans with a sneak peek of the nation’s No. 5-ranked class, the momentous pledge of ESPN 150 safety Leon McQuay III (Seffner, Fla./Armwood) on Friday at the Under Armour All-American Game was undoubtedly the highlight.

USC secured a much-needed second safety to pair with No. 1-rated Su’a Cravens (Murrieta, Calif./Vista Murrieta), who attended the U.S. Army All-American Bowl week activities but did not participate due to injury. Both McQuay and Cravens are early enrollees and will have the opportunity to compete for immediate playing time this spring following the graduation of safeties T.J. McDonald, Jawanza Starling and Drew McAllister.

McQuay became the 15th member of a recruiting class that recently lost two ESPN 150 prospects: defensive tackle Eddie Vanderdoes (Auburn, Calif./Placer) and receiver Sebastian LaRue (Santa Monica, Calif./Santa Monica). Former commit Max Redfield (Mission Viejo, Calif./Mission Viejo) officially switched to rival Notre Dame minutes before McQuay announced on the same chair. It was a major recruiting victory.

To continue reading this article you must be an Insider

Long overdue for positive news, the USC Trojans finally got some Friday in the form of a commitment from highly coveted safety Leon McQuay III (Seffner, Fla./Armwood), live during the Under Armour All-America Game in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Quite frankly, USC needed this one.

Following a recent rough stretch -- both in recruiting and on the field -- the addition of McQuay to a dwindling class is both significant and encouraging. If the Trojans plan to regain the momentum they built in the summer, securing a pledge from the nation's No. 3 safety is a good start.

To continue reading this article you must be an Insider

If Notre Dame lands the No. 1 class in 2013, the Fighting Irish might be thanking Max Redfield. It’s not only because of the immense talent Redfield brings -- though it helps -- but because he might have started a slew of decommitments that will end up in the Irish’s favor.

Redfield officially visited Notre Dame the weekend of Oct. 12 and decommitted from USC shortly thereafter. He was then a major Irish lean for quite some time. California is a major recruiting ground for the Irish, and like Redfield, several ESPN 150 prospects from the state were still hearing from the Irish despite being committed to USC.

Two of those prospects were Sebastian LaRue and Eddie Vanderdoes, and both recently decommitted from the Trojans. Each will take an official visit to Notre Dame now, and the Irish are in a strong position to land both. Redfield can be looked at as the prospect who started it all.

Athletically, Redfield brings two-way talent and can play either receiver or defensive back when he gets to South Bend. The defensive backfield is an area the Irish needed to address in the 2013 class, and he can play safety in South Bend.

To continue reading this article you must be an Insider

The decommitment of ESPN 150 receiver Sebastian LaRue (Santa Monica, Calif./Santa Monica) from USC had been brewing the past few weeks, so his announcement Wednesday was a mere formality.

It had become apparent that LaRue would not sign with the Trojans in February, with the four-star receiver reluctant to even discuss his recruitment recently. And even though LaRue had been a frequent visitor for USC games at the Coliseum this season, the versatile athlete had been tight-lipped since returning from an official visit to Washington State.

While the rest of USC's verbal commitments had either visited or scheduled their official trips to Los Angeles, LaRue had not. He set up a visit to Texas A&M for the Jan. 18 weekend, which is the Trojans' big recruiting date. LaRue also scheduled a trip to Notre Dame for Jan. 25 and said he did not know if he'd even make it to USC before signing day.

To continue reading this article you must be an Insider

LOS ANGELES -- With all 16 verbal commitments selected to compete in the upcoming all-star games, the USC Trojans will have great representation under the national spotlight. There will also be particular interest in a handful of in-game announcements, namely that of recent official visitor Leon McQuay III (Seffner, Fla./Armwood), a top safety target who intends to enroll early. Here’s a guide to all USC recruits in next week’s All-American games:

Under Armour All-American Game

When: Jan. 4, 2 p.m. PT

To continue reading this article you must be an Insider

One the of top wide receivers in the state, and the country, has been fantastic in practice this week at the Cal-State Game in Visalia, Calif.

ESPN 150 WR Sebastian LaRue (Santa Monica, Calif./Santa Monica) has been among the top playmakers on either side this week. That dynamic play is why Texas A&M and Notre Dame are continuing their pursuit of the long-time USC commit.

"Yeah, I'm still good with 'SC. I just want to give those programs a chance to show me what they're all about," said LaRue. "In January, I'm going to visit both of them. I'll be in College Station on the 18th and then South Bend on the 25th."

To continue reading this article you must be an Insider

The up-and-down world of recruiting took another turn on Tuesday with the news that ESPN 300 wide receiver Eldridge Massington (Mesquite, Tex./West Mesquite) has decommitted from the Trojans.

This one seems strange on the surface as Massington, ranked at No. 167 in the ESPN 300, had been extremely loyal in his dedication to USC. Massington had given his verbal commit to the Trojans last spring despite having never seen the campus. After he took a visit for the USC summer camp, his commitment seemed to grow even stronger, and he was unwavering in support of his future school.

In a cruel twist, Massington later attended a camp at the University of Tennessee where he suffered a knee injury that would require surgery and cause him to miss the 2012 season. The USC coaches made it clear at the time his scholarship would still be honored, and Massington dedicated himself to enrolling early at USC for the spring semester in order to continue his rehab with the Trojans' medical staff.

To continue reading this article you must be an Insider

ESPN Watch List cornerback Adoree' Jackson (Gardena, Calif./Serra) hasn't shied from talking glowingly of LSU and USC, but did a UCLA victory over the Trojans on Saturday change his perception of the other local school?

"It really has," Jackson said. "They keep succeeding. I know the UCLA coaches are really busy, but they still have time to reach out to me. I really appreciate that. It's a possibility. I can see myself considering them, but that's something I'm going until next year to worry about."

Jackson has yet to receive offers from LSU or USC, but the two powerhouses have been longtime favorites in his recruitment. He is a Louisiana native, so his interest in the Tigers makes sense. Serra High School has produced current Trojans Robert Woods, Marqise Lee and George Farmer.

To continue reading this article you must be an Insider

Here are this week’s top high school football games featuring USC commits:

Mission Hills (Calif.) Alemany vs. Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei at Santa Ana Stadium: USC receiver commit Steven Mitchell and Alemany (9-2) look to advance in the CIF Southern Section Pac-5 Division bracket, but it will not be easy. Mater Dei (9-2) features one of the area’s best Class of 2014 prospects, cornerback Jonathan Lockett. The game will be broadcast live locally on Fox Sports West.

Sherman Oaks (Calif.) Notre Dame at Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco: Behind a strong running game and offensive line anchor Nico Falah, a USC commit, St. John Bosco (7-4) has yet to lose on the field this season. (Four victories were forfeited for use of an ineligible player.) With four-star running back Khalfani Muhammad and quarterback Kelly Hilinski, Notre Dame (8-3) is more than capable of pulling off an upset in the difficult CIF Southern Section Pac-5 Division bracket. The game will be streamed live by Fox Sports West on its Prep Zone online platform.

To continue reading this article you must be an Insider

Four-star receiver Sebastian LaRue (Santa Monica, Calif./Santa Monica) remained committed to USC following his weekend trip to Washington State. Despite chilly temperatures in Pullman, Wash., the ESPN 150 receiver thoroughly enjoyed his first official visit but returned home Monday night as an unwavering member of the Trojans recruiting class.

“My trip was nice,” LaRue said. “It was cold, but it was definitely a nice trip.”

LaRue added he might still consider Washington State if he decides to change his commitment in the next few months.

To continue reading this article you must be an Insider

LOS ANGELES -- USC receiver commit Sebastian LaRue (Santa Monica, Calif./Santa Monica) took an official visit to Washington State and was still in Pullman taking a tour of campus as of Sunday evening. He published a photo on his Twitter account of a group of Washington State fans holding up a sign that read, "LaRue come to the Zzu." LaRue said he was scheduled to return home Monday.

Trojans defensive end commit Kylie Fitts (Redlands, Calif./Redlands East Valley), who intends to enroll early, took a trip to Washington for the Huskies' final regular-season home game against Utah, his first official visit. He is scheduled to take his official to USC on the weekend of Dec. 7, along with the rest of the early enrollees. Recent decommit Max Redfield (Mission Viejo, Calif./Mission Viejo) was also in Seattle for an official visit. He also expects to take trips to LSU and Oregon in the near future.

Four-star defensive tackle commit Eddie Vanderdoes (Auburn, Calif./Placer) took an unofficial visit to Cal, while four-star quarterback commit Max Browne (Sammamish, Wash./Skyline) was at the Coliseum for the Trojans' 38-17 victory against Arizona State.

Also attending Saturday's game were Class of 2014 offensive lineman Mason Cole (Tarpon Springs, Fla./East Lake), who made the cross-country trek for an unofficial visit, as well as Class of 2013 commits Nico Falah (Bellflower, Calif./St. John Bosco), Chris Hawkins (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./Rancho Cucamonga) and Steven Mitchell (Mission Hills, Calif./Alemany).

To continue reading this article you must be an Insider