USC Trojans

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

And then, there was one.

Four-star defensive end Jason Hatcher from Louisville (Ky.) Trinity committed to USC on Friday afternoon, becoming the 17th pledge for the 2013 recruiting class and leaving only one remaining spot. Some thoughts on what his commitment means:

The fourth piece: Counting Hatcher, USC reeled in four defensive linemen in the class -- two ends and two tackles -- to create a front that, on paper, looks like a nightmare in the making for future Pac-12 offenses. Hatcher joins fellow defensive end commit Kylie Fitts from Redlands (Calif.) East Valley, as well as tackle commits Kenny Bigelow from Elkton (Md.) Eastern Christian Academy and Eddie Vanderdoes from Auburn (Calif.) Placer.

To continue reading this article you must be an Insider

WeAreSC recruiting reporter Blair Angulo answers reader questions in his mailbag every Friday. Have a USC recruiting question of your own? Submit it here.

Sean (Las Vegas, Nev.): If Silas Redd transfers from Penn State to USC, should USC fans be concerned that it might soften the commitments of either [Ty] Isaac or [Justin] Davis?

No. Projected starting tailback Curtis McNeal is a senior, so he won't be around when Isaac or Davis arrive on campus. If Redd, a junior, were to transfer to USC, Isaac and Davis would have to compete against him for only one year. That's really what it narrows down to: Competition.

To continue reading this article you must be an Insider

Vernon Hargreaves, the nation’s top-ranked cornerback and No. 4 prospect overall, committed to Florida on Thursday, tweeting the news.

The five-star player wrote on his Twitter account: “I can officially say I am committed to THE University of Florida! #GoGators. CHOMP CHOMP!”

Hargreaves (Tampa/Wharton) had offers from across the country but recently had narrowed it to a top five of Florida, Clemson, Miami, Vanderbilt and Notre Dame, in that order.

Hargreaves will play in the 2013 Under Armour All-America game in St. Petersburg, Fla. He is Florida’s 18th commitment and becomes the highest-ranked player in the class.

To continue reading this article you must be an Insider

“If defensive end Jason Hatcher commits to USC tomorrow, the Trojans will only have one scholarship left for the class of 2013. List three players you would consider for that final spot and why.”

Garry Paskwietz

DL Torrodney Prevot (Houston/Taylor): It appears as if LSU is the leading school for Prevot right now but he could get a full court press from the SC coaches to gauge his interest in the Trojans.

To continue reading this article you must be an Insider

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.

To continue reading this article you must be an Insider

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.

To continue reading this article you must be an Insider

USC has reeled in five verbal commitments in the month of July, filling a third of its current recruiting class in the span of 16 frantic days. The latest came Monday when Brentwood (Tenn.) Academy's Jalen Ramsey, the nation's seventh-ranked cornerback, pledged for the Trojans.

Dwindling scholarship numbers obviously won't allow the Trojans to keep the same torrid pace, and neither will the uncertain status of their top remaining targets. The recruits atop USC's board don't appear to be in any hurry to commit.

With Ramsey, cornerback Chris Hawkins (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./Rancho Cucamonga) and top-ranked safety Su'a Cravens (Murrieta, Calif./Vista Murrieta) on board, the attention turns to adding to an already strong secondary group.

To continue reading this article you must be an Insider

The rich got richer Monday, and it seems that only NCAA mandated scholarship limitations will put a cap on USC’s gold rush.

Four-star cornerback Jalen Ramsey (Brentwood, Tenn./Brentwood Academy) became the latest high-profile recruit to commit to the Trojans, joining a stacked class that already includes 11 players ranked in the ESPN 150. Three of the other four verbal commitments are ranked inside the ESPN 300.

Ramsey, the nation’s seventh-ranked corner and 57th-best prospect overall, had recently taken two trips to the USC campus. He shined at the Rising Stars Camp and followed it up with a stellar showing at The Opening, leading to his enormous ascension in the rankings.

To continue reading this article you must be an Insider

So, how was your Wednesday?

If you’re a fan of USC recruiting, my guess is it was a pretty good day.

My day started at Cathedral High School to watch a camp that featured USC class of 2015 verbal commit quarterback David Sills (Elkton, Md./Eastern Christian Academy). It’s always good to get a chance to catch Sills in action whenever he comes to California to judge the progress he is making as a player.

To continue reading this article you must be an Insider

A visit to USC by top-ranked cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III (Tampa, Fla./Wharton) on Wednesday may have been overshadowed by the headline-grabbing commitments of Khaliel Rodgers, Nico Falah and Eddie Vanderdoes, but it wasn't overlooked.

The five-star athlete has serious interest in the Trojans and even pegged them as his leaders after his trip to Los Angeles.

"It was great," Hargreaves said. "It wasn't what I expected. I'd never been there before so I didn't know what to expect. I liked everything about it."

To continue reading this article you must be an Insider

Who will fill the remaining four scholarship spots in USC’s recruiting class?

Erik McKinney

S Max Redfield (Mission Viejo, Calif./Mission Viejo): Reminds some of Marqise Lee in his athletic ability in several sports and at several positions.

To continue reading this article you must be an Insider

Which five USC recruits, committed or uncommitted, are you most looking forward to following at The Opening?

Garry Paskwietz
CB Jalen Ramsey (Brentwood, Tenn./Brentwood Academy): There is a lot of buzz right now about the possibility of Ramsey becoming a Trojan. He made two visits to the USC campus in the last month and also took part in the recent Rising Stars Camp. This event will offer a real opportunity to see how he performs on the same field as some of the top West Coast corners such as Chris Hawkins (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./Rancho Cucamonga).

To continue reading this article you must be an Insider