USC Trojans

Every Wednesday, the WeAreSC staff will take a quick-hit look at some of the top recruits and storylines facing USC recruiting for the week.

This week’s targets: Assistant coach Ed Orgeron dropped by River Ridge (La.) John Curtis Christian over the weekend to see safety Mattrell McGraw, No. 2-rated receiver Malachi Dupre and four-star linebacker Kenny Young in their spring scrimmage. Assistant coach Mike Ekeler checked in with ESPN 150 linebackers Clifton Garrett (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield South) and Nyles Morgan (Crete, Ill./Crete-Monee) at their respective schools on Monday, while three-star outside linebacker Michael Smith (Miami, Fla./Northwestern) said he also received a visit from USC. On Monday night, local receiver Brandon Burton (Gardena, Calif./Serra) became the first Class of 2016 prospect to land a Trojans scholarship offer.

Prospect performance: Last weekend’s Nike Football Training Camp in Oakland had a USC flavor to it. Five-star cornerback Adoree' Jackson (Gardena, Calif./Serra) shined in one-on-one drills, just a day after winning his section’s track and field title with a record-setting long jump of 25 feet. Jackson received an invitation to The Opening, as did fellow USC targets Joe Mixon, Michiah Quick and Adarius Pickett. Trojans defensive tackle commit Tashon Smallwood (Fresno, Calif./Central) also turned in an impressive performance in pass rushing drills. Fast-rising cornerback John Plattenburg (Corona, Calif./Centennial) and guard Kammy Delp (Pomona, Calif./Diamond Ranch), whom have garnered interest from USC assistant James Cregg, took home DB and OL MVP honors, respectively.

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OAKLAND, Calif. -- Silence fell over the hundreds of athletes as they took a knee near the north end zone at Laney College. With the six-hour Nike Football Training Camp behind them, they nervously looked around in anticipation.

“And the defensive back MVP goes to…”

Would it be the favorite, five-star cornerback and ESPN 150 member Adoree’ Jackson (Gardena, Calif./Serra)? Would it be Stanford safety commit Brandon Simmons (Arlington, Texas/Timberview)? Or would Northern California based four-star prospect Adarius Pickett (El Cerrito, Calif./El Cerrito) defend his turf?

It was neither.

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A number of athletes with either offers or interest from USC took part in the Oakland NFTC this weekend. Here are some of the top storylines to emerge:

1. Mixon isn’t afraid to embarrass his friends
There is a group of recruits from Northern California that are good friends in running back Joe Mixon (Oakley, Ca./Freedom) and linebackers D.J. Calhoun (El Cerrito, Ca./El Cerrito) and Michael Lazarus (Berkeley, Ca./Berkeley).

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A number of USC recruiting targets are expected to put their skills on display this weekend when the Nike Football Training Camp tour hits the Bay Area.

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Every Wednesday, the WeAreSC staff will take a quick-hit look at some of the top recruits and storylines facing USC recruiting for the week.

This week’s targets: Assistant coach Mike Summers watched top defensive end target Connor Humphreys (Portland, Ore./Central Catholic) work out on Monday morning before checking in with Class of 2014 fullback A.J. Hotchkins (Tigard, Ore./Tigard) for the first time. “He told my coach they were very interested,” Hotchkins said. Lake Mary (Fla.) coach Scott Perry said assistant coach Ed Orgeron dropped by to see 6-foot-5, 265-pound defensive tackle Adam Torres, whose offer list includes Florida State, Miami (Fla.) and Mississippi State. A stop at Brooksville (Fla.) Nature Coast Technical School for 2014 defensive end Rohan Blackwood was also on the itinerary, according to coach Charles Liggett’s Twitter account.

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Heading into the spring, it was difficult to imagine any duo in the West region stealing the recruiting spotlight from Gardena (Calif.) Serra's Adoree' Jackson and Dwight Williams. And while the five-star cornerback and four-star linebacker still rank as two of the more highly-recruited players in the country, some of the buzz has shifted to another set of teammates in Southern California. You won't hear much complaining from Jackson and Williams, however, as they share a locker room with the new dynamic duo.

Outside linebacker John Houston and defensive end Rasheem Green -- stars of the 2015 recruiting class -- didn't step into the recruiting process this spring; they dove in. For both, it was outstanding performances at the Los Angeles Nike Camp that catapulted them onto the radars of college coaches. UCLA offered both shortly after the event and they have been on a roll since then.

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FULLERTON, Calif. -- Some of the region's top teams showcased their skills in the IMG 7v7 West Regional at Fullerton College this past weekend, with the top four squads -- B2G 5-Star, Body By Tra, Those Guys #1 and TGS Warriors -- qualified for the national championship, which runs June 21-23 in Bradenton, Fla. Here is what we learned:

1. B2G gets payback

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WeAreSC recruiting reporter Blair Angulo answers reader questions in his mailbag every week. Have a USC recruiting question of your own? Submit it via Twitter @WeAreSCstaff or @bangulo.

Rob DiGiacomo (@Its_RobD): What’s the recruiting plan for defensive backs? Su’a Cravens and Leon McQuay are promising, however the past four seasons the secondary (has been) a big weakness.

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WeAreSC recruiting reporter Blair Angulo answers reader questions in his mailbag every week. Have a USC recruiting question of your own? Submit it via Twitter @WeAreSCstaff or @bangulo.

Bahong Tee (@PeaceLoveTae): Texas has 15 commits and USC has three. Should I worry or chill out until February?

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With today's release of the ESPN 150, here's a look at 10 of USC's top targets in the 2014 class.

1. CB Adoree’ Jackson (Gardena, Calif./Serra)
5-foot-11, 183 pounds
ESPN 150 Rank: 5

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ESPN Watch List offensive tackle Jordan Poland (La Jolla, Calif./Country Day School) committed to USC last June, long before the Trojans stumbled through a disappointing season and replaced his future position coach, James Cregg, with Mike Summers.

Several big-name schools have maintained their recruitment of the massive 6-foot-7, 330-pound prospect, but the Poland has not backed off his pledge. He attended USC’s spring game Saturday at the Memorial Coliseum and came away impressed with the line.

“Coach Summers has definitely impacted the linemen, but in a good way,” Poland said. “Their technique looks more sound than it did before. He’s been implementing a lot more drills they weren’t accustomed to, so he’s definitely making them look good.”

Though he’s still hearing from various schools and plans to take a few trips this summer, the initial returns this spring have solidified Poland’s commitment.

“When it comes down to committing, you want to be loyal to the school,” Poland said. “I’m happy with the school I’m committed to right now. Yes, a lot of schools are after me and I’m keeping my options open, but I’m happy to be a Trojan.”

Alabama, Michigan and Oregon are the three schools in heavy pursuit, Poland said. He intends to visit those schools sometime this summer.

“If I had to choose any other schools,” he said, “those would definitely be the ones I’d pick.”

Country Day School is an academically rigorous institution, so Poland hasn’t had much free time since the football season ended. He has used up all of his high school eligibility after transferring from Arizona, but is heading into his senior year academically.

“I’m looking to maybe play in a travel basketball team, but I’m not sure,” Poland said. “I might just stick to my football training. Everything is still in order for me to enroll early if things keep going well the way they have been.”

Poland became the first member of the 2014 recruiting class when he committed to USC on June 9. Back then, the Trojans were ranked No. 1 in the preseason polls, and limited scholarships were up for grabs.

“You’d expect more from one of the powerhouse football schools but, at the same time, I still like what the school can do when you step off the field,” Poland said. “It doesn’t affect my decision of going there at all, really. I know what the coaches can teach me ... Coach Cregg is a good dude and a good coach. He’s definitely a good piece of the team and he helps in a lot of positive ways. I keep in contact with him the most.”.”

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