On The Trail: USC Trojans
For most college football recruits, announcing a top 12 doesn’t attract a ton of views. For someone like ESPN 150 safety Jamal Adams (Lewisville, Texas/Hebron), a top 12 is news that many programs have anticipated for months.
That’s because Adams, a 6-foot, 199-pound, four-star defensive back, has been quite vocal about his high school football team's expectations and teammates but very tight-lipped about his recruiting. Many have speculated his interest, but he’s rarely confirmed or denied any reports.
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Smith balances faith, family and football 
May, 23, 2013
May 23
8:00
AM ET
By
Blair Angulo | ESPN.com
LONG BEACH, Calif. -- One of the most highly discussed prospects on the West Coast knows little about trending topics. He has zero followers, but admirers to spare.
Unlike many of his peers, ESPN 150 athlete John "JuJu" Smith of Long Beach (Calif.) Poly is completely shut off from the social media grid. He doesn’t tweet, doesn’t share filtered photographs of his meals or document his every move on a profile.
And, really, if it weren’t for the demands of recruiting, the four-star prospect might not even own a phone.
Unlike many of his peers, ESPN 150 athlete John "JuJu" Smith of Long Beach (Calif.) Poly is completely shut off from the social media grid. He doesn’t tweet, doesn’t share filtered photographs of his meals or document his every move on a profile.
And, really, if it weren’t for the demands of recruiting, the four-star prospect might not even own a phone.
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NORCROSS, Ga. -- ESPN 150 defensive end Lorenzo Carter seems to never stop grinning, even on the football field. His 100-megawatt smile calls to mind another affable defensive end, Michael Strahan, complete with the trademark gap. Even a shoving match with a teammate resulted in Carter falling down laughing about it later.
During the Norcross spring game on Friday, Carter and offensive tackle Horatio Walker tangled as they went at each other in the trenches. Walker held Carter’s jersey and was rewarded with a shot to the helmet.
“Well it was a run, and I don’t think Horatio respects me on the run yet, but it is all good,” Carter said between guffaws. “He tried to bully me around, but I was not having that so I had to hit him back. I was having fun out there.”
During the Norcross spring game on Friday, Carter and offensive tackle Horatio Walker tangled as they went at each other in the trenches. Walker held Carter’s jersey and was rewarded with a shot to the helmet.
“Well it was a run, and I don’t think Horatio respects me on the run yet, but it is all good,” Carter said between guffaws. “He tried to bully me around, but I was not having that so I had to hit him back. I was having fun out there.”
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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 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.
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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Damien Mama (Bellflower, Calif./St. John Bosco) made himself invisible to college coaches for a short time this spring, which isn’t an easy thing for a 6-foot-4, 352-pound recruit -- as well as the No. 68 player overall and No. 3 offensive guard in the country -- to do.
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Five-star cornerback Adoree’ Jackson and four-star linebacker Dwight Williams are undoubtedly the headliners for an immensely talented Gardena (Calif.) Serra football team that won a state bowl game last year.
Class of 2015 prospects Rasheem Green and John Houston Jr., already national recruits, are next in line. After that, it appears 2016 receiver Brandon Burton will carry the torch for the Southern California powerhouse.
Class of 2015 prospects Rasheem Green and John Houston Jr., already national recruits, are next in line. After that, it appears 2016 receiver Brandon Burton will carry the torch for the Southern California powerhouse.
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OAKLAND, Calif. -- Despite being one of the final stops in Nike Football Training Camp tour, Oakland certainly proved it was worth the wait. The event’s biggest impressions centered around a handful of ESPN 150 members, the region’s top-rated running back, an SEC-committed quarterback and performances by Northern California-based recruits, who definitely defended their turf.
Star power shined
Nine campers earned invites to The Opening, including ESPN 150 members Adoree' Jackson (Gardena, Calif./Serra), Michiah Quick (Fresno, Calif./Central), Joe Mixon (Oakley, Calif./Freedom) and Dalton Schultz (South Jordan, Utah/Bingham).
And while the big-name prospects proved themselves, there were also some under-the-radar athletes who had standout performances, as linebacker Joey Alfieri (Portland, Ore./Jesuit), quarterback Kyle Carta-Samuels (San Jose, Calif./Bellarmine Prep), lineman Kammy Delp (Pomona, Calif./Diamond Ranch), cornerback Adarius Pickett (El Cerrito, Calif./El Cerrito) and safety Brandon Simmons (Arlington, Texas/Timberview) received golden tickets.
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SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Keller Chryst (Palo Alto, Calif./Palo Alto) has plenty of history to follow.
His grandfather, George Chryst, was a longtime high school football coach and the head coach at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. His father, Geep Chryst, is the quarterback coach of the San Francisco 49ers. His uncle, Paul Chryst, is the head coach at Pittsburgh. Another uncle, Rick Chryst, was the commissioner of the Mid-American Conference for 10 years. And if that wasn’t enough, Chryst was named after a football icon: Michael Keller Ditka, Jr.
Yet, with all the potential fanfare surrounding his family and upbringing, Keller, the No. 2 quarterback in the country, has found a way to stay off the grid, far removed from the usual media and recruiting attention that comes with being one of the nation’s top quarterback recruits.
His grandfather, George Chryst, was a longtime high school football coach and the head coach at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. His father, Geep Chryst, is the quarterback coach of the San Francisco 49ers. His uncle, Paul Chryst, is the head coach at Pittsburgh. Another uncle, Rick Chryst, was the commissioner of the Mid-American Conference for 10 years. And if that wasn’t enough, Chryst was named after a football icon: Michael Keller Ditka, Jr.
Yet, with all the potential fanfare surrounding his family and upbringing, Keller, the No. 2 quarterback in the country, has found a way to stay off the grid, far removed from the usual media and recruiting attention that comes with being one of the nation’s top quarterback recruits.
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SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- The penultimate Elite 11 Regional brought some of the West region’s top quarterbacks out to the San Francisco 49ers practice facility on Friday evening. Though no quarterback earned MVP honors or walked away with an invitation to the Elite 11 Finals, RecruitingNation learned plenty about those in attendance.
A Milford man no more
Until Friday evening, ESPN 150 quarterback Keller Chryst (Palo Alto, Calif./Palo Alto) had been neither seen nor heard this spring in as large a setting as the Elite 11 provided. Chryst doesn’t participate in 7-on-7 tournaments and spends even less time speaking with the media, so Friday provided Chryst with an opportunity to make a statement, and he delivered. Though the 6-foot-4, 225-pound quarterback wasn’t completely pleased with his day, it was easy to see why several top programs have made him a priority in this class. Chryst was one of eight quarterbacks selected to compete in the final pressure-cooker drill and said after the camp that Alabama, Pittsburgh, Stanford and USC are the four schools he is focused on at the present, though he has no plans for which summer camps he will attend or when he will make a final decision.
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Trojans offer second in-state running back
May, 15, 2013
May 15
6:43
PM ET
By
Blair Angulo | ESPN.com
Four-star running back Royce Freeman (Imperial, Calif./Imperial) felt strongly that USC was going to offer him a scholarship sooner rather than later. A big indication came last week when new assistant coach Mike Summers made the 200-mile trek south from the Los Angeles campus to see Freeman work out.
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DALLAS -- Four-star linebacker and Texas commit Cameron Hampton (Dallas/Carter) saw the Longhorns’ 2014 recruiting class take a hit with decommitments from the Fort Worth (Texas) All Saints duo of offensive tackle Demetrius Knox and running back Daniel Gresham.
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Bishard 'Budda' Baker picks up USC offer
May, 15, 2013
May 15
10:36
AM ET
By
Blair Angulo | ESPN.com
ESPN 150 safety Bishard Baker (Bellevue, Wash./Bellevue) estimates it took about a month for a few generic pieces of USC mail to turn into a consistent stream of handwritten letters.
On Tuesday afternoon, the increase in contact culminated to a scholarship offer.
“They started sending me a whole bunch of handwritten letters, so I wanted to see what would happen,” Baker said. “It came slow, but then it picked up.”
On Tuesday afternoon, the increase in contact culminated to a scholarship offer.
“They started sending me a whole bunch of handwritten letters, so I wanted to see what would happen,” Baker said. “It came slow, but then it picked up.”
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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.
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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The Florida State Seminoles waited a long time to offer their first freshman in the state of California, but after extending one to 2015 quarterback Kevin Dillman (La Mirada, Calif./La Mirada) last year, they didn't wait long to do it again.
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ACC
Boston College
Christian Lezzer | ILB |Clearfield, Pa./Clearfield
HT: 6-1 WT: 215
Position Rank: N/A
Stars: Evaluation Pending
Clemson
Milan Richard |TE-Y |Savannah, Ga./Calvary Baptist Day School
HT: 6-3 WT: 229
Position Rank: #2 TE-Y
Stars: 4
Maryland
Johnathan Thomas |RB |Peabody, Mass./Saint John's Prep
HT: 5-11 WT: 196
Position Rank: #35 RB
Stars: 4
Big 12
Iowa State
Victor Holmes |S |La Porte, Texas/La Porte
HT: 5-11 WT: 177
Position Rank: N/A
Stars: Evaluation Pending
De'Monte Ruth | CB | Dallas/Wilmer Hutchins
HT: 5-9 WT: 150
Position Rank: N/A
Stars: Evaluation Pending
Texas Tech
Byron Daniels | WR | San Antonio/James Madison
HT: 5-11 WT: 170
Position Rank: N/A
Stars: Evaluation Pending
Big East
Cincinnati
Hakeem Allonce | DT | Greenbelt, Md./Pierce College (JC)
HT: 6-5 WT: 290
Position Rank: N/A
Stars: Evaluation Pending
Louisville
De'Eric Culver | CB | Tallahassee, Fla./Godby
HT: 5-10 WT: 169
Position Rank: N/A
Stars: Evaluation Pending
Jared McCray | OT | Minford, Ohio/Minford
HT: 6-4 WT: 305
Position Rank: N/A
Stars: Evaluation Pending
Big Ten
Nebraska
Jason Hall | S |Grand Prairie, Texas/South Grand Prairie
HT: 6-2 WT: 192
Position Rank: N/A
Stars: Evaluation Pending
Northwestern
Auston Anderson | RB | Plano, Texas/Plano West
HT: 5-9 WT: 180
Position Rank: N/A
Stars: Evaluation Pending
Tommy Doles | OT | Grand Rapids, Mich./Grand Rapids Christian
HT: 6-5 WT: 250
Position Rank: #47 OT
Stars: 3
Dareian Watkins | ATH | Galion, Ohio/Galion
HT: 6-1 WT: 195
Position Rank: #40 ATH
Stars: 4
Penn State
Daquan Worley | ATH | Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville
HT: 5-10 WT: 171
Position Rank: N/A
Stars: Evaluation Pending
Purdue
Trae Hart | WR | Dallas/First Baptist Academy
HT: 5-11 WT: 155
Position Rank: N/A
Stars: Evaluation Pending
Pac-12
Arizona State
Korey Rush | DE | Salt Lake City/East
HT: 6-2 WT: 240
Position Rank: N/A
Stars: Evaluation Pending
Stanford
Daniel Marx | FB | Mission Viejo, Calif./Mission Viego
HT: 6-3 WT: 238
Position Rank: N/A
Stars: Evaluation Pending
USC
Austin Maloata | DT | Corona, Calif./Centennial
HT: 6-3 WT: 250
Position Rank: N/A
Stars: Evaluation Pending
Washington
Don Hill | DE | Boise, Idaho/Timberline
HT: 6-4 WT: 235
Position Rank: N/A
Stars: Evaluation Pending
SEC
Alabama
Zach Whitley Jr. | ILB | Houston, Texas/North Shore
HT: 6-2 WT: 220
Position Rank: #9 ILB
Stars: 4
Mississippi State
Jamoral Graham | ATH | Decatur, Miss./Newton County Academy
HT: 5-11 WT: 180
Position Rank: #15 ATH
Stars: 4
ESPN 150 (#109)
Missouri
Kevin Pendleton | OT | Lee's Summit, Mo./Lee's Summit West
HT: 6-4 WT: 328
Position Rank: N/A
Stars: Evaluation Pending
Boston College
Christian Lezzer | ILB |Clearfield, Pa./Clearfield
HT: 6-1 WT: 215
Position Rank: N/A
Stars: Evaluation Pending
Clemson
Milan Richard |TE-Y |Savannah, Ga./Calvary Baptist Day School
HT: 6-3 WT: 229
Position Rank: #2 TE-Y
Stars: 4
Maryland
Johnathan Thomas |RB |Peabody, Mass./Saint John's Prep
HT: 5-11 WT: 196
Position Rank: #35 RB
Stars: 4
Big 12
Iowa State
Victor Holmes |S |La Porte, Texas/La Porte
HT: 5-11 WT: 177
Position Rank: N/A
Stars: Evaluation Pending
De'Monte Ruth | CB | Dallas/Wilmer Hutchins
HT: 5-9 WT: 150
Position Rank: N/A
Stars: Evaluation Pending
Texas Tech
Byron Daniels | WR | San Antonio/James Madison
HT: 5-11 WT: 170
Position Rank: N/A
Stars: Evaluation Pending
Big East
Cincinnati
Hakeem Allonce | DT | Greenbelt, Md./Pierce College (JC)
HT: 6-5 WT: 290
Position Rank: N/A
Stars: Evaluation Pending
Louisville
De'Eric Culver | CB | Tallahassee, Fla./Godby
HT: 5-10 WT: 169
Position Rank: N/A
Stars: Evaluation Pending
Jared McCray | OT | Minford, Ohio/Minford
HT: 6-4 WT: 305
Position Rank: N/A
Stars: Evaluation Pending
Big Ten
Nebraska
Jason Hall | S |Grand Prairie, Texas/South Grand Prairie
HT: 6-2 WT: 192
Position Rank: N/A
Stars: Evaluation Pending
Northwestern
Auston Anderson | RB | Plano, Texas/Plano West
HT: 5-9 WT: 180
Position Rank: N/A
Stars: Evaluation Pending
Tommy Doles | OT | Grand Rapids, Mich./Grand Rapids Christian
HT: 6-5 WT: 250
Position Rank: #47 OT
Stars: 3
Dareian Watkins | ATH | Galion, Ohio/Galion
HT: 6-1 WT: 195
Position Rank: #40 ATH
Stars: 4
Penn State
Daquan Worley | ATH | Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville
HT: 5-10 WT: 171
Position Rank: N/A
Stars: Evaluation Pending
Purdue
Trae Hart | WR | Dallas/First Baptist Academy
HT: 5-11 WT: 155
Position Rank: N/A
Stars: Evaluation Pending
Pac-12
Arizona State
Korey Rush | DE | Salt Lake City/East
HT: 6-2 WT: 240
Position Rank: N/A
Stars: Evaluation Pending
Stanford
Daniel Marx | FB | Mission Viejo, Calif./Mission Viego
HT: 6-3 WT: 238
Position Rank: N/A
Stars: Evaluation Pending
USC
Austin Maloata | DT | Corona, Calif./Centennial
HT: 6-3 WT: 250
Position Rank: N/A
Stars: Evaluation Pending
Washington
Don Hill | DE | Boise, Idaho/Timberline
HT: 6-4 WT: 235
Position Rank: N/A
Stars: Evaluation Pending
SEC
Alabama
Zach Whitley Jr. | ILB | Houston, Texas/North Shore
HT: 6-2 WT: 220
Position Rank: #9 ILB
Stars: 4
Mississippi State
Jamoral Graham | ATH | Decatur, Miss./Newton County Academy
HT: 5-11 WT: 180
Position Rank: #15 ATH
Stars: 4
ESPN 150 (#109)
Missouri
Kevin Pendleton | OT | Lee's Summit, Mo./Lee's Summit West
HT: 6-4 WT: 328
Position Rank: N/A
Stars: Evaluation Pending
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