Another recruiting question in this segment.

Q: uscmike said:
Why did Joe McKnight deny that he was driving the SUV when he registered the vehicle with the USC compliance department? Does USC provide any guidance to its student-athletes on how to deal with questions that are obviously designed to elicit information about NCAA violations (like “no comment”)?

A: He is not the most forthcoming individual to begin with and he probably was scared to answer questions on this matter. USC does brief athletes on how to answer questions but I don’t think they specifically address potential NCAA violations.

Q: fartnuggets00 said:
Why are we having such difficulty recruiting elite linebackers in recent years? Doesn’t the prospect of playing for Ken Norton, who helped develop Rivers, Tatupu, Maualuga, Cushing, and Matthews, sound even remotely enticing for a prep linebacker looking to make it to the league?

A: Every elite linebacker USC lost out on last year was for different reasons that were not really related to Ken Norton one way or another. Not everyone is impressed with his resume, though many recruits are. But he is not infallible as a recruiter. That said, this year will be crucial. If USC cannot convince elite linebackers like Ronald Powell that playing time is available, then it is time to examine how good of a recruiter some coaches are.