Football and basketball recruiting in this segment.

Q: gotroy22 said:
Is the new commitment of Jahleel Pinner a sign that Coach Sunshine is loading up on fullbacks like Caesar used to load up on running backs?

A: I wouldn’t say USC is loading up on fullbacks but merely addressing a situation that is in dire need. Fullback is like offensive line and linebacker but usually gets less attention. So it’s a shrewd commitment. With only 15 scholarships, every one counts more now so this one is especially important.

Q: Ryan said:
Scott,

Is the Bryce Jones transfer and the dropping of Katin Reinhardt another nail in the coffin of Kevin O’Neil? or just a bump in the road on the way back to the NCAA tournament?

A: I look at these cases differently. Jones obviously had some anger management issues and O’Neill took a pretty strong stand that showed he would not tolerate bad behavior. I think the removal of Leonard Washington is an earlier example of this. I think at this stage of his career, O’Neill doesn’t feel like he needs to deal with problem players.
Reinhardt is not a problem player and I liked him when I saw him play this season at Mater Dei. But it looks like he got jittery over the transfer of Wake Forest swingman Ari Stewart. He said he wanted to reopen his recruitment and keep USC No. 1. But I think O’Neill felt like if Reinhardt had second thoughts, he should go somewhere else. Pete Carroll would have taken a different tack. I wouldn’t say it’s a nail in the coffin, mainly because of the track record of Mater Dei players in college.