USC v. Alabama

USC’s been focused on Tua Tagovailoa as its quarterback for the 2017 recruiting class. Tagovailoa is supposed to announce his college choice Monday. But Alabama is now the favorite. Why? Because USC’s now offered a scholarship to QB Davis Mills, who is already committed to Stanford. Losing a QB to Alabama and then suddenly going after one committed to Stanford hardly seems like the ideal course. I wonder what Lane Kiffin thinks?

62 thoughts on “USC v. Alabama

  1. If Tua is offended that USC offered another QB, then good luck dealing with REAL WORLD problems, kid!

  2. I see that Scott subscribes to Ryan Abraham’s twitter account. Good work Scott!

  3. FWIW…Not sure if that is all that bad if Tua goes…has anybody actually seen him throw? I’ve seen him numerous times at passing league 7/7 games…has a very weird throwing motion. He’s a lefty, and drops the ball near his shoulder before he throws. He’s got a quick release and rifle for an arm, no doubt, but I’m sure a QB coach will want him to keep the ball higher when he throws, and that might mess with his mojo…

    Also, he looks like he would be a better running back than a QB, and dominating in Hawaii is different than doing really good in the states because of the numbers/competition. Agreed, if he is offended by competition, let him go.

    • Since Scott is taking from Ryan Abraham’s twitter would attribution, some background might be in order (from Ryan’s website on Scout):

      1.) Allegedly, Tua’s family wants to move with Tua. Cost of living in Alabama is way less than LA. And allegedly Tua’s father has “found” a job in Mobile.

      2.) No coincidence that Bama’s recruitment of Tua went into overdrive after their spring game. Apparently, Blake Barnett is not the QB of the future.

      3.) SEC Network money is really separating the Conference from the rest of college football. SEC schools invest lavishly on their programs and it shows.

  4. It sounds like USC needs to hire a new director of recruiting, because it appears someone has no idea what he’s doing. Clay Helton over recruits the wide receiver position, but lacks depth on the defensive line to the point he couldn’t conduct a spring scrimmage. So now he’s going after a quarterback that will probably never have the ability to start at his position at SC , just as the 5’9 quarterback at Las Vegas, Bishop Gorman High School never will, either.

    • Again, paraphrasing from Ryan’s site (which I read), recruits are looking at Darnold and thinking “I am not seeing the field for at least, two, if not three years. Then I will be in a battle with Matt Correll. I don’t want to end up like Max Browne.”

    • Helton’s philosophy is to take a QB every year. I don’t blame him, because of transfers and the time it takes a QB to be at a level to contribute.

      Anyway, who would you rather use one of the 24 scholies on, a QB who may or may not contribute in three years, or a DL who can contribute right away?

      • My philosophy is you build a championship team from the inside out by controlling the line of scrimmage. So I’m taking top linemen all day, every day. Alabama has been winning championships with average quarterback play, since Nick Saban took over. So let Clay Helton keep wasting scholarships on quarterbacks, and receivers that he doesn’t need, and he’ll be on the outside looking in , just like the two coaches before him.

  5. Tua’s on his way to Tusculoosa. Rumor has it that his parents are completely sold on the cost of living and his father is steering him to Alabama. USC must suddenly move on. And when it’s all said and done winning cures everything, which we must now do.

      • USC has to stop pointing to the future with the program. Sanctions are over. We have to win now to prove to players locally and nationally that we are for real.

        • See my comment below on Tua. I don’t think it’s realistic anymore for any program to get the best QB in every class, these kids want to play and play quickly.

          • That’s true. When they see Manzel play as RS Freshman, Goff and Rosen play as true Freshman it only makes it that more tough. They want to play right away.

          • No question, if you look at the school’s Martel is seriously considering, most if not all of them will not have an incumbent starter on the roster. You can also look at what happened to A&M when they took highly ranked kids in back to back years.

          • Now they’re saying A&M pi**ed off Martell by telling him that he cannot take his 5 official visits, so he took down all the A&M stuff off his Twitter account and is reopening his recruitment. Those two QBs they took in back to back years didn’t work out. Makes you wonder what Sumlin’s doing over there?

          • Yeah, I’ve heard he’s mad about UCLA not giving him an early enough offer when Mazzonne was OC. Either way, when you are a top High School QB it’s a buyer’s market, you can’t blame these kids for becoming divas.

          • Apparently we’re making a push for him now, but I don’t know how will he would fit in the new pro-style offense.

    • We’re talking 3 QBs down the road? We’ve got Max for 2 years, Darnold for the next 2… who the hell knows where we’ll be after that… that’s a LONG way off. As you say, Sam, let’s focus on getting better now…

      • I recall Sammy saying Tua was a bozo u lock. Could Helen be Sammy’s inside source?

      • One thing and one thing only. He took a trip to Tuscaloosa and his dad is pushing him there. Nothing more. They have a winning environment going, we don’t. It’s as simple as that. Trust me. At the time he was ALL SC, but the power of Saban and Alabama is too much for USC at the moment.

    • Buddy, I differ with you a bit here. I think Tua has a concern about playing time. Darnold will be starting QB couple+ years.2018 Corral comes, and his commit is a major SOLID get.Corral’s stock keeps rising.
      Tua would be an excellent get,but I think he sees a much better chance to play at Bama.
      I think true test for staff will be in landing big time DL’s and OL’s.

        • Sam Bam got nervous when I let him know our now QB coach was his uncle.. .

          #Iremember

      • You talk a lot. Too bad you (Bruins) can never show any action and win something meaningful. That’s ok, you earned first place for having the biggest mouth!
        Remember…
        USC 40
        UGLY 21

        Shuh-boing-boing!!!!

        • Sammy, UCLA just got a commitment from the #3 player on the just released ESPN 300.

          You were crowing about a recent American Samoa 6-4 200 lb OLB commit that you claimed was the #1 OLB in the 2017 class.

          I was unable to locate this bozo u commit in the ESPN 300 2017 class. Pray, what’s the deal?

        • I also remember you’re on your 5th HC in 4yrs. how do you do that.. .

          #CMoraeffect

  6. For the record USC has missed on….
    -Keller Chryst to Stanford 2 years ago.
    -KJ Costello to Stanford last year.
    -Tate Martell to Texas A&M
    -And now Tua Tagovailoa to Alabama.

    This means one thing. USC must win football games and proves its worth.

    • Tate Martell is 5′ 9″. Never going to contribute.
      Chryst can’t beat out a low-ranked senior not recruited as insurance behind Hogan.
      Costello wasn’t recruited hard because Sark couldn’t decide if he wanted to focus on mobile QBs or pocket passers.
      Tua isn’t seeing the field at USC for at least three years.

      Not one of those guys you mentioned was going to seriously push or challenge Darnold. The only QB who USC lost on recently was Shea Patterson, who could push and challenge Darnold.

      • Patterson is also on that list. Blame Ole Miss and the bag man for that one. EVERYONE had USC leading for him and he was all set to commit, then all of a sudden his brother is on staff and he’s a Rebel. A lot of people are saying that Ole Miss will be hit with sanctions for paying players. Fact is USC isn’t pulling its weight anymore.

        • I’d hardly call losing a quarterback from Mississippi to the University of Mississippi a loss. I think Matt Corrall is big factor here, that kid is the best prospect since Rosen, which could leave Tua stuck between Darnold and Corrall.

    • Despite the losses I’d take USC’s QBs over any one of those guys. There’s plenty of talent to go around. If USC just coaches it right, we’ll always have enough to be in the elite.

      • I’d like to say I agree, but we know how things went with Kessler and Wittek following Barkley.

        • So who would you rather have from Chryst, Costello, Martell and Tago instead of Browne or Darnold?

          I’d still stick with our poison. I really like where we are sitting at QB. Some terrific options going forward.

    • Missed? No more than likely said prospects wanted nothing to do with chaos.

      Helton is a good guy – not sure if he is a great coach we’ll know a mere 18 weeks hence from this Saturday 3rd September 2016

      Win and they all come a runnin’ –

        • Seen that column by Vincent Bonsignoire in today’s Daily News?

          Heavy movement on the Raiders re-locating to Vegas.
          1. NFL wants it to keep that ‘other team’ promise here in LA w. the Rams, so they (NFL) can continue to shakedown other cites unwilling to build a new venue.
          2. Chargers want it because it means the Raiders will be across state lines instead of 120 miles north of them.
          3. Rams love it cause they get to claim all of LA.

          Wish the Raiders the best and ‘blank’ the Rams

  7. Tua’s family could do about as well living in the Inland Empire of Southern California as Tuscaloosa, Alabama. But I guess it is too late to explain that. USC needs to start referring football prospects’ families to real estate agents and relocation consultants. Median home price in Tuscaloosa County $154,500, rent $920 month; Beaumont, California: $160,500, rent $968 month.

  8. Whenever there are more than 50 comments it is a sign that the poor desperate trolls have taken over. They remind me of the protesters at Trump rallies, just cannot shut them up. Perhaps we need pepper spray on here.

  9. Does it really matter what a 17 yr old thinks or says in April versus what happens 10 months later, let alone the parents.

  10. Let the guy go !

    6.1, out of Hawaii ?

    Just think of all the great High School programs out of Hawaii ??

    USC is loaded (Got gleaming chrome, with reflect and feel) at Quarterback through 2019, at least !

    And another “great” Quarterback will pop up way before then, they always do !!

    Go to Bama and choke on the humidity which makes Hawaii seem like San Diego !!!

    Mad Max and Sam Bam Darnold = National Championship, it’s not a matter of if, but when !

    Then watch all of the “Best” Quarterbacks in High School Football “Flock” to Trojan Land !

    At USC, We fear no Beer…

    FightOn

  11. When you start winning big you will get the Tua’s of the world. As long as you are going 8-4, the great ones are going to go to Alabama, Ohio State and the likes. You can’t just assume that they are going to come to SC just because you are SC.

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