Add Signing Day

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Here’s another conclusion for the early Signing Day: Good for the players who knew where they want to go. Bad for the fans who thought it would be as exciting as the February version.

115 thoughts on “Add Signing Day”

  1. Didn’t anyone else notice that SC kept tweeting out 9 ✌️yesterday, doesn’t it mean there might be more to come still?
    The other thing is most websites are saying we’ll have around eighteen total available for this year, that would mean about ten more, give or take.

    • Yesterday Jack mentioned few times we have a new DB coach in waiting. Name escapes me.Was at Nebraska and Az.
      Do you know anything about this. ?

      • Hope Pudly sees and respond to this, peter…..and I hope we don’t get half effort from present DB coach, Ronnie Bradford, in the meantime as we get ready for the Cotton Bowl…..
        Note: No topical jokes please about how we’re already getting half effort from Bradford….

        • Is there a segment out there thinking Callaway did a good enough job with the O-line to warrant another year here? I sure didn’t see it.

          • I’d replace him for sure but I don’t think there’s unease about him in the program. He still seems to have solid support.

          • The only thing that’s still shocking around here is that you continue to stalk me loser. Have you always been a feeble hanger-on like this?

            You’re such a wimp slow fred. Put your bib on before dinner so you don’t ruin your dirty sweatshirt.

          • I didn’t see it either, David —-but I don’t think Callaway is in the Ronnie Bradford category […..I’m aware of the fact this is not high praise—few coaches fall in the Bradford category].

          • Concerning Callaway,or any USC line coach.We have to be able to recruit in the south for Linemen ,there just are too few 4-5 stars out west now days

          • Keeling, you complain constantly. The time to get real is long overdue. Coach Callaway did a splendid job with last years offensive line. Coach Callaway’s first year at USC. His Line improved game after game until his line destroyed the Huskies in the Kennel, then gave Sam all the protection he needed to put away Penn State in the 2017 Rose Bowl Game. Hombre Keeling, you do remember the Rose Bowl Game ? or have you erased it from your Feeble dumpster mind ?

          • When you come on this website, you better know what you are talking about. I have done some line coaching although in high school, and I can tell you either these USC linemen are ignoring much of what a good coach should be teaching them or the coaching isn’t detailing. A few examples, when you see linemen pull, are they at a low angle or standing straight up pulling? I see most plays they are straight up and are easily knocked off their feet. Running straight up slows you down, so the pulling plays take longer and the defense has more times to stop plays. Take Texas as an example, they stuffed everything we tried to do at the line of scrimmage. You saw it. I have also noticed the backups are not doing much anything when they get in the game. #72 the right tackle, was worthless the first game he came in. His counterpart ran around him like he was standing still. He came on the middle of the season and looked like he got no coaching at all? And the procedure calls keep putting the team 5-yards behind. These are just a few things I have noticed throughout the season not just at the beginning and judging by others on this website they see the same things. You mention Darnold having enough time to make plays… yeah, but most of the time he is running out of the pocket and being chased. You didn’t mention that did you?

          • Donte Williams is as passionate about coaching as he is recruiting. Nebraska gave up a ton less passing yards than USC….and they only have one DB who was in the top 20 coming out of high school (the rest were ranked way lower than #100). It would be a dream come true if we actually land Donte.

          • A hint might be that Chase Williams was DB commit to Nebraska and now he’s an SC early signee.

          • Did you read his comments? He specifically said he was recruited to the school and coach Helton. Once he mentioned Bradford he said that coaches come and go. Maybe it’s some insider info?

  3. For teams still playing another game or two, the timing has to suck on this early signing period. I mean, a HC can’t really ignore it….

    • No what would suck would be to not be prepared for the game on the 29th December by being distracted by these 3 days. We win the recruits come….we lose they still come but perhaps not as many nor all of the ones we’ve been targeting.

      Helton needs to focus on this bowl game and learn from it – what he did right and what he failed to confront no matter the outcome. This is what the program needs right now.

        • Just as ‘big game preparation’ is not Helton’s long suit – recruiting maybe the same with Meyer.

          As Mike stated no one is going to care a fig about this week – all eyes will be on the game a week from tomorrow

          • The score in the Cotton Bowl wins first place in Scott’s as -yet- unreleased “What Matters For USC Football In Late December” poll.
            #ThereIsNoSecondPlace

          • Well Clay seemed to prepare well for Penn state, Stanford twice. Only slip was ND.I don’t think WSU was about prep. Some how he prepared a team to go on 9-0;run after 1-3 start.
            Helton has flaws, staff that needs tweeking.
            He’s juggled this signing period good, along with game prep,especially for first time with early signing.

          • Yeah well the wins seem to be nearly always near losses esp. allowing a foe a 2nd 3rd and 4th chance instead of finishing them off and being able to give the scrubs some much needed ‘in game’ experience.

      • Great analysis, Alv. No one who counts at USC (as far as Helton’s fate is concerned) is going to remember or care about anything that happened in December except the final score on December 29th at AT&T.

  4. LOI Day has been reduced to rubble. 1/10th the coverage, no urgency, no finality, no bells and whistles, just like a mid-term that only tells you how important your final is gonna be. For some, it’s everything. For others, the cake is basically baked and they just need some icing.

    Will be interesting to see how the recruiting sites are affected because there’s a big, black hole where LOI Day used to be.

    It’ll be drip, drip, drip for USC until Feb 7. Maybe that will turn out to be more fun than we think. But something has changed for good about football recruiting, and the two signing periods instead of one feel like a negative sea change in recruiting, both in coverage and analysis.

    • “reduced to rubble” – right on the money.

      In big money athletics, would expect to see rule/institutional changes that benefit the consumer (fan). Not this time. Wonder how long this will last in its present form?

        • The way it came down yesterday, with today, Fri remain. There’s no real way for Espn to capitalize.Come February the hype machine will have to work over time.

          • Not that I don’t trust ESPN implicitly when it comes to hype, peter —–but it’s gonna be an uphill climb even for them to generate the kind of interest (and fun) they had going for them last year…..

          • Ha! [A day off?! That’s when ESPN male staffers get in trouble]…
            #TearfulESPNWomenAnchors
            #Lawsuits

          • Most everyone is already signed, if you look at the numbers. USC’s an anomaly this year, which is why the Trojans are like #34 or something, but most big-time schools are basically done.

            No way will Feb 7 be that big a deal. The rankings are already out. They’ll change a little, but the top is pretty well set and the drama and urgency which used to be so big in slow Feb can’t be pumped up artificially now IMO.

          • Will anyone even pay attention to recruiting sites now? It used to be that now through the 1st Wed in Feb was the most exciting time in recruiting, with a big final day ending climax.

            Now, what’s to follow? A few schools, like USC, are still in play, but the 2018 recruiting class is basically over as I see it, as a national deal.

          • That should bode well for USC, assuming we’re in the money on a lot of top 100’s. Are we?

            The top 100’s are a very small segment of the whole class. I think USC only has 2-3 of those guys so far, right?

            But if you look at the top 600 guys, I think a much greater percentage of those guys have been taken.

            I still think all the stuffing has been taken out of the recruiting race. I was in favor of an early signing period, so I’m all good with the change. I just don’t know about USC’s approach this first time around. We certainly lost the PR battle. In recruiting, that may just not be the important thing anymore, though OHIO ST, GA, CLEM, et al, surely disagree. They won.

          • According to SB Nation, Trojans are leading in recruiting of Hufanga, St. Brown, Tuliapupu,. I believe that there is at least one other.

          • Those guys are great, and I love our LBs, and I assume they’ll go to USC and make us look a lot better.

            But our biggest problems at OL and CB remain unaddressed. That’s what many of us have been saying all along and what seems to happen to USC a lot since Carroll left.

            Give me three more superior OLs, great! Without that, I see USC’s ability to protect and block for our superior QBs and RBs a continuing problem.

          • Taylor-Stuart ,the CB from Helix is a HUGE need.As big as St.Brown. Even Bush was recruiting him.He’s a 5*,top 25 kid.A must !!!
            Sewell !!!! We have to flip that OG.

          • Last year at the NCAA meeting they began discussion about a rule that would Alow redshirts to play in bowl and up to 4 games, without losing status. .I believe it gets voted on this year.

    • Jack I do agree with you. Recruiting is now a two step process that we need to adjust to. Some schools went all out, USC didn’t. Perhaps there is a learning curve involved as to which way is best and it may depend on who is chasing who to sign and the urgency. I think Ohio St. blew their wad to soon. I like where USC is with some scholies left and the talent still available. Seems to me if someone is a rock solid commit they would sign now and be done. Some flips are going to happen.

      • The dynamic is just totally different now. Schools like OHIO ST (and many others) are just refining their class now, working on a couple of guys and 2019 signees.

        USC has to perform big-time over the next two months and some of our most important needs remain completely unaddressed.

        I think USC has chosen by far the more difficult path, for one reason or another. I mean, all the good schools are losing players like USC to the NFL and have to deal with that dilemma.

        Not sure if CH will do it this way again next time around. He’s publicly said he’s still trying to figure it out. Our early signing was certainly not a giant shot in the arm like, for some other schools. But the image may not be that good – even though the end result may be terrific in Feb. Maybe.

        Truth is, USC didn’t win the optics war by a long shot yesterday. I don’t think I even heard the school mentioned one time in the sparse TV coverage. But in recruiting, maybe that doesn’t matter anymore. Times have changed. Us fans will have to change with them.

        • USC never gets mentioned on TV anymore unless its a negative story. The whole country still hates USC for whatever reason. Kind of like how everyone hates Lonzo Ball even though he’s a great kid with talent.

          • Nobody got mentioned on the entire west coast that I heard, not just USC. Maybe I just missed some 5 min P12 blurb, but either way, P12 teams were a total after-thought in recruiting coverage. All SEC, Big Ten, ACC, with a little Big 12.

          • Yup. That’s half west coast hate/east coast bias and half pac 12 commissioner being terrible at his job. Everyday it I lean more and more towards USC going independent.

          • I think it’s the change to the bifurcated system and USC’s low performance (only 8 signees) that’s the difference.

            In year’s past, when USC has a top 5, even just a top 10 team, they’ve been all over TV, with reporters on campus and signing announcements and coaches being interviewed.

            By the way, USC will never go independent. Nobody at the school is even thinking about it or wants it. It’s not all about football. There is so much more.

            I think our P12 commissioner stinks too. But part of the problem is the inherently laid-back-in-football P12, and it’s always been that way. We’ll never compete with the insanity over football in the SEC for instance. Nothing Larry Scott can do about that.

          • All of your points make sense, but I just feel like the pac 12 needs to make football their priority. It’s just smart business. All of their beloved women’s sports will benefit from the pac 12 making sure the top dogs in football are treated somewhat close to how the other power 5 conferences treat their best programs. If it keeps going down this road, USC is the only school that suffers because of it.

          • Maybe things will change some day, but the P12 schools/presidents don’t see it that way now.

            In fact, schools like STAN deliberately don’t want football to become too important, at STAN or anywhere else.

            If USC went independent, all the P12 has to do is say fine, you’re not playing STAN, CAL or ucla anymore, in any sport. The conference holds all the cards. That’s what the schools have signed up for.

            USC will never go independent, unless we want our sand volleyball and men’s water polo team to switch over to strictly Big Ten and Big 12 opponents. It’ll just never happen.

    • I agree completely, jack. I wish it was the way it used to be. I liked the buildup and excitement of the February date. Bowls are long over, and some rationality prevails with kids and coaches alike. It’s not fair to coaches who are preparing for bowls, and not always knowing the players coming out and the exact numbers they need.

      • Complicated issue. I’ve always been in favor of early signing, if only for those kids who want to get off the train, sign, relax, be settled, etc. But from a talent contest standpoint, we just blew up the mold for XMAS Day in early Feb, ever since I first started following recruiting in the early ’80s, when the LBPT Best In the West was the only real game in town. And that wasn’t even national!

    • So, how many recruits are now rooting for lots of USC JRs to be NFL early entries?

      Gotta figure that 1 spot is reserved for St Brown and one for JT — Anyone want to speculate on who #3-5 are? Penei get my vote, then Tuli.

        • Williams? He signed his LOI. Is there another? WR Devon?

          Hyphenator? I think we have good talent at CB, we just need a coach. Not a high priority, IMO.

          I think Irvin Is going to ND and Bolden, Pollard and Pola-Mao look good for talent and youth. I’d rather another OL than a S — even if he’s a 3-star

          The CC DT you refer to is Caleb Temblay, who I question IF we sign Tuli, not to mention Trout. We already have some solid, young skills on the DL. Jimmons and Lich are surprises, Rector, Tui, Tufele and Pili are solid with rector having the least eligibility left at 2 years.

          • Wow. So you think Trout is out too? Surprising that another so-called commit blows us off. You can never have enough good DLs – just ask CLEM and ALA. Remember the ND game? We stumbled into and out of South Bend and our pitiful DL that day was one of the main reasons why.

          • That’s basically my original question:

            Assuming 5 guys leave early and no transfers or blueshirts, who are THE 5 likely guys we want (Nicholas Petit-Frere is probably the best, most-needed addition to this team, but while he’s uncommitted, we aren’t on his list — so he’s not a “likely”) and who are THE 5 guys we will likely get.

            If JT, St. Brown, Penei, Tuli and Solomon come, I don’t think we’ll have room for Trout. Where does Trout land on the list of “likelies”? He’s committed, so he’s certainly on the list, but is he locked into that scholarship by the coaches if it comes down to him or St. Brown?

            Marcus Johnson really looks like he’s out unless he Blueshirts. I doubt he would see time in 2018 anyway, so why not? Same for Liam Douglas.

            I think Penei postponing is a good sign for us.

            The question about when JT is coming and whether Sam stays is quite a conundrum for us.

          • I didn’t know we had such little room and thought we could take at least 8 more, regardless of what Sam and JT are going to do. There has been all this other speculation we were losing 5-6 people. I bet we can sign a lot more than 5 more. just a hunch. And I would lean to stocking the trenches on both sides as well as CB more than any other spots.

          • Officially, we have 85 players on scholarship for the Cotton Bowl.

            10 of those scholarships belong to players who are out of eligibility after the cotton bowl.

            W have 1 blue shirt (Jalen McKenzie) and 8 LOIs from yesterday. That leaves 1 spot.

            sas said earlier today that ATH Talanoa Hufanga joined the trojan Family (though I have seen nothing official).

            Any other spots can only come from NFL early entries, transfers or by blueshirt. If no one leaves, no one else can come.

            I expect these EEs:

            RJ 99.9% (RBs have shorter playing life. Go and be fruitful!)
            Rasheem 80% (should be bigger)
            Edoga 75% (Needs work, but he’s impetuous)
            Toa 70% (I think it would be good to have a full, healthy season on his resume)
            Deontay 60% (Could use some more weight)
            Darnold 50% (I really think he is like MB7 and not worried about the money right this very second, not to mention the underwhelming season. Who wants to QB in Cleveland?)
            Tell 30% (Still needs another year good career, but 1 more could be great)
            Iman 20% (Weak year in 2017 on weakest squad on the team)
            Gustin 10% (The injury really hurt his stock. Come back and be THAT MONSTER to earn the 1st-round pick again!)
            Cam Smith 1% (He said he’s coming back)

            Of course, an MVP-level performance in the Cotton Bowl elevates their chance of leaving dramatically.

            I wouldn’t mind seeing these guys move to better opportunities, since their chance of contributing seems slim:
            Cole Smith
            Chris Tilbey
            Nathan Smith
            Jacob Daniel
            and maybe even Dom Davis

          • Angeline and Betiku? Angeline left; Wole remains with the team as far as I know.

            That probably didn’t include McGrath and Budrovich. CH awarded them scholarships last week. Grant Moore was also given a scholarship earlier this year, joining Lopes and Toland as former Walk-ons who earned scholarships. Either way, the count is at 85 for the Cotton Bowl.

            Alicia de Artola breaks the count down on Reign of Troy and Rivals has a scholarship distribution chart that confirm that with 8 LOIs and 1 Blushirt against 10 graduating SRs, we currently only have 1 slot available until current players on scholarship transfer, declare for early entry into the draft or quit (as Bigelow did this season or Frankie Telfort in 2009).

          • Issac Taylor -Stuart is a must. Williams is committed to Oregon, but I don’t see he’s signed. Can never have to many DL or Ol.Problem with OL, Sewell is only name left.2019 is good year OL.

          • CHASE Williams signed an LOI with us.

            I don’t see anyone named Williams on Oregon’s 2018 list. Please put a first name with Williams.

            The way things are looking, we’ll need 5 top OLs in 2019. Brown, Austin, Edoga and Toa being gone and 4 more being SRs in 2019

          • Devon Williams “lol”
            WR. Oregon commit,as I said I don’t see where he signed.
            6’4″” 200 Antelope Valley

          • H hasn’t signed with or committed to anyone. OR would be the best bet as you implied.

            I don’t think Devon is all that interested in USC. With numbers as tight as they are, we may not even be talking to him.

      • You’d think the Daily News could do better than that in terms of selling ad space for this demographic…tempted to say something about ucla trolls and their interest in prom photos…

        • Papers are collapsing all over America and the result is a bunch of barely legal age college kids and their ‘progressive’ idiocy 24/7 because too few buy a print edition anymore. I do every day and have for over 55 years.

          • Are you trying to say that Rosie O’Donnell’s twitter feed isn’t enough of a news source?

          • Sweet watching and listening to those fools slowly realizing Trump is not only for real but is doing what he said he would do – acting as a leader for all of us who love this nation.

        • Kidding aside, I agree. The “Prom Photos” is like an essay by Tolstoy compared to some of the crap they’ve run.

          • Would that be the “Rare Photos Not Suitable For History” feature? Was there some sort of international referendum on “suitable historical photos” that we missed? #WhyDidn’tWeGetAVote?

          • I think I might be able to challenge that one:

            “You won’t believe what Dog’s wife looks like right now”

          • Thanks, trojan_1972 —I can see that I have more “research” to do today…
            #ImprovingMyMind

      • It lists all the placed Prendergast has hung his hat in his career – pro and college. That he never played college but did high school ball. His working on his grandparent dairy ,cattle but most importantly cotton farm in AZ which permitted him the time to pursue his goal of becoming a good assistant coach. Also made note of how, after a tough loss it is assistant’s who usually take the hit not the head coach.. The 2010 Cal team that almost knocked off OR and Kelley’s hurry up offense by (Prendergast quote) “We challenged their receivers, pressed them at the line of scrimmage, tried to disrupt them a little bit…” – all of this written by Whicker and then Prendergast makes note of a key play in Super Bowl XLIII (AZ vs Pittsburgh) – a pass not covered properly and a game winner for the Steelers.

        Click it – you’ll like it – I have no qualms about our defense…not so sure about our ‘O’ line.

        • Thanks so much, Alv. I will check it out.
          (And I agree with your assessment of the defense —-if it weren’t for our corner play, we’d be a top 20 defense).
          #CornersAreNotDoingTheirPart

          • Clay my man ‘play the man’! Prepare for this game because if you don’t the kids will sense it and then assume all the burden on their own shoulders instead of where it belongs – on yours – it’s why you get paid the big salary you get – play the man!

  7. How is that hufanga kid a top rated athlete if his 40 time is 4.7. I saw his 40 time on rivals and espn.

      • You know jack I’ve seen a lot of guys who lose time as soon as the pads go on, and others who seem to get quicker

        • Football speed is a lot different than track speed. Plus, some guys just get to lanes or areas quicker, regardless of speed, because of instincts, reaction time, intelligence and for a defensive player, just knowing where to be, or feel what’s coming on. It goes way beyond just reading keys.

      • 4.7 is slow for the best rated athlete. Linebackers are running 4.4 now days.4.7 is linemans speed. However I don’t think 4.7 is accurate. Every highlight I see of him he’s separating and running away from defenders. Appears to be a stud. Has moves and vision of Reggie Bush. Love to see him play both ways like adoree. We all been waiting for that next Bush. If he’s in the 4.4 range I think we got our next Bush. Everybody just check his highlights on you tube.

        • I watch how the kids play, not how they run 40’s. All I know is we want to give this guy a shot at playing in the Coliseum. I don’t care if they list him at 4.9. The USC coaches know how fast he really is, whether he’s been to a USC camp or not.

          He’s instinctive, a tremendous hitter, shifty yet fluid, a playmaker, quick, elusive, tough, good hands, can beat you a dozen different ways, has a nose for the end zone, leads on the field, has vision, puts people in the dirt, outcompetes for the ball, takes risks with confidence.

          Reminds me of a faster, more dynamic Matt Grootegoed, but Hufanga will not end up at LB.

          Now that I’ve looked at his tape, he’s my favorite new Trojan. That’s how he could be a top-rated athlete listed at 4.7. Pray we sign, or already have, signed him.

          • No disrespect to grootegoed, but come on, I’m talking Reggie Bush and your comparing him to mat. I know he doesn’t have Bush’s speed, but I also can tell from watching tape that he is not 4.7. 4.5 ish in my opinion. Speed aside, he’s a football plsyer. Nose for the football and hits like Ronnie Lott. As for the 40 time, go back and look at what scout and rivals listed Bush’s 40 time. 4.5. He was a legit 4.3.

          • If you always knew he wasn’t 4.7, why’d you post your question then? It never made any sense in the first place. He was obviously not a 4.7 guy, period.

            And I’m not comparing him to Reggie Bush and never have. He doesn’t play the same position and isn’t near that fast, and is probably a defensive player. So I don’t know what you’re talking about.

  9. Washington Huskies having good recruiting in early signing period. Big coup tonight with 4 star CB picking Huskies over Notre Dame

  10. Reason I asked is because rivals and ESPN list him at 4.7 , but he appears faster. No way he’s like grotegood.

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