USC Home Visit

USC coach Clay Helton and defensive line coach Kenechi Udeze make a home visit with defensive tackle Trevor Trout of St. Louis tonight. Trout is already committed to USC.

103 thoughts on “USC Home Visit

    • Clay is a great recruiter and knows the type of players he needs. Sadly, he has not surrounded himself with the right people to succeed at the level that SC expects.

      Their OLine is a liability (the new QB will run for his life) and the OC is in over his head.

      PAC 12 championships are the top for this guy.

          • Not according to ALA, ND and OHIO ST. They all think Helton’s easy money. We’ll leave WSU out of it and give CH a pass on that one.

          • Don’t forget how poorly he had the team prepared for Wisky. Game was unwatchable… The only “tough” he knows is on tricky candy bar wrapper…

          • I give CH a pass on that. His staff was in total transition. That must be a bizarre situation to handle against a disciplined outfit like the Badgers. It was a very bad game however and USC looked like a real pile. But nothing compared to our no-show in South Bend against our old rival this year. That was inexcusable IMO.

          • 12 straight weeks with no bye and ND coming off a bye didn’t help. Not a factor? The same ND team got their heads kicked in by a just as fired up Miami team. Both teams, ND and Miami, were not as good as they looked on those respective Saturdays. I would argue that USC wasn’t as bad they looked in South Bend. ….then they got tossed around against OSU. Go figure.

          • Feel free to make your excuses. That’s your right. But not all of us are into that.

            And the ND defeat wasn’t just a simple loss. It was a brutal, historic, epic beatdown where USC was on its back 28-0 at halftime and completely hapless.

            For the first time ever, I basically stopped watching the USC/ND at half and can truly say I just felt sorry for the poor little Trojans. For awhile, we just watched other games.

            So sorry, but USC was exactly as bad as they looked that day. Even Brian Kelly, no great shakes himself, came out publicly and said the beatdown could have been worse if he wanted. That’s exactly what I saw as well.

          • You’re saying that they were that bad the rest of the season? If ND was that good, why the beat down at Miami just a few weeks later? A a game is a snapshot is all I’m saying it was. They were bad that day, no excuses. It was a perfect storm in my opinion (No Fatu, Marlon got hurt the week before, True Frosh Pili started, Bigelow retires).

          • I never said that al all. So quit making stuff up.

            I just said USC stunk up the joint against our most important rival, ND, period. It’s pretty simple really, and obvious as well to all who watched the beatdown.

            Bigelow was always a piece of injured crap. He wouldn’t have helped one iota if he could have dragged himself onto the field anyway. But as I said, those of you who are inclined to make excuses, like the so-called “perfect storm”, will always do so.

          • Sorry if I misinterpreted your statement. We don’t agree on this, big deal.

            Don’t say that I’m making up excuses, because it is demeaning. I call it how I see it. No harm intended.

          • I don’t know how you managed to read that I somehow said USC was bad the rest of the season. That was frankly bizarre for you to say that.

            No harm meant. Just simple clarification.

          • I was referring to USC not being as bad the rest of the season as they were in that game. You wrote, “but USC was exactly as bad as they looked that day”. I took it as if you were referencing the season like I was.

            No biggie ( Marshall). It is cool to go back and forth with an intelligent lawyer. I’ll take my lumps but it helps me in real life. Ha ha ha ha.

          • It was a shameful day for USC and I’m sure the players felt that way. Swann had a big talk with Helton on the following Monday. Things got better until OHIO ST.

            Now, we are post-Darnold. Hopefully, we’re gonna fix our OL problems and give whomever takes the snaps a fighting shot to perform at the best of their ability.

            Fight On!

          • I don’t think I ever saw a sorrier SC team than I did that day. I was kinda numb watching that game too.

            Sam did things and made throws that no other SC QB has ever made. The porous Oline play never did improve and that was unfortunate.

            Next year’s team needs things to fall into place- there are some real nice pieces.

            Fight On, Jack.

          • pass for not practicing … ya great
            Of course Gomer was in shock anyone would actually hire him as an HC

          • Helton is just an ‘ah shucks….hey I know let’s have a ‘surfin’ hootenany! Come on now don’t be glum….it’s over and I’m gettin’ $3 million a year for this!’

        • Oh another one of those …weren’t Kiffin and Snark great recruiters too
          Except linemen, qbs ( Darnold was coming to SC despite thinking Sark was ‘gay’ or whatever he said)

      • I still have faith in him, I’m OK with being patient. I’ve slogged through a whole lot worse than our last few years, that’s for sure.

        • The problem is, nobody else is being patient. ucla, ARIZ, ASU, ORE ST and ORE are all on the move not satisfied. You may not like their new HC picks, but they will make Helton’s job a lot more challenging whether he likes it or not.

          Slogging through a lot worse is no excuse for not aiming to be the best, and at this time, Helton gets creamed by the best. Maybe his OLs just had the wrong head placements in those wipe-outs. Hah!

          • Most of those changes were not simply because they wanted to soar like eagles. It was out of necessity because the coach left or had personal problems. Ya, Sumlin is a great add, his programs really are top notch playoff capable.

          • I disagree. Both ucla and ORE most definitely want to soar like eagles. No doubt about that and both paid big bucks to do it.

          • The same amount of time USC gave him fool. Perhaps there is one person at USC with the maturity to realize what Helton has done that was good for the program.

          • By not pissing everyone off (except fans and Darnold) getting stoned at games (except his Sark leftover assistants),skipping practices because hung over (don’t really practice much) and hitting a lottery of playing vs 2nd and 3rd team qbs (who still nearly beat him) …Gomer has survived and gets to play HC again next year which is an impending disaster
            Gomer is a no talent

      • FightOn! You have no idea. You are one of many on SW’s Blog who backstab with relish rather than give credit and praise when it is earned. IE the Jan 1 2017 Rose Bowl Game, a phenominal Helton/Trojan Victory that debunks your last comment, Big Time, Senor. Try your best not to make the same mistake twice. FIGHT ON !!!

        • Sorry but Helton has rightly earned his harsh criticism from anyone who is objective. ND, ALA and OHIO ST all whipped him mercilessly and into the dirt.

          If he’s gonna coach a sloppy, penalty-rich team that loves winning ugly despite having lots of talent as a great QB, he’s gonna take the hits even though his overall record is good and he also has some nice wins.

          Maybe when Helton stops showing up in South Bend looking to bend over and touch his ankles for just an average Irish team, people will lay off. Until then, he’s fair game and deserves what he gets.

          • Spot On! Helton is great recruiter but a sloppy coach. The team is undisciplined and Helton is overmatched when against established programs outside the Pac12. Great coaches have their players ready on the road period. Helton has failed to do so against ND, Ohio St., Alabama. The Penn State game was 1, played on familiar turf in LA; 2 Sam Darnold played the game of his life. I like Helton as person. He is a class act and of high moral character. These kind of coaches can succeed but only with very high caliber coordinators and position coaches, which Helton does not have outside of Clancy (arguably). Texas will be game that gauges if Helton can be successful. We soon shall see.

      • You’re probably right. Clay’s a good coach and reps USC well. But he gets his head beat in against the serious big-timers and shows no signs of taking the steps to move USC into the true upper realm.

  1. Numerous out of state defensive linemen have gone on to have NFL careers……Let’s keep the tradition going

    • Like nobody has already said that a million times on here? Everyone knows 2018 is the end of his contract. That is probably the very first post you have ever made that most everyone agrees with. Congratulations.

    • FAU!??! They have the bear Bryant of the Sunbelt already. Also nobody would hire Clay, that’s how USC ended up with him.

    • Stanford wanted Chryst and Ricky Town over Josh Rosen a few years back. Stanford was wrong and so was USC. But I’m glad Rosen didn’t play for Stanford because they would have been even tougher.

  2. Since this thread has gone off in a bit of a tangent I thought I would throw this out there: If you saw the Jags/Pats game you saw Bortles play a good game. He was not why the Jags lost. But he did not seize the moment and lead his team to victory when he had the chance. Tom Brady did. Bortles is no Brady: but how could he be, Brady is special. The Trojans just lost one of those special players. Sam Darnold elevated the Trojans the past two seasons and what does he get in return. His leadership is questioned and his accomplishments minimized. Sam Darnold is not Tom Brady, but without him there is no Rose Bowl and no gaudy regular season record. As USC fans we should appreciate his specialness and hope the next guy can be bring us the same high level of excitement.

    • Darn right – the fools here who rag on about his drop from 2016 have no idea how truly inept the support was surrounding this team which began and ends with the coaching staff.

      He is more than ready for the NFL because he’s willing to learn and he knows he must but what he just left is a shell of what it once was 10 years ago thanks to:

      PC (leaving w.o. any concern for what was on his watch), corrupt ncaa sanctions. A lazy embezzling athletic director who brought in a clown he knew he could ‘control’ w.o. doing any due diligence and finally handing the team over to an assistant coach, mind you full of good intentions, but totally clueless as a head coach.

      This is all Helton’s now

      • I harbor no illusion that Sam did not have his share of mistakes and bad plays. The quality and depth of the roster is stronger now than when he took over the starting job. And the program has stabilized. But to think anyone could have done better is simply wrong. Whether the HC is clueless & incapable of taking the program to the next level is a subject worthy of discussion. Demeaning Sam Darnold is not.

        • If anything he (Darnold) singlehandidley, pulled the program out of the swirling whirlpool that had been building since Kiffin was sacked. Helton had added stability because, thankfully he’s neither scandal prone nor is he an addict. But the reality is the poor sod hasn’t a clue how to prepare for a top tier opponent and never will.

        • Is saying Sam was responsible for 25 turnovers untrue? Without those he would have won the heisman. Yes he has talent, it just didn’t show a lot in 2017 even though we all kept pulling for him.

          • I don’t know who else would have pulled our arse out of the fire every week. Fink, Sears? Behind our magnificent OL? Those big, mean blockers we have who went into witness protection program hiding against ND and OHIO ST?

            We’ll see how high Fink and Sears go in the draft down-the-line. My guess is they’ll go in rounds 4-7 for the pure sake of speculation.

          • Led by SW ( credit where credit is due) many people said Max Browne was avg. & Sam was special. To think this years team would have won the PAC-12 with an avg. QB is delusional. Reports are that Fink shows those special traits and it is near unanimous that Daniel has every objective skill to be an elite QB and the intangibles as well. Let’s hope that one of these guys have IT, because if they do then there is a chance for success.

          • Lots of USC people think Daniels will quickly beat out Fink and Sears. I don’t know how people think this year’s 2017 sloppy team would have done well with those two. To each his own.

          • I hope he does. It would be the bold move. Elite programs make bold moves. It would be a tremendous signal to send to the current team and future recruits.

          • Don’t be stupid. Sam Darnold was a REDSHIRT FRESHMAN when he became starter for the Trojans and settled down only after struggling his first two games. To rave about a high school QB about to enter the college ranks is asinine, raves bordering on worship without a shread of evidence. Daniel, gotta prove yourself to schammer47. it will likely take you at least two years.

          • That is an interesting statement considering we only saw Fink for a few plays and never saw Sears at all. Daniels is awfully good, no question, but that is against high school teams.

          • Jt daniels already has USC playbook so he will come into fall camp firing on all cylinders. also I have heard rumors that all the returning WR are going to OC on the weekends starting next month to work out with daniels

          • Not so. Jack B. Surely you watched Sam play poorly enough in the Cotton Bowl to embarrass himself, his Team, and his Coaching Staff. Whoever changed Sam’s footwork (eliminating the rollouts) and throwing motion during the summer before the 2017 season should be kicked out of the USC Football Program for good.

    • Only the Kool Aid drinkers bash Darnold. Keep in mind these are the same people who defended Haden until he got exposed for stealing from charities. Not exactly the brightest bunch.

    • Your preaching to the choir. I’m just glad Darnold survived serious injury behind our pitiful OL. Any other QB without exceptional escapability skills would have been demolished like Honker Rosen was.

    • I know I am an island here, and most likely wrong, but I am not bummed about Sam being gone.

      • As good as Fink or Daniels might be I would rather have an experienced Sam back. But I hope your ambivalence is rewarded by Fink or Daniels. At the end of the day I want to se successful Trojan team—regardless of who is at QB

    • Trojan5, Everyone of your comments are accurate and definitely make good sense. Thoroughly enjoyed it !!!

  3. Was this a planned visit or is USC in some jeopardy of losing him? USC staff is sure building up the miles.

    • I’m sure it was planned and I’m sure we could still lose him. USC has even been visiting all the kids who are already signed.

        • Imagine a committed Recruit with Clay Helton at the door for the 5th time. “I already committed Coach, you can leave me alone now”. This kid is gonna decommit just to save himself from dying of boredom.

    • You hear about these players going elsewhere because other schools showed more interest. Man, I could not be a recruiter.

        • Who? For this year? Gotta go check some sites. You were talking about Trout. Sorry. A bit slower than usual today. Weird how Mizzou is in the SEC.

    • If he chooses to go somewhere else, does he make another tear dropping video?

      What would that say about his first video? It sure sounded like a sure thing.

    • I would say this issue lies in roster spots available and that they went to him to say: “We want you but we only have 4 spots and you’re #5. We have 3 guys contemplating transfer, so I like your chances. Please be patient and stick with us.

  4. Hopefully their effort will payoff and they can flip this kid, and then fly back next weekend and get him to flop and then fly back one more time to flip him again. Keep their heads on a swivel Clay, plus St. Louis is a great town for guys that give glory to god constantly, them sistas are fine over there no wonder he can’t stop recruiting this kid. Break out the cisco, my favorite flavor is red, btw.

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