Another answer
This one revolves around Shane Horton.
Shane Horton was not highly recruited as a senior at Notre Dame High School although Pete Carroll claims to regret that the Trojans overlooked him and would have taken him if they knew what they know now. He's not merely coming in as the brother of Wes Horton. USC needs depth at the safety position with Taylor Mays and Kevin Ellison in their final year (if Mays goes pro).
That leaves Marshall Jones, Josh Pinkard (if he's not a cornerback), Will Harris and Drew McAllister in two years. So Horton fills a role and also brings some college experience. And USC is swimming in scholarships right now.
Horton Hears a Who?
These are interesting situations. I am certainly inclined to trust the coaches' opinion when they seem to reach for a lower ranked recruit or transfer. They certainly nailed it with Lofa, and I am confident that they know 10x more than the recruiting services. And, from what I have seen, players like Baucham may be diamonds in the rough, so to speak, because they are being recruited for a different position than what they played in high school. Still, it is hard to believe that a UNLV player can stand out at USC. However, depth and healthy bodies on the practice field are also extremely important. I look forward to hearing how Horton performs in camp, and of course, wish him the best of luck.
It also is good to have some guys that are willing to be top Special Teams players, as it was explained some of the top recruits have a hard time feeling the need for playing special teams.
More about Shane Horton who transfered from UNLV:
http://unlv.scout.com/a.z?s=86&p=8&c=1&nid=2385128
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, SCOTT, FOR TAKING MY LATE QUESTION-------MUCH APPRECIATED.
When the coaching staff pick up players like this, all I can think about is what a great get Will Poole was coming out of a JC in Maine? (Please feel free to correct this info) Poole turned out to be a lock down corner. This may not be as relevant as Horton because Poole had other off the field issues, but it certainly points out a great prospect we picked up from who knows where! I'll trust the coaches on this one!