Answer Wednesday! (Part 3)
Back to football questions, much to your relief.
Q: Jon said:
Any problems arise on campus due to the Lakers parade?
A: I heard a lot of complaints from university employees who needed an hour to get from the freeway to campus because of the traffic.
Q: Champion said:
It seems like USC recruiting this year is not going so well. Some of the top recruits in California are most likely according to recruiting services are going else where or leaning to other schools who are rivals of USC. For exmaple: Chris Martin( commit -Notre Dame). The following are leans: Malcolm Jones ( Stanford), Sean Parker ( Notre Dame), Robert Wood ( UCLA), Sean Parker (Notre Dame), and Anthony Barr (Notre Dame). Most of these are leans but USC seems not to be recruiting these guys well.
What do you make of this that USC is not getting or not leading for the services for some of the top prospects in their own state? Any chance they can get some of these guys.
A: It's still very early in recruiting. The camps are a big moment because they expose recruits to USC and also give the coaches a chance to evaluate talent. Malcolm Jones is still very much in the picture for USC. Robert Woods also. Sometimes, though, a recruit doesn't want to go somewhere that is stocked with talent. Nothing wrong with that. They all want to play. I also believe USC's asked some recruits to keep their interest low profile as I've explained previously.
Q: Two part question: I recently heard that in same passing drills that running back Allen Bradford who is recovering from injury is playing on defense. Bradford was a a great defensive player in high school and USC tailback depth is good. Please check on this about Bradford if you have time. Is USC considering moving Allen Bradford to defense and why? Also, is this a move for his professional career or for playing time to avoid him from transferring? Thank you.
A: I spoke to him last week and he told me he was still playing tailback. Now maybe something will change in training camp. But as of right now, he is a tailback.
USC recruiting has been on slow descending curve as it has lost its glitter by each season shooting itself in foot. The recruit now; no longer select. They need a BCS championship to get it back and may not obtain it.
Losing two LB to ASU and ND and a couple to Bruins was very telling.
Do any of these peopel actually follow USC recruiting? It becomes really old when people come on the boards and complain about USC Recruting. Do your homework folks AND THINK. We saw last year what happens when we get a whole bunch of early commits. SC is doing just fine and the only time anyone should be concerned is on Signing Day. If we come out of the Top Ten THEN you might have a point. Otherwise, I think SC does a good job and we get the players we are supposed to get. So be it to those who slip away.
paulm - i have to disagree with you.
Burfict was never going to be admitted into USC, so we didn't really lose him to ASU. It was never a fit.
T'eo? All things considered, I think that USC being in contention for him says more about the appeal of SC. We had 2 major factors going against us - 1) Te'o wants to go on his mission and 2) as we now know, wanted to secure a scholarship for his friend. Pete Carroll wasn't going to entertain either idea, yet Te'o still considered attending USC.
Some future recruits will get away from us, but we'll always get a lot more than we lose, because we are SC.
Fight On!
Matt Barkley, Jarvis Jones, Frankie Telfort, Patrick Hall, Devon Kennard, TJ McDonald......ummm, SC football recruiting continues to kick ass. No program gets every player it wants.
Yeah, USC's recruiting really dropped last year...all the way to...5th, I believe in the recruiting rankings, 4th in some others.
Nothing has nothing to do with nothing as far as losing a game here and there, not getting into the NC every year-which has never been done, etc., etc.
It's always about playing time. This isn't the 80's or even the 90's or even the beginning of this decade when most kids accepted the fact they would either have to red-shirt as frosh or play behind a stud at a major school for maybe 2 years.
They want to play right away.
Barr's father went to ND, you don't think that's a strong pull? Also, who knows what position he may wind up playing, but the most recent news indicates that he wants to be an RB although LB could be in his future. Malcolm Smith doesn't want to be a FB-which was the position USC initially envisioned him at. RB depth chart is still loaded at USC as well.
Woods? USC still in good shape for him, but, on paper, every WR in the program returns next season (Williams a candidate to leave early) and Woods would be behind most or all of them as a frosh.
Chris Martin has a lot of family in Indiana. Sean Parker has a USC offer but isn't their first or second choice at safety and they will likely bring in two safeties.
These kids want to play. UCLA's depth chart doesn't scare any recruits right now because they are losing and recruits see opportunity.
Bottom line? USC's recruiting is as good as ever. They just aren't going to get everybody they want all the time, especially because of their past recruiting success. However, they are going to continue to get quality players and have quality players behind them.