Answer Thursday! (Part 3)

Q: Peter Parker said:

How many silent commits does USC have? Are any of these silent commits big time recruits or do they fill a need like offensive line or linebacker?

A: I knew of two but one of those was Serra WR George Farmer. The remaining silent commit I'm aware of is not a LB or OT, unfortunately for the Trojans.

Q: cjs1993 said:
Scott,

Although the 2010 season was disappointing, it really wasn't surprising that we lost 5 games considering the level of talent on the team, and the fact that the team wasn't playing for a bowl game. I recall hearing several comments throughout the season that this season's team was more of a "team" than last season's squad (i.e. last season's team was more in it for individual accolades). All of that being said, I think that Kiffin did an admirable job as a coach this season in terms of keeping the team together in spite of everything (i.e. sanctions, losses, lack of success, etc...). While his playcalling is inconsistent, his leadership skills must be better than most give him credit for. Do you have any thoughts on Kiffin as a leader, and does the team hold him in high regard as a leader?

A: I think he is respected by the players. I consider part of leadership the ability to inspire a team. And USC was not inspired in many home games, notably Virginia, Washington and Notre Dame. This is where I find fault. The players I spoke to liked him as a coach but said he was not as good a motivator as Pete Carroll.