California Rivals Camp Guide
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The Rivals Camp Series continues this weekend in California and there will be plenty of Trojan targets attending the back-to-back SoCal and NorCal events. USC has offered scholarships to 15 players attending the camps in Fullerton and Hayward Saturday and Sunday, but that number could double by April.
In Fullerton, USC fans should keep an eye on two split ends. One of them is Equanimeous St. Brown. At 6-foot-5, he would give the Trojans that ultra-tall target they've been missing since David Ausberry and Patrick Turner. St. Brown is a specimen, but with only 34 catches last season, the four-star wide out wants to show he is a dominating presence in the passing game. With a tremendous group of quarterbacks expected to throw, St. Brown should shine.
The other intriguing split end prospect for USC is Cordell Broadus. He played last season at Diamond Bar, where he went up against good competition, but not the best in the region. That will change for him at Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas (Nev.) and Saturday when he sees a deep class of defensive backs across from him in one-on-ones. This camp will offer Broadus a chance to solidify his four-star ranking before the season starts.
Slot receiver Christian Kirk plans to make the trip to Los Angeles and top-end speed is what everyone will be focusing on with the four-star prospect. On film, he flies by defenders with ease, but Scottsdale (Ariz.) isn't Southern California. Kirk shinned at the Rivals Five Star Challenge last summer, so consistency will be key. Kirk will now play with a target on his back.
Do-it-all athlete Stanley Norman wants to play both corner and receiver in college, which he did with ease at Culver City High School. Now that Norman has transferred to Gardena (Calif.) Serra, he has a bigger stage to prove himself on. Scrappy Norman is an Under Armour Camp veteran, so his knowledge of the drills and camp format should allow him to have another impressive outing. But will Norman line up at wide out or cornerback?
The same question will be raised with USC commit Taeon Mason. The Pasadena Muir product was a bit of an unknown when he committed to USC, but with plenty of highlights at wide out and cornerback, the 6-foot speedster could steal the show if he can make plays at either stacked position.
The Trojans have offered scholarships to six defensive players that will be in Fullerton Saturday. The first is Gardena (Calif.) Serra linebacker John Houston. Houston currently plays on the inside for Serra but also projects to the outside. He's the No. 1 ranked outside linebacker in the country according to Rivals. Houston was excellent at the Five Star Challenge last summer, but like Christian Kirk, he is no longer an unknown underclassmen cherry picking reps.
Pleasanton (Calif.) prospect Isaiah Langley is a big, physical corner from up north expected to participate in the Southern California camp. Langley makes plays at the line of scrimmage and does a great job of finding the ball, but his closing speed will definitely be tested this weekend. Langley is stepping up and stepping out along side two nationally touted corners Saturday.
San Marcos (Calf.) Mission Hills cornerback Dechaun Holiday burst on the scene with a stellar highlight tape last year, which put USC front and center of his scholarship offer list. But at 6-foot-2 and nearly 200-pounds, some question whether the four-star prospect can avoid growing into a safety at the next level. This will be a great opportunity to show that he can play man coverage against players with college speed.
Of course, in terms of highlights and reputation, there is no player in Southern California with a more complete resume than Long Beach (Calif.) Poly five-star cornerback Iman Marshall. While all of the camp participants will be rusty this weekend, competitiveness is what drives great players. Marshall is ready to prove that the No. 1 player in California isn't a quarterback.
Osa Masina is making the trip from Salt Lake City (Utah) to compete with some of California's best. The four-star athlete projects as a Sam linebacker in USC's defense, but he also plays tailback and returns punts for Brighton High School. That type of athleticism allows him to use athletic rushing moves to get to the passer. This camp will test how that athleticism translates into pass coverage.
Pride on the Line
Keisean Lucier-South plays defensive end for Lutheran in Orange (Calif.) but he could be a 3-4 SAM linebacker in college as well. The Trojans have told the 6-foot-6 prospect that they want him to rush the passer with his hand on the ground and from the two-point stance. He makes plenty of plays in the backfield now, but that's from a defensive end position. This camp will allow him to prove he can play from the two point stance and also cover.
The position to watch this weekend is wide receiver. There are four that already have scholarship offers from USC and even more that could potentially get one. The camp will also give some highly rated receivers that don't go against the best competition in season an opportunity to do just that.
Gardena (Calif.) Serra five-star defensive tackle Rasheem Green got his feet wet against national competition at the Rivals Five Star Challenge last summer. Saturday, he will be hosting his own five-star challenge against a host of highlight touted offensive linemen.
Leading the way will be 6-foot-4, 305-pound St. John Bosco offensive tackle Zach Robertson. Robertson was offered a scholarship by USC last September, but where he plays at the next level remains to be seen. With long arms and good athleticism for 300-pounds, Robertson may be able to prove he can play on the edge in college.
Offensive linemen like Tevita Halalilo, Clayton Johnston, Bar Milo, Zach Okun will be just looking to prove they have the talent to earn a scholarship offer from the likes of USC. At a camp like this, attitude and competitiveness go along way.
Looking for gold up north
Four-star linebacker Cameron Smith will be in Hayward looking to earn a fifth star. The inside linebacker from Granite Bay (Calif.) already has a college ready body at 6-foot-3 and 240-pounds. He's incredibly physical when he needs to play around the line of scrimmage but also has the speed and athleticism of a smaller linebacker. He can easily drop into coverage and make plays on the ball. It should be interesting to see how he does in 7-on-7 situations when he can't disguise his zone drops as well.
The Trojans have not only offered Smith a scholarship, they've emerged as the clear leader to sign him. Smith nearly committed to USC after an unofficial visit earlier this month, but is holding off on making a decision - for now. Smith will definitely be a player to watch from a performance and recruiting standpoint this spring.
To the north, Sacramento (Calif.) Grant offensive lineman Darrin Paulo is also claiming a scholarship offer from the Trojans. At 6-foot-6, 320-pounds, Paulo is a hot recruit in Northern California. His ability would have been tested Sunday by De La Salle defensive tackle Kahlil McKenzie, but the 315-pound four-star scheduled an unofficial visit to Oklahoma this weekend.
But the camp in Hayward is really about the prospects on the peripheral of the Trojans scholarship offer list. Players like Moraga (Calif.) tight end Tyler Petite, who unofficially visited USC two weeks ago. L.J. Reed and Austin Aaron are two big receivers from up north looking to make a name for themselves Sunday.
Of course, USC doesn't have to even travel that far in 2015 to find prospects capable of dazzling the Rivals Camp Series with a good enough performance to earn a scholarship offer. Redlands (Calif.) wide out Malik Lovette will be front and center Saturday to make it rain scholarship offers. The 5-foot-11, 185-pound four-star is coming to steal the spotlight away from the likes of Christian Kirk and Stanley Norman.
Will Hart wide receiver Trent Irwin dominate drills and one-on-one drills like we've seen in years past, or will a player like St. Bonaventure wide out Lavan Alston prove he not just a sprinter playing football and blow everyone away with his vertical game?
This weekend, California displays just how loaded the class of 2015 really is.
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