Recruiting Rumblings: OL Drake Metcalf joins in on USC film study

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St. John Bosco High School offensive lineman Drake Metcalf had just been out to USC spring practice two days earlier before returning last Saturday for the Trojans' Elite Junior Day.

For that matter, he grew up going to games at the Coliseum and familiarizing himself with the campus and program, so unlike most visiting recruits there isn't much left for him to see in the traditional sense.

So Metcalf made sure he got even more out of his last visit, arriving early enough to sit in on a film session prior to USC's morning practice while really maximizing that experience.

"I definitely am in there paying attention. Some guys take it as -- not anyone in the program, but some recruits I see sometimes -- take it laid back and just chilling and on their phones sometimes. Not necessarily at USC, but I've seen it before at different schools," Metcalf told TrojanSports.com. "But I definitely am the type of kid as a recruit to go in there and actually examine the film they're putting up on the board and the plays that they're running.

" As an offensive lineman, it's key to see what offense you fit into the best. I really like that Air Raid offense that Graham Harrell's running at USC right now, so sitting in that film room it's definitely a very important time for me to really understand USC's offense and see how I fit in that offense."

The Trojans are high on the 3-star 2020 offensive guard, who draws a compelling assessment from St. John Bosco coach Jason Negro. "In terms of his technique, his ability, his commitment, his academics, how he approaches things, he's as good an offensive lineman as we have," he told us earlier this month.

Metcalf, who is listed at 6-foot-3, 270 pounds, conveys an interesting dichotomy of traits. He's as polite and engaging as can be while also taking great personal pride in the mean streak he brings to the field.

As he put it, "As you know, I classify myself and many people have classified me as just a smash-mouth, brutal offensive lineman out there on the field that's not afraid to get in the other guy's face and just throw him in the ground and dig him deep in the ground."

So yes, he's a very intriguing target for the Trojans in this recruiting cycle, and his well-established ties to the program only reinforce that point.

As Metcalf explained last month upon receiving his USC offer, his mother and aunt went to school at USC and his grandmother has had season tickets for over 50 years, also becoming the unofficial "cookie lady" who would bring treats to former coach Pete Carroll and his teams.

"I've always been really comfortable around USC just because I've grown up in a USC household on my mom's side of the family so I've been around that campus since I was a little kid," Metcalf said. "So I definitely know my way around the campus, and it's just cool now being able to be a part of the football program as a recruit right now. I definitely feel very comfortable around the coaches. It's kind of like, it's more than football I can tell at USC -- it's like family. They treat you like family at USC, and that's something that's hard to find at a lot of schools."

All of that begs the question, given that deep connection with the program, what would it take for him to choose a school other than USC?

"It's really just all academics and finding that healthy mixture with football. Like I said, USC sits very high on my list. I love USC," he said. "And there's a bunch of other schools on my list too and a few other schools on my list too that are touted very highly in the academic world as well as the football program. I'm taking a visit up to Stanford on [April] 6th, and I'm really looking forward to that as well. I'm looking forward to all these visits, and I'm really thankful to the schools that have offered me scholarships. It's a great time right now. The visits that are going on right now are definitely memorable. …

"I definitely have to go look at all my schools before I start to think about making a decision. I can't count any schools out."

Metcalf's offer list only continues to grow too, with Louisville and Pittsburgh recent additions this week.

He visited Penn State earlier this month and is especially excited for that upcoming Stanford visit, raving about the academic stature of the university and what it has to offer.

Metcalf wants to study pre-law or potentially pre-med. He likes what he's heard about USC's law school and mentioned the business school as possibility as well.

"There's a lot of different paths I can take at USC just because their degree is so valuable in many different departments," he said.

But he does still have a decision to make, and he says the Trojans staff has been understanding of his approach to the process.

"They're really thankful for me coming out a bunch, coming out and watching their practices and getting there early to watch film with the players," Metcalf said. "They just love what I'm doing and they're hoping I make a decision -- they'll wait, they'd like me to make a decision, but they know it's whenever I feel best and comfortable making a decision. But yeah, I definitely like USC a lot -- I love USC. They're high up on my list. …

"It's just a bunch of blessings from God that I'm taking a lot of time to look at, and yeah, when I'm ready to make that decision I know I'll be 100 percent ready."

Four-star wide receiver Kyle Ford, the second-highest ranked player in USC's 2019 class, continues to work his way back from knee surgery after tearing his ACL at the end of September.

Judging by the video he posted to Twitter on Wednesday, he looks to be well on his way.

Here's what Ford told us last month about his expectation to play as a true freshman.

"I think I'm going to play. I think I'm on the right track to get in, whether it's the first or second game, third game, I think I'll be ready to play and I'll be ready to go, honestly," he said then.

Also, here's a photo we took at the big adidas West Coast Invitational 7-on-7 tournament a few weekends back of Ford palling around with 2020 USC QB commit Bryce Young.

Speaking of Young, the 4-star 2020 dual-threat QB committed to the Trojans since last summer.

While USC fans may be hesitant to make any assumptions after losing four high-profile commits through the recruiting process -- 5-star CB Chris Steele, 3-star RB Jordan Wilmore, 5-star athlete/WR Bru McCoy and 4-star WR Puka Nacua -- Young seems about as locked in as a recruit can be.

A surprise name on USC's visitor list for its Elite Junior Day last Saturday was Lawndale HS 2021 offensive lineman Rolan Fullwood.

Fullwood doesn't have any offers yet, but it's easy to see why programs would be intrigued by his potential as he already stands 6-foot-5, 278 pounds heading into his junior season.

Fullwood was in Lawndale's OL rotation for most of the season as a sophomore and started some big postseason games. He'll look to boost his stock in the fall.

"I'm just working right now. I'm trying to get better ... be a better person in the classroom, on the field, be the best I can be," he said. "My footwork is the strongest [attribute] right now. I want to work on run blocking more, getting in the weight room more."

He's a raw prospect still who didn't start playing football until the eighth grade. He's had preliminary communication with USC and Utah, but his interaction at the Trojans' Junior Day was mostly just the program learning more about him.

"I went to the Junior Day. It was nice. I liked how I looked in the USC [uniform]. … It was cool touring USC," Fullwood said. "I was just talking to them, they were asking me my height, my weight, my school. Getting to know me."

We asked newest USC 2020 commit Joshua Jackson if he's trying to recruit any other top prospects to join him in this Trojans class.

He said the two he's working on are fellow 4-star WR Gary Bryant (Corona Centennial HS) and his Narbonne HS teammate, 3-star DT Jordan Berry.

Berry has been committed to LSU since last month and told us in the fall that he was intrigued by broadening his horizons and going to school outside of the state, so he may be a tough sell. But he did attend USC's Elite Junior Day last weekend.

Meanwhile, we went in-depth earlier this week with Jackson about his commitment and Rivals recruiting analyst Adam Gorney analyzed Jackson's film.

Three new USC offers went out Wednesday. Here's a look at who is now officially on the Trojans' recruiting radar:

--DeShawn Lynch, a 3-star 6-foot-4, 275-pound 2020 defensive end from Folsom HS in Folsom, Calif.

-Nate Anderson, a 6-foot-5, 260-pound 2020 offensive tackle from Rick Reedy HS in Frisco, Texas.

-Romello Height, a 6-foot-4, 210-pound 2020 outside linebacker from Dublin HS in Dublin, Ga.