Expanding and bolstering USC's football recruiting department became an immediate priority for the Trojans' new athletics leadership last year, and that process remains ongoing.
USC announced a key addition Tuesday with the hiring of Marshall Cherrington as director of recruiting strategy.
Cherrington, a USC alum, had spent the last two years in the same position at Cal, building up his reputation in the business. He's been on a fast climb since serving as a student manager at his alma mater through the 2017 season, and now he returns to add more manpower to the Trojans recruiting department.
In terms of what his role will be, Cherrington will be another point of contact within the program for recruits, their parents and coaches, while serving as a liaison between the coaching staff and creative team on recruiting needs, overseeing communication plans for recruits and formulating individualized recruiting strategy plans for key prospects.
USC's long-understaffed recruiting department -- relative to its peers -- has gotten a much-needed boost of manpower over the last year since athletic director Mike Bohn and senior associate AD Brandon Sosna committed to addressing key needs within the staff.
That department continues to be led by director of player personnel Spencer Harris and the core of director of player development Gavin Morris and director of scouting/recruiting strategy Trey Johnson, while in the last year adding assistant director of player personnel Drew Fox (promoted from within), director of high school relations Armond Hawkins Jr., director of graphic design Alex Verdugo and assistant director of video production Will Stout, along with the launch of the BLVD Studios venture as a key cog in USC's efforts to mobilize for the upcoming changes to Name, Image and Likeness rules that will allow college athletes to profit off their personal brands.
There's also been some attrition along with the additions, so USC has three positions still to fill in the department -- needing to replace director of on-campus recruiting Kelsea Winkle, director of football video production Jacob Brown and another graphics hire.
