USC’s next signing class stands to be its smallest in years. And for a multitude of other reasons it will be its most modest. But there’s still (some) time between now and the two signing periods. While winning will ultimately make the biggest difference, the football staff has been working this offseason to make waves with those still on its wish list.
Following a flurry of commitments in late June, a handful of targets committing elsewhere since, and a few more planning to announce in the coming weeks, it’s a great time to take a closer look at who the Trojans still want and what they still need.
USC currently sits just below 85 scholarship players for 2019 -- 81, by my count -- and there are only eight seniors on the roster, with 2017 linebacker signee Tayler Katoa set to rejoin the team following his two-year Mormon mission. That leaves 11 spots for the Class of 2020. A lot can (and will) happen between now and signing day(s), so it’s safe to assume the Trojans will sign a haul somewhere in the teens.
Our perfect class includes 15, for now. (We also list the biggest remaining needs for five more spots).
As always, the primary objective of this exercise is to construct a class that is idealistic but realistic, based on who USC likes, who it’s in contention for, and what the staff needs at each position with respect to how much space it has to work with.
We now present USC's perfect class of 2020 ...
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USC locked in on Bryce Young over D.J. Uiagalelei more than two years ago and the dual-threat QB reciprocated. Young's been recruiting on the Trojans’ behalf for a while and is as close to a lock to sign as they’ll get from an elite prospect in this cycle. Probably the only way he doesn’t end up at USC is if a new coach takes over and isn’t interested in the Santa Ana Mater Dei standout. He might not earn a fifth star but he more than meets the program’s needs at this spot.