Wartime Weekly
Welcome to another edition of our insider series, Wartime Weekly.
THE RUNDOWN
USC has offered plenty of scholarships to 2016 recruits in the past few months, but it seems there’s finally some clarity with who is coming to USC and who definitely isn’t.
With Velus Jones de-committing from USC on Friday and then re-committing to the Trojans on Saturday, USC now expects to go into signing day with six open slots. There are plenty of potential additions, some seemingly very likely (defensive backs Jack Jones and Kyzir White) and others not so much (linebacker Caleb Kelly, tight end Devin Asiasi, defensive lineman Boss Tagaloa, and most of the East Coast kids)
The full list of targets in play is as follows:
- Paramus, NJ DL Rashan Gary
- Phoenix, Ariz. DE Connor Murphy
- Yuma, Ariz. DE Jonathan Kongbo
- Concord, Calif. TE Asiasi
- Concord, Calif. DL Tagaloa
- Elk Grove, Calif. DB Lamar Jackson
- Fresno, Calif. LB Kelly
- Gardena, Calif. ATH Brandon Burton
- Lawndale, Calif. DE/LB Semisi Lauaki
- Long Beach, Calif. ATH Jones
- Daytona Beach, Fla. DE/LB Jachai Polite
- Miami, Fla. ATH Evan Hinson
- Miami, Fla. WR/DB Keyshawn Young
- Miami, Fla. ATH Jamel Cook
- Plantation, Fla. TE Nick Eubanks
- Lawrenceville, Ga. OT E.J. Price
- Rockford, Mich. K Quinn Nordin
- Herriman, Utah DE Leki Fotu
- Murray, Utah LB/DE Maxs Tupai
- Scranton, Pa. DB Kyzir White
That list is actually much shorter than it was just weeks ago, and TrojanSports.com has kept you up to date on all the changes, from losing some DB targets this week to missing out on North Carolina tight end Thaddeus Moss.
The two latest prospects to be crossed off the list? Clifford Chattman and Amir Rasul.
Chattman is a three-star athlete from New Orleans whom USC offered just weeks ago. He was considering USC but he says that’s not the case now.
“The guy that was recruiting me went to Mississippi State to be the defensive coordinator,” Chattman told TrojanSports.com.
Rasul, a three-star tailback from Florida, is also out of the picture.
“(There’s) no room for him right now,” a source inside USC’s program told TrojanSports.com.
CLOSED RECEPTION
USC landed a commitment Thursday from 2017 Mobile, Ala. WR Marlon Williams and it was almost the second out-of-state receiver to commit to USC in a 48-hour period.
The first player was Jacksonville, Fla. Trinity Christian three-star WR Derrick Smith, who actually tweeted that he was committed and then deleted the tweet moments later. He told our Mike Singer before deleting the tweet that he was committing to USC, he just hadn’t told the coaches yet. A source inside USC also said at the time that the commitment wasn’t happening yet.
We reached out to sources inside the program for further clarification of where Smith stood in his commitment to USC. Apparently, Smith will not commit to USC again anytime soon.
“No, not now, we love him but he needs to wait and come to Rising Stars (Camp),” the source said.
SUNSHINE STATE SYNOPSIS
One of the key storylines down the recruiting stretch for USC is the emergence of assistant Keynodo Hudson in the state of Florida. Hudson has deep ties in the central part of the Sunshine State, and he's making connections all over Florida.
TrojanSports.com got the chance to chat with Miami (Fla.) Southridge High coach Dave Cooney, who is very knowledgeable when it comes to South Florida recruits, about Hudson. It was Cooney that helped familiarized Hudson with Rasul, athlete Jamel Cook, receiver Keyshawn Young — Cooney says USC is “really, really high on the latter two” — and a pair of 2017 prospects that the Trojans have offered.
Brandon James is a long, athletic outside linebacker at 6-foot-3, 180-pounds. Shawn Davis is a 6-foot-1, 177-pound cornerback.
"They have to start doing research on the staff and what USC has to offer," Cooney said about the two young prospects. "We'll probably wind up taking a trip to USC. There's a big 7-on-7 tournament that usually goes on out there, and we'll probably try to get a team out there."
According to a source in USC’s program, both could be great fits in the defense it’s looking to build.
“They fit us in the future, what we want to do, that size, those physical attributes,” a source inside USC said. “The Davis kid from Southridge is a big physical corner. He’s going to blow up now, everybody is going to offer him. He’s a big physical athlete. The linebacker (James) can run like a deer, tremendous change of direction, just look at his tape.”
Southridge has two other solid prospects in the 2017 class that USC is looking at but has not offered: Kemore Gamble, a Miami tight end commit, and three-star wide receiver Rodney Scott.
"I think Coach (John) Baxter is going to be a little bit more interested in Gamble," Cooney said. "We'll have to see what coach Martin wants to do with Rodney. He didn't have the type of year he wanted to have, but I think he's going to blow right back up in the 7-on-7 game."
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TrojanSports.com has been tracking the 2016 Florida recruits USC has targeted late in the process. One such prospect is Under Armour All-American athlete Carlos Becker, who told us two days ago that he was considering an official visit to USC this weekend.
However, Becker's high school head coach, Doug Nichols, told us that he won't be visiting USC, basically eliminating the Trojans from contention.
"USC came in so late,” Nichols said. “I know Hudson was down last week (at the high school), but I didn't know he went to his house."
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USC has offers out to three 2017 prospects from Jacksonville (Fla.) Trinity Christian High. We recently caught up with Trinity defensive coordinator Gerard Ross for his take on the players. It should be noted, Ross graduated from Trinity before playing at Florida State. He also played one season with the Seattle Seahawks.
On Florida State wide receiver commit D.J. Matthews: "I think he's one of the top receivers in this class. He's a very dynamic player in the slot and has a very high IQ when it comes to offense, running routes, and attacking the ball at its highest point. He's a super competitor. He's going to be a very special kid in college."
On five-star Ohio State cornerback commit Shaun Wade: "His whole deal is the length of him at corner. He's somewhere in-between 6-foot-2-and-a-half and 6-foot-3. He's very smooth and athletic. He can play press man and zone coverage as well. He's a very physical kid. He's also athletic enough to play in our offense."
On three-star wide receiver Derrick Smith: "Derrick is an interesting athlete. He actually plays both sides of the ball equally well. He can play safety and wide receiver at the Power 5 level. He's very explosive and is well built. He's built like he's in college already. He reminds me of a teammate of mine that I played with at Florida State — Anquan Boldin. They're both very physical and muscled up. Also, he can play safety and come down hill and knock you out. It will be interesting to see where he ends up playing in college. He can do either."
Smith, of course, tweeted that he was committing to USC the day after he received his offer but recanted on that statement shortly after.
Still, USC has been building a rapport with Trinity Christian, a program that has established itself as a powerhouse in Florida and has several FBS prospects every year.
"I know Coach Tee Martin and the staff came out a couple years back and were recruiting (2015 five-star DB) Kevin Toliver II," Ross said. "So they've been keeping an eye on our program. UCLA is also a program that recruits our school very hard. Coach Jim Mora Jr. was my defensive backs coach at Seattle. We've kept our connection."
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Class of 2016 Florida athlete Evan Hinson has been projected by most as a college pass rusher. But according to a source within the program, the three-star prospect who can contribute on the hardwood can also end up at another position on the gridiron.
“That’s a decision, a bridge we’re going to have to cross after signing day because he can be whatever he wants to be,” a source inside USC said of Hinson. “That kid is a tremendous athlete. We need more great athletes like that as Trojans.”
NFL BLOODLINES
Scranton, Penn. Lackawanna C.C. safety Kyzir White isn’t just a four-star defensive back with size and speed, he has the bloodlines as well. White is the brother of Chicago Bears wide receiver Kevin White.
That might make some Trojans fans nervous, as the elder White attended the same city college and West Virginia, where White is currently committed. But his brother’s past shouldn’t have too much of an effect on his final decision. From we’ve heard, Kevin White has a strong relationship with current USC coaches.