For Jackson, a chance to show what he can do
February, 9, 2012
Feb 9
2:43
PM PT
LOS ANGELES -- As far back as he can recall, USC forward Garrett Jackson has never lost more games than he's won in a single season.
Not at any level, and not at any sport, either -- and he played four growing up.
But that much is a virtual guarantee for Jackson and the USC Trojans this year. With seven games left in the 2011-2012 regular season, USC (6-18, 1-10 in the Pac-12) would essentially have to win out, take home the Pac-12 conference tournament championship and make a run to the NCAA tournament Sweet 16 to even finish with as many wins as losses.
Suffice it to say, it's not happening to a team with just two wins since November and six scholarship players suiting up most nights.
Not at any level, and not at any sport, either -- and he played four growing up.
But that much is a virtual guarantee for Jackson and the USC Trojans this year. With seven games left in the 2011-2012 regular season, USC (6-18, 1-10 in the Pac-12) would essentially have to win out, take home the Pac-12 conference tournament championship and make a run to the NCAA tournament Sweet 16 to even finish with as many wins as losses.
Suffice it to say, it's not happening to a team with just two wins since November and six scholarship players suiting up most nights.
Victor Blackwell came into school at USC last summer expecting to play right away, expecting to compete against George Farmer and others for a starting spot across from Robert Woods.
But, he says now, the coaches had other plans for him. And, he also admits, he wasn't quite ready for it either.
And, now that he has a half-year in the program under his belt, having redshirted the 2011 season, Blackwell says he's finally ready to do what he planned to some six months ago: seriously compete for playing time.
Judging from the winter throwing sessions that began last month, he's in perfect position to do that. The 19-year-old Blackwell might just end up being the favorite for the No. 3 receiving spot behind Woods and Marqise Lee by the time fall camp comes around this August, if not sooner.
With Woods out and Lee arriving late to most sessions because of track practice, Blackwell has been the most consistently impressive receiver on the field, catching balls from his high-school teammate, quarterback Matt Barkley, and other signal-callers.
Farmer, now back at receiver after a brief test at running back, will provide competition. And De'Von Flournoy is a veteran presence. But Blackwell has the hands, body control and overall skill level to win the spot.
"I think they're confident in me," he said Tuesday, after the fifth throwing session of the winter, cut a bit short by rain in Los Angeles. "I think it's more of a willpower thing now, more of a will-I-do-it thing now.
"It's all on my shoulders."
Blackwell had too much on his shoulders as a first-year freshman in 2011, he said. Even as a redshirt, he found his course load at times overwhelming, and he had never found the time to commit the playbook to memory. He routinely shined in practices all fall when executing the plays he did know and understand, but he also struggled on occasion, running the wrong routes and frustrating his coaches.
"It was a different transition between high school and college," Blackwell said about that part of the process. "A lot of growing up I had to do that I just don't think I was ready for, so I struggled. But it's not anything I can't handle anymore."
But, he says now, the coaches had other plans for him. And, he also admits, he wasn't quite ready for it either.
And, now that he has a half-year in the program under his belt, having redshirted the 2011 season, Blackwell says he's finally ready to do what he planned to some six months ago: seriously compete for playing time.
Judging from the winter throwing sessions that began last month, he's in perfect position to do that. The 19-year-old Blackwell might just end up being the favorite for the No. 3 receiving spot behind Woods and Marqise Lee by the time fall camp comes around this August, if not sooner.
With Woods out and Lee arriving late to most sessions because of track practice, Blackwell has been the most consistently impressive receiver on the field, catching balls from his high-school teammate, quarterback Matt Barkley, and other signal-callers.
Farmer, now back at receiver after a brief test at running back, will provide competition. And De'Von Flournoy is a veteran presence. But Blackwell has the hands, body control and overall skill level to win the spot.
"I think they're confident in me," he said Tuesday, after the fifth throwing session of the winter, cut a bit short by rain in Los Angeles. "I think it's more of a willpower thing now, more of a will-I-do-it thing now.
"It's all on my shoulders."
Blackwell had too much on his shoulders as a first-year freshman in 2011, he said. Even as a redshirt, he found his course load at times overwhelming, and he had never found the time to commit the playbook to memory. He routinely shined in practices all fall when executing the plays he did know and understand, but he also struggled on occasion, running the wrong routes and frustrating his coaches.
"It was a different transition between high school and college," Blackwell said about that part of the process. "A lot of growing up I had to do that I just don't think I was ready for, so I struggled. But it's not anything I can't handle anymore."
Last we wrote, running back Marc Tyler and defensive tackle DaJohn Harris were the only two 2011 Trojans to receive official invitations to the NFL Combine later this month.
Now, we know, there have been three other former USC players invited to participate in the Feb. 22-Feb. 28 event: defensive tackle Christian Tupou, linebacker Chris Galippo and tight end/fullback Rhett Ellison. The three were asked later in the process than Tyler and Harris.
Left tackle Matt Kalil, a sure top-10 pick in April's NFL draft, has not yet been officially invited but is just about a guarantee to end up in Indianapolis for the festivities. Defensive end Nick Perry's situation is the same way.
Last month in Florida, Tyler and Harris played in the East-West Shrine Game, considered the second best college All-Star game played each offseason after the Senior Bowl. No Trojans were invited to that game, although Galippo and receiver Brandon Carswell did play in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl Game in Carson last month as well.
The 2012 NFL draft begins April 26.
Now, we know, there have been three other former USC players invited to participate in the Feb. 22-Feb. 28 event: defensive tackle Christian Tupou, linebacker Chris Galippo and tight end/fullback Rhett Ellison. The three were asked later in the process than Tyler and Harris.
Left tackle Matt Kalil, a sure top-10 pick in April's NFL draft, has not yet been officially invited but is just about a guarantee to end up in Indianapolis for the festivities. Defensive end Nick Perry's situation is the same way.
Last month in Florida, Tyler and Harris played in the East-West Shrine Game, considered the second best college All-Star game played each offseason after the Senior Bowl. No Trojans were invited to that game, although Galippo and receiver Brandon Carswell did play in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl Game in Carson last month as well.
The 2012 NFL draft begins April 26.
One of the benefits to getting USC coach Lane Kiffin in a room for 30 minutes where he's obligated to listen to a never-ending stream of questions and answer most of them is it equals an opportunity to get some long-standing questions answered. Here are notes going off of his most interesting answers:
Scholarship count
By now, it's well-known that the Trojans have to be at 75 total scholarships or fewer by the time fall camp comes around in August. Kiffin has said it over and over in recent months as a reminder that his USC team is still very much under sanctions.
But he refuses to reveal where his squad is at right now, after taking on 12 more signees this week and five as January enrollees. The only hint he would give to the team's roster status was telling a reporter who asked about it Wednesday that it's not quite as grim as he might imagine.
Luckily, we can do the math and get a tentative number for where the Trojans stand right now.
With the 17 new players added to the 60 scholarship returners, USC has 77 players on scholarship as of now, as far as we know. That number does not include players like Armond Armstead but does include the former walk-ons who were given scholarships, like linebacker Will Andrew.
We'll get into who else is no longer part of the program further down. But 77 is a manageable number.
Scroggins' future?
It might end up being 76 if Jesse Scroggins can't get his academics together. The redshirt sophomore quarterback from nearby Lakewood High has "fallen behind" in school, per Kiffin, and "has a lot of work to do" to become eligible for the 2012 season.
Of course, the Trojans also put on a huge late recruiting push for Colorado prep quarterback Cyler Miles, a similar signal-caller to Scroggins. So it's obvious that USC isn't exactly counting on Scroggins being a part of the team in the long term.
And, in front of him on the depth chart Cody Kessler and Max Wittek, who are both a year younger too. That could be an issue.
Scholarship count
By now, it's well-known that the Trojans have to be at 75 total scholarships or fewer by the time fall camp comes around in August. Kiffin has said it over and over in recent months as a reminder that his USC team is still very much under sanctions.
But he refuses to reveal where his squad is at right now, after taking on 12 more signees this week and five as January enrollees. The only hint he would give to the team's roster status was telling a reporter who asked about it Wednesday that it's not quite as grim as he might imagine.
Luckily, we can do the math and get a tentative number for where the Trojans stand right now.
With the 17 new players added to the 60 scholarship returners, USC has 77 players on scholarship as of now, as far as we know. That number does not include players like Armond Armstead but does include the former walk-ons who were given scholarships, like linebacker Will Andrew.
We'll get into who else is no longer part of the program further down. But 77 is a manageable number.
Scroggins' future?
It might end up being 76 if Jesse Scroggins can't get his academics together. The redshirt sophomore quarterback from nearby Lakewood High has "fallen behind" in school, per Kiffin, and "has a lot of work to do" to become eligible for the 2012 season.
Of course, the Trojans also put on a huge late recruiting push for Colorado prep quarterback Cyler Miles, a similar signal-caller to Scroggins. So it's obvious that USC isn't exactly counting on Scroggins being a part of the team in the long term.
And, in front of him on the depth chart Cody Kessler and Max Wittek, who are both a year younger too. That could be an issue.
Here are five more USC-centric observations from National Signing Day, focusing on what they will mean for the future of the Trojans. Later, we'll have a post on some news and notes Lane Kiffin revealed in his signing day press conference.
1. The star(s)
Most recruiting classes have one or two players who are recognizable names, often top-recruited quarterbacks or skill-position players from the area.
But the two most exciting players -- defensive end Leonard Williams and receiver Nelson Agholor, both from Florida -- in the Trojans' 2012 class don't fit either of those bills.
Williams' decision to choose USC didn't attract a ton of national attention, but it's clear the Trojans were both surprised and delighted at his choice. Kiffin credited defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator Ed Orgeron for sealing Williams' signature from out-of-state.
The 6-5, 270-pounder spent high school on the East coast of Florida, but he hails from L.A. and attended a camp at USC last summer. That's where USC's interest stemmed from.
Agholor is an interesting combination as an elite athletic prospect and a superb character guy. His high-school highlight film is prodigious; his press-conference performance Wednesday morning when he picked the Trojans earned him some positive attention.
Kiffin said Agholor will primarily play receiver at USC but could occasionally log some time at running back.
2. Depth issues at two spots
We wrote about the offensive line on signing day and how USC wanted to get one more lineman in the fold, but the truth is there were two other positions where the Trojans needed players more desperately than they did on the O-line.
Those spots? Defensive tackle and running back. The Trojans have only four scholarship tackles on the roster, and two of them have never played in a college game. The other two, J.R. Tavai and George Uko, have played but started a combined one game.
At running back, USC has three scholarship players and only two with any experience in Curtis McNeal and D.J. Morgan.
Kiffin didn't shy away from saying Wednesday that the Trojans were worried about their depth in the backfield. But, he emphasized, they chose being worried about depth over taking a prospect of questionable character or talent.
1. The star(s)
Most recruiting classes have one or two players who are recognizable names, often top-recruited quarterbacks or skill-position players from the area.
But the two most exciting players -- defensive end Leonard Williams and receiver Nelson Agholor, both from Florida -- in the Trojans' 2012 class don't fit either of those bills.
Williams' decision to choose USC didn't attract a ton of national attention, but it's clear the Trojans were both surprised and delighted at his choice. Kiffin credited defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator Ed Orgeron for sealing Williams' signature from out-of-state.
The 6-5, 270-pounder spent high school on the East coast of Florida, but he hails from L.A. and attended a camp at USC last summer. That's where USC's interest stemmed from.
Agholor is an interesting combination as an elite athletic prospect and a superb character guy. His high-school highlight film is prodigious; his press-conference performance Wednesday morning when he picked the Trojans earned him some positive attention.
Kiffin said Agholor will primarily play receiver at USC but could occasionally log some time at running back.
2. Depth issues at two spots
We wrote about the offensive line on signing day and how USC wanted to get one more lineman in the fold, but the truth is there were two other positions where the Trojans needed players more desperately than they did on the O-line.
Those spots? Defensive tackle and running back. The Trojans have only four scholarship tackles on the roster, and two of them have never played in a college game. The other two, J.R. Tavai and George Uko, have played but started a combined one game.
At running back, USC has three scholarship players and only two with any experience in Curtis McNeal and D.J. Morgan.
Kiffin didn't shy away from saying Wednesday that the Trojans were worried about their depth in the backfield. But, he emphasized, they chose being worried about depth over taking a prospect of questionable character or talent.
Lane Kiffin and USC's coaching staff were a pitching a shutout for the early part of National Signing Day on Wednesday, picking up two huge out-of-state signees in receiver Nelson Agholor and defensive end Leonard Williams early in the morning and sealing the deal on all but one of their longtime commits.
Things were looking good. Then slowly but surely over the next four hours, quarterback Cyler Miles, defensive tackle Aziz Shittu and tackles Kyle Dodson, Andrus Peat and Kyle Murphy, top prospects all of them, each turned the Trojans down. USC, limited to only 15 signees because of NCAA sanctions, finished by securing an important local kid in Carson receiver Darreus Rogers, but the damage had been done.
As Kiffin put it later Wednesday in his press conference at Heritage Hall, USC's "bullpen got rocked."
Kiffin resorted to a pitching analogy to explain how well he thought USC's "starting pitcher" was performing for the first six innings of Signing Day -- getting the Floridians Agholor and Williams, among others -- and how poorly the bullpen performed afterward.
In all, it's unclear if the Trojans actually won the nine-inning game -- that'll come in a year or two or three -- but it didn't go as well as Kiffin and his staff had hoped. It also didn't go nearly as badly as some had projected around the country.
"Obviously you want to focus on the positive, but there's a reality side to it," Kiffin said Wednesday evening. "We had a rough end to the day. But it was a great start, obviously."
The start included Agholor and Williams, which "shocked a lot of people," Kiffin said, and one other "touchdown maker," as Kiffin called him, in tight end Jalen Cope-Fitzpatrick. The local kids -- including key offensive linemen Max Tuerk and Jordan Simmons -- all stayed true to their commitments, and the only recruit who defected away from USC was Northern California defensive end Pio Vatuvei, who the Trojans quickly replaced with Williams.
Together, Tuerk, Simmons and Zach Banner, the recruit from the state of Washington who announced he'd picked USC on Monday, add much-needed depth to the Trojans' offensive line, although Murphy, Peat or Dodson would have solidified it even further.
"Size is what sticks out about this class," Kiffin said, recounting the biggest positives from the day, in his eyes. "Really big guys and guys that can play a number of positions.
Kiffin also admitted that he fully expected Murphy, Peat or Dodson to sign, with the Trojans believing at one point last week they were leading in the chase of both Murphy and Peat and believing Wednesday they were first or second in the chase of all three prospects.
"To go 0-for-3 there, I thought we would have at least went 1-for-3," Kiffin said, continuing with the baseball analogy. "And I certainly didn't think two of them would go to the same school."
USC stayed three players below the 15-men limit, which Kiffin said wasn't entirely by design. But it makes sense. By taking only 12 players now, the Trojans save themselves from having to cut three more players to get under the 75-man overall limit come fall camp and allow three early enrollees to come in next January.
The only issue: Depth is at a premium. All 12 players need to pan out and stay in the program, or USC could be in for long-term issues.
"We can't afford attrition," Kiffin said. "So we had to look at everything, from academics to character to how well they play on the field and all the other stuff too.
"We tried to take all that into account."
Here's the full class of the 12 signees:
Nelson Agholor, WR, 6-1, 180, Tampa, FL (Berkeley Prep HS, Tampa, FL)
Zach Banner, OL, 6-9, 335, Puyallup, WA (Lakes HS, Lakewood, WA)
Gerald Bowman, S, 6-1, 215, Philadelphia, PA (Pierce J.C.)
Jalen Cope-Fitzpatrick, TE, 6-5, 260, Rocklin, CA (Whitney HS, Rocklin, CA)
Jahleel Pinner, RB, 5-11, 225, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA (Mission Viejo (CA) HS)
Darreus Rogers, WR, 6-2, 195, Compton, CA (Carson (CA) HS)
Jabari Ruffin, LB, 6-4, 230, Downey, CA (Downey (CA) HS)
Kevon Seymour, DB, 6-0, 170, Pasadena, CA (Muir HS, Pasadena, CA)
Devian Shelton, DB, 6-2, 185, Inglewood, CA (Inglewood (CA) HS)
Jordan Simmons, OL, 6-5, 335, Inglewood, CA (Crespi HS, Encino, CA)
Max Tuerk, OL, 6-6, 295, Trabuco Canyon, CA (Santa Margarita HS, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA)
Leonard Williams, DL, 6-5, 275, Daytona Beach, FL (Mainland HS, Daytona Beach, FL)
And the five players who have already enrolled for a total of 17
Scott Starr, LB, 6-3, 230, Norco, CA (Norco (CA) HS)
Chad Wheeler, OT, 6-6, 265, Santa Monica, CA (Santa Monica (CA) HS)
DeVante Wilson, DE, 6-4, 235, Corona, CA (Corona (CA) HS)
Morgan Breslin, DE, 6-3, 255, Walnut Creek, CA (Diablo Valley J.C.)
Josh Shaw, S, 6-2, 195 Palmdale, CA (Florida)
Things were looking good. Then slowly but surely over the next four hours, quarterback Cyler Miles, defensive tackle Aziz Shittu and tackles Kyle Dodson, Andrus Peat and Kyle Murphy, top prospects all of them, each turned the Trojans down. USC, limited to only 15 signees because of NCAA sanctions, finished by securing an important local kid in Carson receiver Darreus Rogers, but the damage had been done.
As Kiffin put it later Wednesday in his press conference at Heritage Hall, USC's "bullpen got rocked."
Kiffin resorted to a pitching analogy to explain how well he thought USC's "starting pitcher" was performing for the first six innings of Signing Day -- getting the Floridians Agholor and Williams, among others -- and how poorly the bullpen performed afterward.
In all, it's unclear if the Trojans actually won the nine-inning game -- that'll come in a year or two or three -- but it didn't go as well as Kiffin and his staff had hoped. It also didn't go nearly as badly as some had projected around the country.
"Obviously you want to focus on the positive, but there's a reality side to it," Kiffin said Wednesday evening. "We had a rough end to the day. But it was a great start, obviously."
The start included Agholor and Williams, which "shocked a lot of people," Kiffin said, and one other "touchdown maker," as Kiffin called him, in tight end Jalen Cope-Fitzpatrick. The local kids -- including key offensive linemen Max Tuerk and Jordan Simmons -- all stayed true to their commitments, and the only recruit who defected away from USC was Northern California defensive end Pio Vatuvei, who the Trojans quickly replaced with Williams.
Together, Tuerk, Simmons and Zach Banner, the recruit from the state of Washington who announced he'd picked USC on Monday, add much-needed depth to the Trojans' offensive line, although Murphy, Peat or Dodson would have solidified it even further.
"Size is what sticks out about this class," Kiffin said, recounting the biggest positives from the day, in his eyes. "Really big guys and guys that can play a number of positions.
Kiffin also admitted that he fully expected Murphy, Peat or Dodson to sign, with the Trojans believing at one point last week they were leading in the chase of both Murphy and Peat and believing Wednesday they were first or second in the chase of all three prospects.
"To go 0-for-3 there, I thought we would have at least went 1-for-3," Kiffin said, continuing with the baseball analogy. "And I certainly didn't think two of them would go to the same school."
USC stayed three players below the 15-men limit, which Kiffin said wasn't entirely by design. But it makes sense. By taking only 12 players now, the Trojans save themselves from having to cut three more players to get under the 75-man overall limit come fall camp and allow three early enrollees to come in next January.
The only issue: Depth is at a premium. All 12 players need to pan out and stay in the program, or USC could be in for long-term issues.
"We can't afford attrition," Kiffin said. "So we had to look at everything, from academics to character to how well they play on the field and all the other stuff too.
"We tried to take all that into account."
Here's the full class of the 12 signees:
Nelson Agholor, WR, 6-1, 180, Tampa, FL (Berkeley Prep HS, Tampa, FL)
Zach Banner, OL, 6-9, 335, Puyallup, WA (Lakes HS, Lakewood, WA)
Gerald Bowman, S, 6-1, 215, Philadelphia, PA (Pierce J.C.)
Jalen Cope-Fitzpatrick, TE, 6-5, 260, Rocklin, CA (Whitney HS, Rocklin, CA)
Jahleel Pinner, RB, 5-11, 225, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA (Mission Viejo (CA) HS)
Darreus Rogers, WR, 6-2, 195, Compton, CA (Carson (CA) HS)
Jabari Ruffin, LB, 6-4, 230, Downey, CA (Downey (CA) HS)
Kevon Seymour, DB, 6-0, 170, Pasadena, CA (Muir HS, Pasadena, CA)
Devian Shelton, DB, 6-2, 185, Inglewood, CA (Inglewood (CA) HS)
Jordan Simmons, OL, 6-5, 335, Inglewood, CA (Crespi HS, Encino, CA)
Max Tuerk, OL, 6-6, 295, Trabuco Canyon, CA (Santa Margarita HS, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA)
Leonard Williams, DL, 6-5, 275, Daytona Beach, FL (Mainland HS, Daytona Beach, FL)
And the five players who have already enrolled for a total of 17
Scott Starr, LB, 6-3, 230, Norco, CA (Norco (CA) HS)
Chad Wheeler, OT, 6-6, 265, Santa Monica, CA (Santa Monica (CA) HS)
DeVante Wilson, DE, 6-4, 235, Corona, CA (Corona (CA) HS)
Morgan Breslin, DE, 6-3, 255, Walnut Creek, CA (Diablo Valley J.C.)
Josh Shaw, S, 6-2, 195 Palmdale, CA (Florida)
Receiver Darreus Rogers (Compton, Calif./Carson) became the 12th and final signee in the USC 2012 recruiting class when he announced Wednesday afternoon he'd be signing with the Trojans.
Rogers had sent in his signed letter of intent to USC earlier in the day but held off announcing it for television purposes. He had been verbally committed to the Trojans for over a year but recently flirted with attending Arizona State after taking an official visit to Tempe earlier this month.
A 6-2, 195-pound receiver, Rogers became the second receiver to sign with the Trojans on Wednesday -- after Nelson Agholor (Tampa, Fl./Berkeley Prep) -- and the seventh on scholarship.
We'll have a full recap of the class later.
Rogers had sent in his signed letter of intent to USC earlier in the day but held off announcing it for television purposes. He had been verbally committed to the Trojans for over a year but recently flirted with attending Arizona State after taking an official visit to Tempe earlier this month.
A 6-2, 195-pound receiver, Rogers became the second receiver to sign with the Trojans on Wednesday -- after Nelson Agholor (Tampa, Fl./Berkeley Prep) -- and the seventh on scholarship.
We'll have a full recap of the class later.
The latter half of USC's Signing Day took a turn for the worse in the 10 o'clock hour when four-star offensive tackle Andrus Peat (Tempe, Ariz./Corona Del Sol) chose Stanford over the Trojans in a live announcement on ESPNU.
And it hasn't turned up since. Four-star quarterback Cyler Miles (Denver, Colo./Mullen) picked Washington over USC in a decision that clearly went down to the wire, and four-star offensive tackle Kyle Murphy (San Clemente, Calif./San Clemente) also picked Stanford, giving the Cardinal one of the best recruiting classes of offensive linemen in recent memory.
Where does this leave USC? In an interesting position, to be sure.
It's clear the Trojans did not count on losing out on Miles, Peat, Murphy and fellow offensive tackle Kyle Dodson (Cleveland, Oh./Cleveland Heights). Now, they have four open scholarship slots under their 15-man maximum and only one player expected to fill one in receiver Darreus Rogers (Carson, Calif./Carson).
If Rogers does end up signing with the Trojans, that still leaves three more empty spots, which gives USC some freedom in the coming weeks. It could do one of two things or a combination of the two: (1) Save the slots and be a lot closer to the 75-man overall scholarship limit come the fall, then add on a few more early enrollees in January 2013, or (2) Offer them to recruits who have yet to pick a school and hope to seize on some last-second decisions.
As of right now, with 11 players signed and the current roster as projected, USC has exactly 75 players on scholarship. Rogers would push that one over the limit, but that's easily fixable.
And it hasn't turned up since. Four-star quarterback Cyler Miles (Denver, Colo./Mullen) picked Washington over USC in a decision that clearly went down to the wire, and four-star offensive tackle Kyle Murphy (San Clemente, Calif./San Clemente) also picked Stanford, giving the Cardinal one of the best recruiting classes of offensive linemen in recent memory.
Where does this leave USC? In an interesting position, to be sure.
It's clear the Trojans did not count on losing out on Miles, Peat, Murphy and fellow offensive tackle Kyle Dodson (Cleveland, Oh./Cleveland Heights). Now, they have four open scholarship slots under their 15-man maximum and only one player expected to fill one in receiver Darreus Rogers (Carson, Calif./Carson).
If Rogers does end up signing with the Trojans, that still leaves three more empty spots, which gives USC some freedom in the coming weeks. It could do one of two things or a combination of the two: (1) Save the slots and be a lot closer to the 75-man overall scholarship limit come the fall, then add on a few more early enrollees in January 2013, or (2) Offer them to recruits who have yet to pick a school and hope to seize on some last-second decisions.
As of right now, with 11 players signed and the current roster as projected, USC has exactly 75 players on scholarship. Rogers would push that one over the limit, but that's easily fixable.
As of 10:30 a.m. Wednesday morning, 11 players have officially signed their letters of intent to attend USC.
The 11, listed in alphabetical order, are receiver Nelson Agholor (Tampa, Fla./Berkeley Prep), offensive tackle Zach Banner (Lakewood, Wa./Lakes), safety Gerald Bowman (Philadelphia, Pa./Pierce College), tight end Jalen Cope-Fitzpatrick (Rocklin, Calif./Whitney)running back/fullback Jahleel Pinner (Mission Viejo, Calif./Mission Viejo), defensive end Jabari Ruffin (Downey, Calif./Downey), cornerback Kevon Seymour (Pasadena, Calif./Muir), cornerback Devian Shelton (Inglewood, Calif./Inglewood), offensive guard Jordan Simmons (Encino, Calif./Crespi), offensive tackle Max Tuerk (Santa Margarita, Calif./Santa Margarita) and defensive lineman Leonard Williams (Daytona Beach, Fl./Mainland).
That is according to their respective announcements and Twitter accounts. USC has made only seven of the signings -- Banner, Cope-Fitzpatrick, Pinner, Ruffin, Seymour, Simmons and Tuerk -- official as of 10:30 a.m.
Cope-Fitzpatrick, Pinner, Ruffin, Seymour, Simmons and Tuerk had been longtime USC commits. Williams and Agholor were known to be interested in the Trojans but had never publicly committed and ended up both picking USC over Florida. Banner announced on Monday he'd be attending USC. Shelton was offered a scholarship only on Tuesday; Bowman was supposed to enroll in school in January but didn't qualify in time and pushed it back to the summer.
Two players who USC had been seriously recruiting ended up not picking USC: offensive tackle Kyle Dodson (Cleveland, Oh./Cleveland Heights) and defensive lineman Pio Vatuvei (Patterson, Calif./Patterson).
Receiver Darreus Rogers (Carson, Calif./Carson) is still committed to USC but is known to be seriously considering Arizona State. He'll make his official announcement at 3 p.m. PT Wednesday.
Other expected announcements that could affect USC are those of offensive tackle Andrus Peat (Tempe, Ariz./Corona Del Sol), quarterback Cyler Miles (Denver, Colo./Mullen), offensive tackle Kyle Murphy (San Clemente, Calif./San Clemente), defensive tackle Aziz Shittu (Atwater, Calif./Buhach).
Peat will announce just after 10:30 a.m. PT. Miles has said he will announce at 1 p.m. Murphy will announce at 1:30 p.m. and Shittu is scheduled for a 2 p.m. announcement at his high school.
The 11, listed in alphabetical order, are receiver Nelson Agholor (Tampa, Fla./Berkeley Prep), offensive tackle Zach Banner (Lakewood, Wa./Lakes), safety Gerald Bowman (Philadelphia, Pa./Pierce College), tight end Jalen Cope-Fitzpatrick (Rocklin, Calif./Whitney)running back/fullback Jahleel Pinner (Mission Viejo, Calif./Mission Viejo), defensive end Jabari Ruffin (Downey, Calif./Downey), cornerback Kevon Seymour (Pasadena, Calif./Muir), cornerback Devian Shelton (Inglewood, Calif./Inglewood), offensive guard Jordan Simmons (Encino, Calif./Crespi), offensive tackle Max Tuerk (Santa Margarita, Calif./Santa Margarita) and defensive lineman Leonard Williams (Daytona Beach, Fl./Mainland).
That is according to their respective announcements and Twitter accounts. USC has made only seven of the signings -- Banner, Cope-Fitzpatrick, Pinner, Ruffin, Seymour, Simmons and Tuerk -- official as of 10:30 a.m.
Cope-Fitzpatrick, Pinner, Ruffin, Seymour, Simmons and Tuerk had been longtime USC commits. Williams and Agholor were known to be interested in the Trojans but had never publicly committed and ended up both picking USC over Florida. Banner announced on Monday he'd be attending USC. Shelton was offered a scholarship only on Tuesday; Bowman was supposed to enroll in school in January but didn't qualify in time and pushed it back to the summer.
Two players who USC had been seriously recruiting ended up not picking USC: offensive tackle Kyle Dodson (Cleveland, Oh./Cleveland Heights) and defensive lineman Pio Vatuvei (Patterson, Calif./Patterson).
Receiver Darreus Rogers (Carson, Calif./Carson) is still committed to USC but is known to be seriously considering Arizona State. He'll make his official announcement at 3 p.m. PT Wednesday.
Other expected announcements that could affect USC are those of offensive tackle Andrus Peat (Tempe, Ariz./Corona Del Sol), quarterback Cyler Miles (Denver, Colo./Mullen), offensive tackle Kyle Murphy (San Clemente, Calif./San Clemente), defensive tackle Aziz Shittu (Atwater, Calif./Buhach).
Peat will announce just after 10:30 a.m. PT. Miles has said he will announce at 1 p.m. Murphy will announce at 1:30 p.m. and Shittu is scheduled for a 2 p.m. announcement at his high school.
A year ago tonight, Marqise Lee sat in the living room of his Inglewood home and tried to decide where he should go to college.
By that point, on the eve of National Signing Day 2011, he had narrowed down his choices to three schools: Oregon, Miami and USC.
He had officially visited Oregon, USC and Cal and loved all three visits. And he had been heavily recruited by Miami. But one of his best friends, George Farmer, was set to sign with USC, and one of his old teammates, Robert Woods, was already there.
So Lee sat and fielded calls on his cell phone throughout the night, eventually choosing to sign with the Trojans next day in what wasn't quite a surprise but was never a given until the day of.
"I was in this same predicament last year, man," Lee said Tuesday, after a Trojans' throwing session at Howard Jones Field. "It's crazy how fast things went. This is the time where people have to really sit down and think about where they really want to go."
Lee, a Freshman All-American in 2011 with 73 catches for 1,143 yards and 11 touchdowns, has tried to help a lot of high-school recruits in recent days who are dealing with similar situations, including his former Serra teammate Raymond Ford, an ex-UCLA commit. He has also had a number of recruits who he has never met message him on Facebook and ask him for advice.
What does he tell them, regardless of what schools they're considering?
"It's always the best move to go and compete," Lee said. "It shows you're determined. It shows you want to take someone's spot."
Of course, longtime USC commit Darreus Rogers (Carson, Calif./Carson) is considering Arizona State for that very reason. He has told reporters he would get a better opportunity to play right away with the Sun Devils than he would with the Trojans, and is thus considering switching schools to ASU at the last second.
Rogers did not attend the throwing session, although he had indicated via Twitter he would. Asked Tuesday about the situation at receiver at USC, Lee said he understood why recruits could be initially skeptical of the depth chart. But he also said closer examination revealed there would be room to climb the chart sooner rather than later.
"You never know," Lee said. "Robert could leave early. (De'Von Flournoy) could leave. There's so many opportunities you could get. The only thing holding you back is your mindset and how you're seeing it.
"I mean, sure, I had a decent season, but it's not like I can't get my spot taken too."
And remembers what it was like to be a situation similar to Rogers', without an announced school the night before he was due to decide.
"I had a lot of people in my ear telling me, oh, you shouldn't go to 'SC, there's Woody and George there," he said. "But I decided that that was what I wanted.
"I wanted to compete, even if I had to redshirt."
By that point, on the eve of National Signing Day 2011, he had narrowed down his choices to three schools: Oregon, Miami and USC.
He had officially visited Oregon, USC and Cal and loved all three visits. And he had been heavily recruited by Miami. But one of his best friends, George Farmer, was set to sign with USC, and one of his old teammates, Robert Woods, was already there.
So Lee sat and fielded calls on his cell phone throughout the night, eventually choosing to sign with the Trojans next day in what wasn't quite a surprise but was never a given until the day of.
"I was in this same predicament last year, man," Lee said Tuesday, after a Trojans' throwing session at Howard Jones Field. "It's crazy how fast things went. This is the time where people have to really sit down and think about where they really want to go."
Lee, a Freshman All-American in 2011 with 73 catches for 1,143 yards and 11 touchdowns, has tried to help a lot of high-school recruits in recent days who are dealing with similar situations, including his former Serra teammate Raymond Ford, an ex-UCLA commit. He has also had a number of recruits who he has never met message him on Facebook and ask him for advice.
What does he tell them, regardless of what schools they're considering?
"It's always the best move to go and compete," Lee said. "It shows you're determined. It shows you want to take someone's spot."
Of course, longtime USC commit Darreus Rogers (Carson, Calif./Carson) is considering Arizona State for that very reason. He has told reporters he would get a better opportunity to play right away with the Sun Devils than he would with the Trojans, and is thus considering switching schools to ASU at the last second.
Rogers did not attend the throwing session, although he had indicated via Twitter he would. Asked Tuesday about the situation at receiver at USC, Lee said he understood why recruits could be initially skeptical of the depth chart. But he also said closer examination revealed there would be room to climb the chart sooner rather than later.
"You never know," Lee said. "Robert could leave early. (De'Von Flournoy) could leave. There's so many opportunities you could get. The only thing holding you back is your mindset and how you're seeing it.
"I mean, sure, I had a decent season, but it's not like I can't get my spot taken too."
And remembers what it was like to be a situation similar to Rogers', without an announced school the night before he was due to decide.
"I had a lot of people in my ear telling me, oh, you shouldn't go to 'SC, there's Woody and George there," he said. "But I decided that that was what I wanted.
"I wanted to compete, even if I had to redshirt."
With the Monday commitment of four-star offensive tackle Zach Banner (Lakewood, Wa./Lakes), USC now has nine Class of 2012 prospects committed to sign with the school out of 14 available spots.
NCAA sanctions limited the Trojans to 15 signees. They can actually only take 14 because safety Gerald Bowman (Philadelphia, Pa./Pierce College) signed as an early enrollee but didn't finish up his junior-college requirements in time to actually enroll early. So, with barely 36 hours remaining until the faxes will begin rolling in to Heritage Hall on Wednesday morning, let's take a look at which players could potentially fill those five spots.
The following 10 prospects are the candidates. They are listed in a rough order of the likelihood they will sign with the Trojans, from most likely to least. Then we'll go over some of the other things that could still affect the final formulation of the recruiting class, like current commits defecting to other schools and last-second, under-the-radar signees.
WR/RB Nelson Agholor (Tampa, Fla./Berkeley Prep)
Although not yet on campus, Agholor has quickly become Robert Woods' understudy at the receiver position, through social media and his official visit to the Trojans earlier this month.
He seems like a perfect fit as the next top-recruit receiver at USC after Woods and Lee. And he has gotten rave reviews on his character and attitude from all over the country. The only other school he could choose at this point is Florida, but he seems very likely to pick USC.
DE Leonard Williams (Daytona Beach, Fl./Mainland)
Williams is also down to just USC and Florida, according to a recent interview with Rivals.com. An interesting aspect of his recruitment is that he is originally from Los Angeles, which would ease the cross-country transition.
One question: Is a third (or fourth) defensive end really the Trojans' biggest need in this limited class? One could make a convincing argument that a running back would be a better use of the scholarship offer. But Williams is also big enough to make a potential transition to defensive tackle possible, and depth is needed there.
OT Andrus Peat (Tempe, Ariz./Corona Del Sol)
Peat is arguably the second most-important recruit remaining for USC, and he has the Trojans in his final three alongside Nebraska and Stanford. Now that he's gotten in at Stanford and with his brother heading into his second season at Nebraska, it's really an unknown how interested he is in USC.
But he has a ton of potential as a tall, room-to-grow player who could easily bookend USC's line with Banner for two or three seasons.
OT Kyle Murphy (San Clemente, Calif./San Clemente)
Let's put it this way: If the Trojans don't get either Peat, Murphy or Kyle Dodson (more later) to go along with Banner, something went wrong in the final week of the 2012 recruiting season.
He has USC and Stanford as his final two schools, and many recruiting analysts have speculated that Peat and Murphy will pick different schools, which would obviously help USC's cause. But there's also the worst-case scenario of Murphy picking Stanford and Peat joining his brother as a Cornhusker.
An item of note on the 6-7 Murphy: His high school teammate and good friend, Christian Tober, announced over the weekend he'd be coming to USC as a preferred walk-on in the fall.
George Farmer sees the opportunity being presented to him, and he knows what he has to do to seize it.
The first key to his success in 2012 at his new position of wide receiver: Staying academically eligible. The sophomore to-be recorded a GPA below 2.0 in his first semester at USC last fall and is on academic probation this spring because of it. He'll be able to participate in spring practice, but he has to get at least a 2.0 -- an average of Cs in each of his four classes -- this semester to be eligible in the fall.
The 18-year-old Farmer, a five-star prospect in the class of 2011 out of Gardena Serra, insists that won't be a problem.
"You’re gonna see a big semester, grade-wise, out of me this spring," Farmer said this week after an unofficial USC team throwing session. "I’m just gonna focus on this semester and get my grades up so I can be on the field in the fall."
As for his switch to receiver, he said it was "pretty much" what he preferred after the coaches switched him to running back mid-season last year. He now stands as the favorite to win the No. 3 receiving spot next season, behind only Robert Woods and Marqise Lee.
"It was just a decision between me and the coaches," Farmer said. "We talked it out. I’m just gonna leave it at that."
Farmer attributed his academic troubles to the early-morning practices USC held last season. Forced to wake up before 6 a.m., he found himself fine for the actual practices, he said, but grew very tired by the time mid-afternoon classes came around.
"Staying up late, not getting enough sleep…I think that took a toll on me in the long run," Farmer said. "It was an (issue) for me. I was never used to waking up that early. So it was a transition. I think that had a lot to do with it.
"Once I got up and got going it was fine, but after going to class you’d be dead tired."
The first key to his success in 2012 at his new position of wide receiver: Staying academically eligible. The sophomore to-be recorded a GPA below 2.0 in his first semester at USC last fall and is on academic probation this spring because of it. He'll be able to participate in spring practice, but he has to get at least a 2.0 -- an average of Cs in each of his four classes -- this semester to be eligible in the fall.
The 18-year-old Farmer, a five-star prospect in the class of 2011 out of Gardena Serra, insists that won't be a problem.
"You’re gonna see a big semester, grade-wise, out of me this spring," Farmer said this week after an unofficial USC team throwing session. "I’m just gonna focus on this semester and get my grades up so I can be on the field in the fall."
As for his switch to receiver, he said it was "pretty much" what he preferred after the coaches switched him to running back mid-season last year. He now stands as the favorite to win the No. 3 receiving spot next season, behind only Robert Woods and Marqise Lee.
"It was just a decision between me and the coaches," Farmer said. "We talked it out. I’m just gonna leave it at that."
Farmer attributed his academic troubles to the early-morning practices USC held last season. Forced to wake up before 6 a.m., he found himself fine for the actual practices, he said, but grew very tired by the time mid-afternoon classes came around.
"Staying up late, not getting enough sleep…I think that took a toll on me in the long run," Farmer said. "It was an (issue) for me. I was never used to waking up that early. So it was a transition. I think that had a lot to do with it.
"Once I got up and got going it was fine, but after going to class you’d be dead tired."
Former Florida defensive back Josh Shaw was a hotly-recruited prospect out of Palmdale High in the Class of 2010 and chose the Gators over the Trojans. After sitting out his first season because of a knee injury but playing considerable snaps this past year, the 6-2, 195-pounder decided to transfer closer to his home in nearby Palmdale because of health issues within his family.
He considered UCLA but chose the Trojans earlier this month and quickly enrolled in school and began participating in team strength-training workouts. Shaw has been an active participant in the unofficial players-only throwing sessions that took place Tuesday and Thursday of this week, lining up at corner and defending receivers like Marqise Lee and Victor Blackwell in one-on-one situations.
ESPNLosAngeles.com caught up with him after Thursday’s throwing session.
Question: You’ve been here for two weeks. How do you feel? Can you see yourself being comfortable here?
Answer: I’m just out here trying to get my feet wet. I really haven’t lined up at corner in about a year, so I’m just out here trying to get my feet wet. I feel pretty comfortable though, especially with an All-American back there in T.J. (McDonald), my roommate, who can navigate me through everything. It’s a start.
Did you come here to play corner? You’d be one of the bigger corners in college football.
The coaches know I can play both. They know I can play safety and they know I can play corner also. But I would rather play corner, definitely.
Why?
I just like what I can bring to the team. I’d bring another physical corner over there with Nickell (Robey) on the other side. He’s a physical guy himself, short and all but with so much heart. I can bring another physical presence to the perimeter over there.
Have you seen another college corner like Nickell? He seems pretty unique.
I’ve never seen anything like him. He’s the real deal. I’ve heard about him back in Florida, but seeing him out here on Thursday -- man, he’s the real deal. Also I got with him and told him, ‘Show me the ropes. You’ve started here for two years. Show me the ropes and I’ll follow them.’
Do you think you’d have an easier chance to play early at corner or safety?
Really both. Whatever the team needs, to be honest. Because I know I can do both. And my confidence level is pretty high right now. You know, at Florida we didn’t do 7-on-7 like this. So with me doing this right now, it’s giving me a lot of good prep for spring ball, I feel like.
On that note, how important is it for you to be able to participate in spring practice? You can practice regardless of whether or not your hardship waiver is granted, but it would obviously change the focus a lot.
Once the NCAA rules, if it’s granted or it’s not, then the coaches will have a better idea what to do with me. Right now, of course, I’m ineligible because there hasn’t been a ruling yet. And if I am declared eligible then they can mess with me out there in the spring.
Do you feel sort of weird about the whole waiver process? You know, putting your fate in someone else’s hands and all.
I have no control over it at all, and this is the first time in my life I’ve been in this type of situation, coming from playing last year to maybe sitting out right now. I’m not taking anything for granted, man. I’m out here getting older and I realize that. I’m training myself as if I am going to be able to play. I have a good case. I came home for a reason.
Reports on this have varied from definitely-going to not-close-at-all. What’s the truth -- how close were you to going to UCLA after you decided to transfer from Florida?
I was pretty close to going to UCLA. But after weighing all my options, me and my family, we decided it was best for me to come home. I always felt like USC was home. If there was one place that was home, it was this place. I grew up watching 'SC football. That being said though, I think I’ll be the first player from my high school to come here to USC, which is pretty cool.
So, you’ll now have spent time at two of the biggest athletic schools in the country. Compare them a bit. What’s Florida like?
Man, basketball’s pretty big at UF. I’ve heard the team is not too good here. But I’ll check it out one time when they play a big team. And, honestly, down there, they live and die with football. I got to see some of the best atmospheres all around in college football in LSU, Alabama, Tennessee, Florida, South Carolina. You see it all. I haven’t played in the Pac-12 yet, so I don’t know. But, rooming with T.J., he tells me that when they played at Oregon it was crazy and everything, so I’m looking forward it.
So there’s now four kids with Florida ties on the team: You, Nickell, running back Javorious Allen and safety Jawanza Starling. It’s kind of funny that three of you are defensive backs, no?
Yep, Jawanza. It’s his last year out here and he knows the defense too. All I’m trying to do right now is receive. Keep my mouth shut, work hard and earn some respect from the guys. But this was a good decision for me, coming in, because I know a lot of the guys. As a transfer, you want to go somewhere where you’re comfortable. And I’m definitely comfortable here.
He considered UCLA but chose the Trojans earlier this month and quickly enrolled in school and began participating in team strength-training workouts. Shaw has been an active participant in the unofficial players-only throwing sessions that took place Tuesday and Thursday of this week, lining up at corner and defending receivers like Marqise Lee and Victor Blackwell in one-on-one situations.
ESPNLosAngeles.com caught up with him after Thursday’s throwing session.
Question: You’ve been here for two weeks. How do you feel? Can you see yourself being comfortable here?
Answer: I’m just out here trying to get my feet wet. I really haven’t lined up at corner in about a year, so I’m just out here trying to get my feet wet. I feel pretty comfortable though, especially with an All-American back there in T.J. (McDonald), my roommate, who can navigate me through everything. It’s a start.
Did you come here to play corner? You’d be one of the bigger corners in college football.
The coaches know I can play both. They know I can play safety and they know I can play corner also. But I would rather play corner, definitely.
Why?
I just like what I can bring to the team. I’d bring another physical corner over there with Nickell (Robey) on the other side. He’s a physical guy himself, short and all but with so much heart. I can bring another physical presence to the perimeter over there.
Have you seen another college corner like Nickell? He seems pretty unique.
I’ve never seen anything like him. He’s the real deal. I’ve heard about him back in Florida, but seeing him out here on Thursday -- man, he’s the real deal. Also I got with him and told him, ‘Show me the ropes. You’ve started here for two years. Show me the ropes and I’ll follow them.’
Do you think you’d have an easier chance to play early at corner or safety?
Really both. Whatever the team needs, to be honest. Because I know I can do both. And my confidence level is pretty high right now. You know, at Florida we didn’t do 7-on-7 like this. So with me doing this right now, it’s giving me a lot of good prep for spring ball, I feel like.
On that note, how important is it for you to be able to participate in spring practice? You can practice regardless of whether or not your hardship waiver is granted, but it would obviously change the focus a lot.
Once the NCAA rules, if it’s granted or it’s not, then the coaches will have a better idea what to do with me. Right now, of course, I’m ineligible because there hasn’t been a ruling yet. And if I am declared eligible then they can mess with me out there in the spring.
Do you feel sort of weird about the whole waiver process? You know, putting your fate in someone else’s hands and all.
I have no control over it at all, and this is the first time in my life I’ve been in this type of situation, coming from playing last year to maybe sitting out right now. I’m not taking anything for granted, man. I’m out here getting older and I realize that. I’m training myself as if I am going to be able to play. I have a good case. I came home for a reason.
Reports on this have varied from definitely-going to not-close-at-all. What’s the truth -- how close were you to going to UCLA after you decided to transfer from Florida?
I was pretty close to going to UCLA. But after weighing all my options, me and my family, we decided it was best for me to come home. I always felt like USC was home. If there was one place that was home, it was this place. I grew up watching 'SC football. That being said though, I think I’ll be the first player from my high school to come here to USC, which is pretty cool.
So, you’ll now have spent time at two of the biggest athletic schools in the country. Compare them a bit. What’s Florida like?
Man, basketball’s pretty big at UF. I’ve heard the team is not too good here. But I’ll check it out one time when they play a big team. And, honestly, down there, they live and die with football. I got to see some of the best atmospheres all around in college football in LSU, Alabama, Tennessee, Florida, South Carolina. You see it all. I haven’t played in the Pac-12 yet, so I don’t know. But, rooming with T.J., he tells me that when they played at Oregon it was crazy and everything, so I’m looking forward it.
So there’s now four kids with Florida ties on the team: You, Nickell, running back Javorious Allen and safety Jawanza Starling. It’s kind of funny that three of you are defensive backs, no?
Yep, Jawanza. It’s his last year out here and he knows the defense too. All I’m trying to do right now is receive. Keep my mouth shut, work hard and earn some respect from the guys. But this was a good decision for me, coming in, because I know a lot of the guys. As a transfer, you want to go somewhere where you’re comfortable. And I’m definitely comfortable here.
USC quarterback Matt Barkley weighed a lot of factors before making his decision whether to declare for the 2012 NFL draft.
He contacted former Trojans who faced similar decisions, researched where he would likely be selected and assessed how good his college team could be if he stayed. He thought about what he had left to personally prove at this level and thought back to the first three years of his career and the business he hadn't finished.
But he revealed this week that he did forget one minor factor that might have helped make the decision to come back just a bit easier: the new athletic facility currently being built on campus at USC that will be ready for Barkley to use during his senior season.
USC's $70 million John McKay Center, complete with tons of football-specific additions, is on track to be ready in the middle of the summer. Barkley called that an "added bonus" as compared to the outdated Heritage Hall facility he has used in his first three-plus seasons at USC.
"It wasn’t a reason to come back, but I did think of it the night (I made my decision)," Barkley said this week. "I was like, 'Oh, there’s a new facility coming back. Sweet.' "
Of course, Barkley knows what effects the facility will have more than perhaps any other student-athlete at the school. He's been sitting in meetings with builders since before ground was even broken last January, as they consulted him to get perspective on what all the athletes wanted.
“I didn’t know what I was doing (the next year) all season, but I was still a part of all the meetings and things for that because I knew it was a special place," Barkley said. "I knew if I were to come back I wanted to have my touch on it. Right from the beginning, from the hiring of the graphic design crew, I was in the meetings, trying to learn the business side of it."
Coach Lane Kiffin memorably said last year that the new facility would eliminate USC's only remaining weakness in recruiting. Competing schools have constantly used Heritage Hall against the Trojans when comparing it to their own modern spaces.
Any new athletes coming in in the Class of 2012 and beyond will presumably be able to use the new McKay Center throughout their college careers.
"That’s gonna be big for recruiting for kids to see that rather than our dumpy old place right now," Barkley said. "It's an incredible facility. ... Hopefully we don’t get too spoiled."
He contacted former Trojans who faced similar decisions, researched where he would likely be selected and assessed how good his college team could be if he stayed. He thought about what he had left to personally prove at this level and thought back to the first three years of his career and the business he hadn't finished.
But he revealed this week that he did forget one minor factor that might have helped make the decision to come back just a bit easier: the new athletic facility currently being built on campus at USC that will be ready for Barkley to use during his senior season.
USC's $70 million John McKay Center, complete with tons of football-specific additions, is on track to be ready in the middle of the summer. Barkley called that an "added bonus" as compared to the outdated Heritage Hall facility he has used in his first three-plus seasons at USC.
"It wasn’t a reason to come back, but I did think of it the night (I made my decision)," Barkley said this week. "I was like, 'Oh, there’s a new facility coming back. Sweet.' "
Of course, Barkley knows what effects the facility will have more than perhaps any other student-athlete at the school. He's been sitting in meetings with builders since before ground was even broken last January, as they consulted him to get perspective on what all the athletes wanted.
“I didn’t know what I was doing (the next year) all season, but I was still a part of all the meetings and things for that because I knew it was a special place," Barkley said. "I knew if I were to come back I wanted to have my touch on it. Right from the beginning, from the hiring of the graphic design crew, I was in the meetings, trying to learn the business side of it."
Coach Lane Kiffin memorably said last year that the new facility would eliminate USC's only remaining weakness in recruiting. Competing schools have constantly used Heritage Hall against the Trojans when comparing it to their own modern spaces.
Any new athletes coming in in the Class of 2012 and beyond will presumably be able to use the new McKay Center throughout their college careers.
"That’s gonna be big for recruiting for kids to see that rather than our dumpy old place right now," Barkley said. "It's an incredible facility. ... Hopefully we don’t get too spoiled."
USC receiver Robert Woods is expected to return to the football field in early February after undergoing December surgery on the right ankle that bothered him throughout the 2011 season, but he's determined to change his approach this time to make sure he's healthy.
"I think I can run, but I've just been trying to play it safe," Woods said Tuesday, after the Trojans' first unofficial throwing session of the year, organized by the players. "It's a long season."
The right ankle for which Woods underwent surgery on Dec. 19 was originally injured on April 22 during a pick-up basketball game the night before USC's annual spring game. Warming up before a game at USC's recreational Lyon Center, Woods tried to do a quick dunk while his shoe wasn't properly tied and hurt the ankle.
He didn't know how severe it was at that time, but he did sit out of the spring game. Then he rushed back too quickly over the summer and didn't let it heal. By the time he realized it could be a long-term thing, it was mid-season and he didn't want to sit out of anything.
So he played through the pain, taking a anti-inflammatory shot midway through the year to help dull it.
"It was pretty bad," Woods said Tuesday. "Some games, it felt perfect. Some games, it didn't feel perfect.
"Really, the morning practices didn't help it all, because it was cold outside and it got kinda stiff and I just had to go through it."
Team doctors figured out after the season that Woods had actually torn ligaments in the ankle and, thus, a bunch of scar tissue had been built up. That's what the arthroscopic ankle surgery primarily removed.
Woods, who initially didn't think the injury was "that serious," now says he still feels pain in the ankle "here and there."
The initial prognosis of 4-6 weeks from the surgery would get him back to the field comfortably in time for the March 6 start date of spring practice, and Woods firmly believes he'll be ready.
"No doubt I am," he said. "I mean, I don't see why not. I should be cleared in February.
"The only way I wouldn't is if Kiffin decides to hold me out."
During the throwing session Tuesday, Woods operated as an assistant coach to quarterback Matt Barkley on the field, coaching Marqise Lee and the other young USC receivers on how to best catch balls from Barkley.
"He needs to be (as close to the action as possible)," Barkley said. "I think you learn more when you coach and when you’re telling guys what to do. I’m glad he’s out here being a leader."
The senior signal-caller also said he hoped Woods would focus more than he did last year on his own health and make sure he was completely healthy before he tried to return.
"We need him 100 percent all the way through the spring," Barkley said.
"I think I can run, but I've just been trying to play it safe," Woods said Tuesday, after the Trojans' first unofficial throwing session of the year, organized by the players. "It's a long season."
The right ankle for which Woods underwent surgery on Dec. 19 was originally injured on April 22 during a pick-up basketball game the night before USC's annual spring game. Warming up before a game at USC's recreational Lyon Center, Woods tried to do a quick dunk while his shoe wasn't properly tied and hurt the ankle.
He didn't know how severe it was at that time, but he did sit out of the spring game. Then he rushed back too quickly over the summer and didn't let it heal. By the time he realized it could be a long-term thing, it was mid-season and he didn't want to sit out of anything.
So he played through the pain, taking a anti-inflammatory shot midway through the year to help dull it.
"It was pretty bad," Woods said Tuesday. "Some games, it felt perfect. Some games, it didn't feel perfect.
"Really, the morning practices didn't help it all, because it was cold outside and it got kinda stiff and I just had to go through it."
Team doctors figured out after the season that Woods had actually torn ligaments in the ankle and, thus, a bunch of scar tissue had been built up. That's what the arthroscopic ankle surgery primarily removed.
Woods, who initially didn't think the injury was "that serious," now says he still feels pain in the ankle "here and there."
The initial prognosis of 4-6 weeks from the surgery would get him back to the field comfortably in time for the March 6 start date of spring practice, and Woods firmly believes he'll be ready.
"No doubt I am," he said. "I mean, I don't see why not. I should be cleared in February.
"The only way I wouldn't is if Kiffin decides to hold me out."
During the throwing session Tuesday, Woods operated as an assistant coach to quarterback Matt Barkley on the field, coaching Marqise Lee and the other young USC receivers on how to best catch balls from Barkley.
"He needs to be (as close to the action as possible)," Barkley said. "I think you learn more when you coach and when you’re telling guys what to do. I’m glad he’s out here being a leader."
The senior signal-caller also said he hoped Woods would focus more than he did last year on his own health and make sure he was completely healthy before he tried to return.
"We need him 100 percent all the way through the spring," Barkley said.
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Mark Saxon
Mark Saxon is a staff writer for ESPNLosAngeles.com. He spent six years at the Orange County Register, and began his career at the Oakland Tribune, where he started an 11-year journey covering Major League Baseball. He has also covered colleges, including USC football and UCLA basketball.
Arash Markazi
Arash Markazi joined ESPNLosAngeles.com as a columnist and writer after five years with Sports Illustrated. Markazi has also written for Slam, King, Vibe and Playboy and is on the board of directors for the Jim Murray Memorial Foundation.
Pedro Moura
Pedro Moura is a student at USC. He has covered the Trojans since 2008 and also reports on high school sports. Moura is a native Angeleno. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/pedromoura.