Countdown to Singing Day: Class #9 USC

National signing day is upon us, so I thought I’d break down my view of the Top 10 classes coming in, starting with No. 10 and counting down to No. 1 which I will publish on national signing day (February 6).













No. 9 – USC Trojans
Verbal Commitments (5 *****, 5 ****, 4 ***):
***** (OT) Tyron Smith; (TE) Blake Ayles; (OT) Matt Kalil; (WR) D.J. Shoemate; (OT) Matt Meyer
**** (LB) Maurice Simmons; (WR) Brice Butler; (DT) Armond Armstead; (WR) Joe Adams; (RB) Curtis McNeal
*** (OG) Khaled Holmes; (OG) Daniel Campbell; (S) Drew McAllister; (DE) Wes Horton

Still recruiting (2http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif *****, ****, ***):
***** (DT) Omar Hunter (Medium Interest); (CB) T.J. Bryant (Medium Interest)
**** (LB) Jerrell Harris (Medium Interest); (LB) Marcus Robinson (Low Interest); (DE) Nicholas Perry (Medium Interest); (S) Vaughn Telemaque (High Interest); (OT) Antoine McClain (Low Interest); (LB) Uona Kaveinga (Medium Interest); (DT) Roderick Davis (Low Interest); (WR) Attrail Snipes (High Interest); (DE) Devin Johnson (Medium Interest)
*** (DT) Jurrell Casey (High Interest); (DT) Jacob Feagai (Medium Interest); (OG) Vaughn Dotsy (Medium Interest); (CB) Jamar Taylor (Medium Interest); (WR) Darius Morgan (Medium Interest)

Areas of big need: Tight End, Right Tackle, Left Tackle, Defensive End
Areas of moderate need: Outside Linebacker, Cornerback, Defensive Tackle

Pete Carroll knows how to recruit for the positions he is weak in or has players graduating. USC fills their immediate needs with Ayles, Smith, Kalil and Meyer who are four five-star studs who can fill their needs immediately. If Middle Linebacker Rey Maualuga leaves for the NFL early that opens a new hole the Trojans needs to fill. They have Simmons coming in, and are recruiting three more four-star Linebackers. If they can get two of the three they will be just fine.

Their skill positions are fine for now, but they need to be looking in the future as well. Shoemate is a good recruit—probably someone who won’t play much early in his career, but will be the star in a few years. The only “need” position yet to be filled with a star is defensive end where they only have one three-star commit. But they have their eye on a four-star end as well.