OT: USC's Class Continuing to Implode
A little off topic, but since we all love rejoicing in USC's troubles, it looks like their recruiting class is continuing to implode as signing day approaches.
It sounds like Jalen Ramsey has decommitted from USC, and will sign with FSU. It also sounds like Jason Hatcher has decommitted and will sign with Kentucky. There are also rumors that Torrodney Prevot may decommit as well.
That would be three players lost today (bringing their total number of commits down to just 11). I know they have been holding out hope for Vanderdoes, but that's not happening.
The info is available in various places including here: http://usc.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1468661 and here http://insider.espn.go.com/insider/usc/forums/_/trojan-family ($)
Couldn't happen to a nicer coach.
Edit: There are now some twitter rumors that Nico Falah might also decommit. The hits just keep on coming.
February 5th, 2013 at 3:07 PM ^
February 5th, 2013 at 3:09 PM ^
Before you start rejoicing you better hope the domino effect doesn't take recruits from us.
February 5th, 2013 at 3:20 PM ^
the amount of sense your comment makes. What does USC losing recruits have to do with Michigan recruits? You think they'll all start heading for SoCal now that there are a few openings??
February 5th, 2013 at 3:09 PM ^
As a life long Michigan man that understands that troubles for a big program can set it back many many years...I really have just one thing to say to USC.
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
February 5th, 2013 at 4:19 PM ^
One has to wonder if there are sanctions on USC coming down the pipeline again, when one sees a mass exodus of recruits.
February 5th, 2013 at 5:30 PM ^
Yeah, because the recruits are always the first to find out, genius.
February 6th, 2013 at 12:57 AM ^
recruits are, in fact, the first ones to know when it involves recruiting violations/improper benefis.
February 5th, 2013 at 3:10 PM ^
That's an all time low.
February 5th, 2013 at 3:10 PM ^
Would rather Vanderdoes goto USC than ND; he is a monster.
February 5th, 2013 at 3:26 PM ^
Hopefully he ends up at UCLA.
February 5th, 2013 at 3:29 PM ^
for as little as I follow USC-UCLA recuriting (which is very, very little) it seems like he is a strong UCLA lean.
February 5th, 2013 at 3:32 PM ^
http://footballrecruiting.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1466495
Everyone other than Josh Helmholdt think he will be going to UCLA. Interesting how the mid west analyst is the only one who thinks he will go to ND.
February 5th, 2013 at 3:47 PM ^
About time UCLA balanced out the southern California recruiting.
Amazing how slick Rick plowed the program into the ground. Too bad they can't build a stadium closer to campus.
February 5th, 2013 at 3:56 PM ^
February 5th, 2013 at 4:12 PM ^
As a UCLA grad student, I didn't go to any football games this year because Pasadena is far, man. And granted, my loyalties lie elsewhere and there's a big difference between graduate and undergraduate student perceptions, but I get the strong feeling that people on campus give much less of a shit about football here than they might elsewhere, and I have to think that the stadium's location is part of that.
February 5th, 2013 at 4:11 PM ^
Greatest stadium my ass. Go back to the beach Left-Coast surfer boy, you've been smoking too much of that reefer.
~Herm
February 5th, 2013 at 4:31 PM ^
February 5th, 2013 at 4:48 PM ^
ostrich races again, not this damn football
February 5th, 2013 at 4:56 PM ^
Moderation Scores need to have a special level for Herm... "(Score:6 Hermed)"
February 5th, 2013 at 7:02 PM ^
Rose Bowl (circa 1926)
Michigan Stadium (1927)
They were pretty similar back in your day...
February 5th, 2013 at 5:33 PM ^
You don't think it makes a difference in student attendance (who tend to be the most vocal, passionate fans) and gameday atmosphere when your stadium is ~20 miles, or 40 minutes, one-way, from campus?
It has to be great on those recruiting trips, when you go to UCLA, at the Rosebowl, against a ranked Oregon State team, with a stadium that is 60% to capacity.
I love west LA. UCLA's campus is beautiful. There is a lot to do within a 10 mile radius. Unfortunately, the Rose Bowl isn't one of them.
February 5th, 2013 at 6:04 PM ^
February 5th, 2013 at 4:08 PM ^
Caused quite the stir in the Southland when it came out. After the season ended, radio guys suggested that the poster actually supplied the location that Rick was pointing to by including the object "there."
As in, "The Football Monopoly in Los Angeles is Officially Over There."
February 5th, 2013 at 4:14 PM ^
Wasn't that Mason and Ireland?
February 5th, 2013 at 3:58 PM ^
Rick didn't plow the program into the ground; it was already there. He simply failed to pull it out.
Even the NFL is having a hard time getting a stadium built in the LA area, anywhere. UCLA is just fortunate to not need to share space with USC anymore. Have you ever been to UCLA's campus?
February 5th, 2013 at 5:41 PM ^
Yes. My in-laws lived in Westwood for a year, then moved to the border of Santa Monica and Brentwood. We visit at least once a year.
I know there is no land to build on unless you obliterate the West LA-VA grounds. Or spend several billion to try to buyout some of the pricey golf courses.
I'm just saying that it really isn't a selling point having your stadium far off from your campus.
February 5th, 2013 at 6:49 PM ^
I don't think anyone is saying that having it off campus is the selling point. But lots of urban schools play football off campus, and if you're driving distance away, it might as well be at the Rose Bowl.
You could be like SC - stadium is adjacent to campus, but it's a pile of shit and is also in the hood.
February 5th, 2013 at 3:10 PM ^
February 5th, 2013 at 3:10 PM ^
Of their 11 commits, aren't like 4 of them 5-stars? It's still unreal.
February 5th, 2013 at 3:15 PM ^
Kiffin will have their talent whittled down to 3 star level in no time.
February 5th, 2013 at 3:17 PM ^
I can see Kiffin being a "players" coach kind of guy. He hypes you up and lets you ride your High School fame into college. Oh you were a 5 star? Its cool you don't have to practice today if you don't want to, you a baller son! The players probably love him and they get along great and then wonder why they go 6-7 and lose to Georgia Tech.
In response to your sn I have three things for you: Bears, Beets, Battlestar Galactica.
February 5th, 2013 at 4:58 PM ^
It's going to be hard to live up to 5-star talent without a supporting cast.
February 6th, 2013 at 12:24 AM ^
Penn State had a class like that in around 1999 or 2000. They only signed ten players but all of them were 4- and 5-star types (I don't know if it was customary for sites to use star rankings back then). Withn a couple seasons, they went from being a perennial national championship contender to being a sub-.500 team. I'm not saying that will happen at USC, but when you only bring in 11 players you aren't giving yourself much margin for error. You really need to role players and the depth in addition to the front-line stars.
February 5th, 2013 at 3:16 PM ^
Lane Kiffin's head is going to explode.
February 5th, 2013 at 3:18 PM ^
I wanna see this.
February 5th, 2013 at 3:18 PM ^
February 5th, 2013 at 3:19 PM ^
doing on their campus.
February 5th, 2013 at 3:25 PM ^
Songbirds.
February 5th, 2013 at 3:20 PM ^
February 5th, 2013 at 3:21 PM ^
USC lost as many 5* recruits as any other team has 5* in the country; Trojans still have more 5* than any team
Fight On & Go Blue
February 5th, 2013 at 4:17 PM ^
February 5th, 2013 at 5:32 PM ^
Unclean! Unclean!
February 5th, 2013 at 3:21 PM ^
the SC boards are also chatting about Fitts (the kid who was screwed in the McQuay deal) isn't going re-commit and is headed to UCLA.
February 5th, 2013 at 3:27 PM ^
How pumped up is he going to be for those USC-UCLA games. Getting screwed over by your dream school and then going to play for their in-town rival has to be a lot of motivation (to the extent that any player would need to get motivated to play USC).
February 5th, 2013 at 4:54 PM ^
February 5th, 2013 at 4:33 PM ^
Good for him. I hope he does sign with UCLA. That was a pretty shady dealing.
February 5th, 2013 at 3:26 PM ^
this is how a loss of scholarships should hit a program. not like what's going on at OSU.
February 5th, 2013 at 4:33 PM ^
by giving them arrogant, crappy coaches.