USC sells itself when recruiting athletes
With signing day now behind us, a new recruiting class in the books and a lot of optimism about USC football’s future, I wanted to take a second to reminisce about a special someone. Someone who was always regarded as a top-notch recruiter and was loved by all. I’m talking, of course, about former USC head coach and current Alabama offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin.
When critics used to talk about Kiff’s lack of coaching prowess, they would always go back to what a great recruiter he was and how he was always able to bring all this great talent to USC amid the sanctions that arose from the Pete Carroll era.
During his tenure, Kiffin brought in superstars such as Marqise Lee, Nelson Agholor, Su’a Cravens — the list goes on and on.
But was Kiffin solely responsible for bringing in all of this talent? He received plenty of credit and was seen as a star recruiter who was able to get highly touted players to come to USC, but people forget that while coaches are influential in players’ decisions, USC’s program sells itself and should be considered its most powerful recruiting tool.
The tradition of excellence in not only USC football but all of its athletics in general is definitely a key selling point to recruits. Ten national titles, six Heisman Trophy winners, 38 conference titles, 80 Consensus All-Americans — and boom, signed. With our rich and successful history, it should honestly be that easy.
It just takes a quick visit to the newly renovated Heritage Hall to feel the aura that surrounds USC football. The athletic department has clearly put in ample time and effort to make sure that USC boasts world-class facilities such as the John McKay Center and to make sure that only the cream of the crop come to USC to experience them.
At USC, we are fortunate to be able to sell this aura and these top-notch facilities to recruits, and this is what Athletic Director Pat Haden envisioned when he took over for Mike Garrett in 2010. Ultimately, this is what sets our school apart from other Pac-12 schools such as UCLA and Oregon.
When Haden initially hired Steve Sarkisian to head the USC football program, many in the USC community were underwhelmed. A lot of people said that Haden didn’t hit a home run or it wasn’t a sexy hire, but putting all of that aside, USC has always been, and always will be seen as a sexy location to recruits.
On National Signing Day, Sarkisian got commitments from a handful of high-profile recruits, and I believe under the circumstances, with a coaching transition and limited time and resources, Sarkisian hit the 2014 class out of the park.
When the Trojans picked up official letters of intent from the “Big Three,” (No. 3 athlete John “JuJu” Smith of Long Beach Poly, No. 1 guard Damien Mama of St. John Bosco-Bellflower and No. 1 overall California prospect Adoree’ Jackson), the USC coaching staff knew that they had truly accomplished what they set out to do on signing day.
These commitments boosted USC’s 2014 recruiting class from outside the nation’s top 20 and fifth in the conference to No. 11 nationally and the best class in the Pac-12, according to 247Sports.
In the process, Sarkisian was able to address the skill positions where the team was looking to add depth, including the offensive line and the secondary. What makes it sweeter is that Sarkisian was able to beat out rivals UCLA, Notre Dame and Oregon for these players.
Sarkisian grew up in Torrance, Calif., and his acquaintance with the area has been key to his success in recruiting. Even at Washington, he was seen as one of the best recruiters of Southern California high school football players. Fifteen of the 19 signees yesterday were from the state of California.
Sarkisian didn’t do it alone, though, and a lot of credit should be given to wide receivers coach Tee Martin. As USC’s recruiting ace, Martin did his part in hauling in some of Southern California’s top recruits including five-star prospect Jackson. According to Rivals, Martin was responsible for 11 of the 19 recruits, 10 of those coming from Southern California.
With the 2014 class complete and an official end to sanctions coming Wednesday, it’s time for the USC football team to get back on the playing field and gear up for spring ball, which is only a month away. The Trojans will now field one of the most talented teams in all of college football. Though the Trojans have the potential to compete on the national level, the jury is still out on whether Sarkisian can develop his acquired talent and transform that into on-field success on Saturdays.
I’m sure that while the coaches celebrated on signing day, they will get right back to that “Recruit 365” mentality to put together their 2015 recruiting class, which will be USC’s first full 25-man class in what seems like forever.
Darian Nourian is a sophomore majoring in print and digital journalism. His column “Dishin’ Darian” runs every other Friday. To comment on this story, visit dailytrojan.com, or email Darian at [email protected].