Trojans hit the recruiting trail


The Trojans’ win against Arizona saw USC fall victim to some more of the same symptoms that contributed to their loss to ASU: namely, a lack of depth and serious fatigue that rendered the Trojans unable to put the nail in the coffin late in games.

For all of the criticism head coach Steve Sarkisian is receiving for playing “not to lose,” this season’s team is suffering from the same depth problems as last season.

Sarkisian’s play-calling, much like his predecessor former head coach Lane Kiffin, involves running the ball often to bleed out the clock and shorten the overall game to spare the players fatigue and risk of injury. Kiffin and Sarkisian were strategically limited due to a thinned-out roster and a lack of scholarship players to take the field, and their game plans both reflect a low-risk, maximum return approach.

The only way for USC to start playing more confidently and with a more cutthroat edge is to deepen their bullpen, and the Trojans have been making strides in this regard with a recruiting class that is already filling out needs at many positions.

Despite featuring two young, talented true freshmen offensive linemen starting for the Trojans this season, USC has locked in a commitment from five-star offensive tackle Chuma Edoga. The 6-foot-3, 276 pound behemoth is currently rated as the 12th ranked recruit in the nation by 247sports.com.

Add to the mix Alabama defector and five-star pro-style quarterback Ricky Town (ranked no. 23 in the nation) and four-star defensive tackle Jacob Daniel (ranked no. 37), and the Trojans have an impressive recruiting haul already. It’s the pieces the Trojans haven’t received a full commitment from yet, though, that are most intriguing.

The first target is Long Beach Polytechnic High School product and No. 1-ranked cornerback Iman Marshall. Marshall is 6-foot-1, 190 pounds with an unofficial 4.5 second 40-yard dash. Game tape from the recruit’s junior season shows incredible coverage instincts. On one play, Marshall studies a quarterback while assigned to the flat receiver, backs off his assigned wide receiver early as the quarterback prepares his release, and times a hit on the targeted deep receiver so well that his tackle forces an incompletion.

Normally, a quarterback would see Marshall play far off his man and adjust to throw to the open man. But the game seems to move in slow motion for Marshall, and he seems so accustomed to the opposing quarterback’s movements and telegraphed passes that he knows when to gamble off his man to make the play. Marshall undoubtedly has the physical gifts to make plays at the college level — but it’s his coverage instincts that place him on a separate plane. The best news? One hundred percent of 247sports.com’s 40 critics’ predictions have the coveted cornerback going to USC.

The other exciting not-yet-committed prospect is Junipero Serra High School defensive tackle Rasheem Green. The No. 3-ranked defensive tackle in the nation will add much-needed depth to the Trojans’ defensive line. If these two top prospects are secured, the Trojans will immediately lock up one of the top-five recruiting classes in the nation.

The season is far from over, but USC’s recruiting continues to impress and sustain a strong future for the Trojans moving forward. The scholarship reductions and NCAA penalties have made their mark on the program — you only need to look so far as an ill-timed bubble screen to junior wide receiver Nelson Agholor or exhausted looking redshirt junior tailback Javorius “Buck” Allen crashing between the tackles in the fourth quarter.

USC has dealt with the bitterly unfair circumstances the only way they know how: by fighting on and continuing to build for a stronger future.

 

Euno Lee is a senior majoring in English literature. He is also the editor-in-chief of the Daily Trojan. His column, “Euno What Time It Is,” runs Tuesdays. To comment  on this story, visit dailytrojan.com or email Euno at [email protected].