USC Football Recruiting

The title says it all.

Since it's been awhile since 'Conquest Chronicles' posted anything on college football recruiting, I would like to give the members a look where USC is in the recruiting season.  I'm listing all the football positions and which high school prospects USC is looking at that have committed or are undeclared to be Trojans next year.

OFFENSE:

QB:

Jesse Scroggins (Lakewood, CA)/ Top 5 in QB/ Verbal Commitment: Pro-style QB.  Scroggins is similar to Jason Campbell.  Can move out of the pocket with great athleticism. Very accurate arm from 1-15 yards, needs to improve accuracy with the deep ball.  Has a big frame (6'2", 190 lbs) that can add muscle to. Of course, we already have Matt Barkley as our established QB for the next three to four years, so Scroggins will definitely red shirt.

RB:

Dillion Baxter (San Diego, CA)/ Top 5 in APB/ Verbal Commitment: Muscular upper body with thick legs that produces great speed, this kid can play half or fullback.  Rushed for 1258 yards as a junior in high school and just recently scored 6 touchdowns for his school.  What keeps him from starting is the depth chart, USC is looking to be stacked in the running position again, could be good and bad for the recruiting process as Carroll repeatedly says competition will win starting positions.

Lache Seastrunk (Temple, TX)/(5-11/192) Top 3 in RB/ Undeclared: Has the agility and speed to change directions effortlessly.  Probably the most quickest back in the nation.  Lache needs to add a few pounds of muscle for him to be the complete package.  He's well-built and has a tall frame, scouts say he resembles Jahvid Best, but better. "SI.com" reported he's closer to commit to USC due to his relationship with Ken Norton Jr., but Auburn and LSU are trying to break up that relationship.

WR:

Kyle Prater (Hillside, IL)/( 6-5/205)/ Top 3 WR/ Verbal Commitment: Tall wide receiver/tight-end hybrid with great hands and good leaping ability.  Great size and strength, what Kyle needs to improve on is speed.  May be 'SC's next break-out receiver.  He will probably be Barkley's favorite target when 'SC needs to heave a ball on the corner of the end-zone.

Robert Woods (Gardena, CA)/(6-1/180)/ Top 3 WR/ Verbal Commitment: Tall, sleek, tremendous straight-line speed, Robert Woods is the most explosive wide out in the nation.  Only weighs 180 pounds, but could add 20-25 pounds of muscle mass. Great leaping ability.  Matt Barkley will have a field day in the next years to come.

Anthony Barr (Los Angeles, CA)/(6-4/230)/ Top 10 WR/ Undeclared: Speed, size, and athleticism.  Able to get yards after contact. Now that I've typed that, I'm not sure why I didn't put him as a tight-end.  Barr was close to 'SC awhile ago, since then it seems he's closer to Westwood.

TE:

Xavier Grimble (Las Vegas, NV)/(6-6/245) Top TE/ Verbal Commitment: Not sure why many recruiting sites do not have him as a 5-star recruit, Xavier Grimble is not only the top tight-end in the country, but his different sets of skills make him very talented.  His ideal height and leaping ability enables him to catch difficult balls.  He's able to handle tough defensive ends rushing the quarterback quite-well.

Randall Telfer (Rancho Cucamonga, CA)/ (6-4/220)/ Top 10 TE/ Verbal Commitment: Has good hands and a lean body that he'll have to add muscle to in order to play college football.  His likely roll is to switch positions from receiver to tight-end, he has great receiving skils.

Christian Thomas (Palmdale, CA)/ (6-3/234)/ Top 5 TE/ Undeclared: This guy's strength is matched by no other tight-end in the nation. Has quick hands that can quickly catch a ball and bring it to his body. Accelerates well and is tough to tackle.  Capable of handling big defensive-ends, he'll probably be a goal line defender in his first year.  Will join a PAC-10 team, no one knows which team, though.

OT:

Seantrel Henderson (Saint Paul, MN)/ ( 6-8/301)/ Top OT/ Undeclared: The biggest prize in the recruiting season, literally.  If his height doesn't make your eyes pop out of their sockets, his performance video will.  He can toss defensive ends around and wont let any defensive tackle get by his way to get to the quarterback.  He protects the quarterback like the secret service protects the President.  Wont decide a team till signing day, but USC is high on the list, so is Ohio State, Oklahoma, and Florida.

Chaz Green (Tampa, FL)/ (6-6/290)/ Top 5 OT/ Undeclared: Another eye-popping offensive tackle.  His footwork is matched by not other.  Great strength and size. He can play any position on the line.  He lives in Tampa, so look for the Florida schools to jump on him, but he has talked positive on 'SC. Florida, Tennessee, and USC are his three top schools.

Giovanni Di Poalo (Ventura, CA)/ (  6-4/260)/ #20-40 OT/ Verbal Commitment: Stocky and strong upper body, Di Poalo is a solid offensive line. OK size and great strength, his best skill is blocking around the line while the running back gets through.  Gives 110 percent effort, nicknamed "Mr. Hustle" in high school.

Brice Schwabb (San Marcos, CA)/ ( 6-8/320)/ Top OT in C.C/ Verbal Commitment: One of the best JUCO prospects in the nation.  Brice Schwabb has terrific size and USC has told him he might play either tackle or guard, which Schwabb says wont matter where he plays as long as he plays.

OG:  USC isn't looking much for a guard, but when you have Kevin Graf, Matt Meyer, and Matt Kalil entering their prime years, 'SC has nothing to worry about.  Look for 'SC to be active for O-line recruiting next year and the 2012 season.

C: We got John Martinez last year, enough said.

DEFENSE:

DE:

Jackson Jeffcoat (Plano, TX)/ (6-5/230)/ Top 3 DE/ Undeclared: Jeffcoat is the best high school defense man in the nation right now.  ESPN scouts say Jeffcoat is "arguably the best pass-rusher we've seen in the past five classes".  His quickness, power, and footwork frustrate offensive lineman.  On top of that, he's also a terrific run-stopper, he has great closing speed and will push blockers away with a ton of force, effortlessly. Watch the video, you'll know what I mean.  So there's good news and bad news for the Trojans.  The good news is that he came on an official visit to 'SC when the Trojans faced UCLA, which made the recruits rather impressed when... You know.  It was also the longest visit out of his other visits as he was enjoying the sites around LA.   Bad news is that he's planning on an official visit to Florida, which is a black hole for recruits in recent years, but other scout experts say Jeffcoat has two schools narrowed down to 'SC and Texas.  But back to the Florida visit, Jeffcoat will try to win a spot as a starting defensive end if he's at Florida, who will be his competition you ask? It's...

Ronald Powell (Moreno Valley, CA)/ (6-4/230)/ Top 3 DE/ Undeclared: In the reports I've read, Powell and Jeffcoat are very similar in size and playing style.  Jeffcoat gets the nod as a better pass-rusher, while Powell gets the nod as a better run-stopper.  Powell's strength and speed is only matched by Jeffcoat, which is a good thing.  An early USC commit, Powell enjoyed the training camps at 'SC.  Then came Florida, who gave the big guy second thoughts.  He doesn't have a commitment now, but scouts say he's leaning towards Florida University.

Owamagbe Odighizuwa (Portland, OR)/ (6-3/234)/ Top 3 DE/ Undeclared: While all the star talk is about Jeffcoat and Powell, Owa should be part of the mix.  He's known for his strength, but more notably his lower body strength.  His lateral movements are his main weakness, but he will improve his game, he's very coachable.  He's extemely violent against his opponents, but is one of the nicest guys you'll meet.  He's an Oregon boy and being heavily recruited by the "O", buuuuuuuuuut the Bruins have really caught his eye in recent days.

DT:

George Uko (Chino, CA)/ (6-4/280)/ Top 5 DT/ Undeclared: Very raw talent.  Uko hasn't reached his full potential, but when he's on his game, tailbacks wont pass him.  He has okay size and great strength.  He needs to utilize his skills more and shed a few pounds to improve his lateral movement.  He's shaped as an offensive lineman. Again, great potential and very coachable.  Has Cal, Oklahoma, and Oregon on his list, but USC is believed to be where he will call home.  Can't wait to shout "OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOKOOOOOOOHHHH!" when he sacks Kevin Prince.

Rickey Heimuli (Salt Lake City, UT)/ ( 6-4/280)/ Top 10 DT/ Undeclared: Great rusher and will drop the offensive lineman many steps.  Has great size and strength.  He needs to come up with more weapons, though, as being a great rusher isn't enough.  Solid tackler.  Probably wont see much playing time as a freshman, but will be great in the long run. Many schools are looking at him and probably wont make a decision till signing day.

OLB:

Jordan Hicks (West Chester, OH)/ (6-2/220)/ Top OLB/ Undeclared: Hicks has by far been the most exciting linebacker to watch.  He has great agility and closing speed.  Excellent tackler, he needs to add more muscle mass to give heavy running backs problems.  The greatest pass rusher in the linebacker position, will probably look for a school that plays in a 3-4 scheme, which the Trojans don't.  'SC has intrigued him, but isn't high on them.  Florida, Texas, and Ohio State are the schools that are the "main" list.

Christian Jones (Winter Park, FL)/ (6-4/220)/ Top 5 OLB/ Undeclared: Another pass-rushing linebacker, Christian Jones has all the tools to be a force in the line.  His closing speed is his weakness, which I believe he could improve on and become a middle linebacker.  USC is in the mix, but so is Florida State and Florida.  He's comfortable in a 3-4 scheme, but should be a natural middle linebacker.  I want this guy.

Josh Shirley (Fontana, CA)/ (6-3/ 210)/ #10-20 OLB/ Undeclared:  WE NEED LINEBACKERS!  I can't stress that enough.  Shirley has great size and terrific strength.  Gives 100 percent effort in a game and practice.  Has broad shoulders and strong arms.  Great tackler and rush-stopper, though his natural position is on the defensive end.  Tennessee, Florida, Arizona, UCLA, and USC are on his list, might be a UCLA lean though.

MLB:

Hayes Pullard (Los Angeles, CA)/ (6-0/220)/ Top 20 MLB/ Undeclared: Can play both full back and middle linebacker.  Hayes has great strength that can put fear in running backs.  Great athleticism, but needs to improve on his speed.  Very underrated, the media has not been to kind for Hayes as he could be considered a great linebacker.  Has all the PAC-10 schools chasing for him, but is leaning towards the Trojans.

CB:

Demetrius Wright (Corona, CA)/ (6-1/185)/ Top 10 CB/ Verbal Commitment: So what if Joshua Shaw ditched us for Florida?  We have this kid.  Wright has great ball skills, probably better than any other corner.  His athleticism will make it hard for tall and lanky receivers.  Needs to be faster to catch premier receivers, but has great upside to do anything in the next level.

S:

Tony Jefferson (Chula Vista, CA)/ ( 6-0/196)/ Top 5 S/ Undeclared: Tony has a mind of his own.  One day he'll commit to a school, the next he'll de-commit as fast as you can say "Tony Jefferson".  Originally a UCLA commit, Jefferson went to the USC-UCLA game on an official visit to 'SC where he was heckled by UCLA players because he was wearing 'SC gear.  He was undeclared the next day and now has USC and Oklahoma as his finalist... Oh yeah, about Tony... Though he lacks size and strength for a safety, he has fantastic speed, coverage, and agility to make him a premier safety.  USC would use him either position, but a safety sounds natural.

Dion Bailey (Lakewood, CA)/ ( 6-1/195)/ Top 10 S/ Verbal Commitment: If we're looking for a interception, look no further.  Bailey's strengths are his ball skills, he will try hard to grab the ball from the quarterback.  Has great upper body strength.  Most effective when used as a deep safety.

Dietrich Riley (La Canada, CA)/ (6-0/200)/ Top 10 S/ Undeclared: Great size and athleticism that will trouble receivers.  Can play both sides of the ball well as a safety and receiver.  He's always around the ball and is a fierce tackler. Reads the offense well, he'll be in the game in his sophomore year.

Of course, updates will come.

UPDATE 12/19: Tony Jefferson declared for Oklahoma on Friday, 12/18