USC Recruiting News 12/21

Ed. Note...I started this over the weekend but got pulled into work, so some of this info may be dated but I at least wanted to recognize what the staff has done up to this point...Paragon

I didn't really get a chance to comment on the player signings over the past week.

Here is an overview from RipsIt...

The early entrants are highlighted by two prep quarterbacks, Max Wittek of Mater Dei High School and Cody Kessler from Bakersfield.  They are considered California's best two QBs in the class of 2011, according to Rivals.com.

The other high school signees are PK Andre Heidari and FB Soma Vainuku.  Given the Trojans are losing PK Joe Houston and FB Stanley Havili, both players are expected to compete for playing time immediately.

From the juco ranks, USC added OL David Garness and CB Isiah Wiley.  Both will have two years of eligibility remaining.

Click here for more information on the six early enrollees.

All six players will not count against the scholarship limits set for the fall class of 2011, which will be announced on February 2. 

'SC missed out on Sheldon Richardson (Mizzou) and Aaron Douglas (Alabama).

Richardson was long shot at best. He was shaky from the word go and no one was really surprised that he stayed with Mizzou.

Losing Douglas was a more of a shock...Douglas personally committed to Lane Kiffin but in the end he went back to the SEC.

By its very nature, recruiting is fluid and ever-changing. You win some, you lose some, you keep hunting.

But some losses are bigger than others.

Such is the case with offensive tackle Aaron Douglas, a would-be Trojan who instead has signed with Alabama.

Douglas started for Lane Kiffin and James Cregg at Tennessee as a redshirt freshman in 2009 and would have had a very good chance to start for USC in 2011.

Instead, Douglas chose Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide.

This is the second time this year that a top-flight tackle has spurned the Trojans. Seantrel Henderson — considered one of the top 10 prospects in the class of 2010 — signed with USC but backed out of his letter of intent.

Word has it that Douglas was still waiting to be admitted to USC when Alabama got him admitted. Just a matter of timing. Douglas had some issues at UT with regards to "anger management". He also comes from from a long lineage of Tennessee athletic alums, Mom, Dad and Uncle, so his going to Alabama can't be going over well...

Some other tidbits -

Tre Madden suffered a shoulder injury...

Mission Viejo linebacker Tre Madden suffered a second-degree shoulder separation in last week's Pac-5 Division football final but is probable to play in the U.S. All-American Bowl on Jan. 8 in  San Antonio, Texas.

"He will probably play," Mission Viejo football coach Bob Johnson said of the USC commit.

Johnson will coach the West team, which includes Madden, in the nationally televised game.

That's all for now...