So, it looks like a lot has been going on in regards to the recruiting front. I tend not to get all worked up over recruiting because there is still a lot of time before NLOI day on February 4th but a couple of things have caught my eye.
Last week Byron Moore decommtited from USC and stated that Notre Dame was he school that he was leaning towards. That's fine, but if you are looking at it closely you would see why this might not be a big deal. First, Moore was committed to ucla over the summer and switched his commitment to USC. Good for us, bad for them but really no big deal. Second, if you were watching The Army All America game Moore was starting BEHIND 2 other USC commits at safety, Patrick Hall and TJ McDonald. Third, with Mays and Pinkard returning for their final years combined with all the talent at the position Moore was going to have a hard time seeing the field in 2009 so you know that had to play a big part in his decision to move on. At Notre Dame Moore will get the opportunity show his skills with that sieve ND defense. He will get his playing time...and I don't buy into the whole education thing that Moore was trying to put forth.
Tyler Gaffney decided to cancel his official visit this past weekend instead committing to Stanford. That's probably a good move for him as SC is jammed at the TB/FB position. Besides if you can get into Stanford you have to go for it. Gaffney was also interested in playing baseball, which Pete Carroll was cool with but he will also be able to play that at Stanford as well.
Tomorrow we will finally learn where Devon Kennard is going to go to school. From what I am reading it looks like its between USC and Cal with Texas a little further back.
Kennard was all but a lock for USC until Nick Holt went to UW and David Watson was not retained. Jethro Frankilin did go out to meet with Kennard but the big question will be is if that will be enough. I think it will be Cal becuse I think Kennard has a stronger relationship with Tedford than he does with Brown at UT and I'm not sure if all the moves on the SC coaching staff will play in our favor. WIn some lose some...this is part of the price you pay for success. Successful programs breed successful coaches so when Holt goes so do his relationships. Timing is everything...
SC also had a big recruiting weekend where they had about 6 players in for official visits...
Patrick Hall, Randall Carroll, Vontaze Burfict, James Boyd, Jake Harfman and Jawanza Starling.
I am amused that Randall Carroll is still in the mix as his committment has been softer than one of those Hostess Snowballs that you find at 7/11. I think Carroll is ucla is all the way and that he is probably just passing on what he is seeing on his official to Slick Rick. I give PC and staff credit for continuing to go after Carroll because a lot people see him as another MeSean Jackson (attitude wise not skill wise). As far as I'm concerned if PC feels that Carroll would be a good fit then I'm fine with it. As for ucla...well they have not had the greatest of recruiting success this off season. DeWayne Walkers departure has a lot to do with that and as I have said before ucla will get their share players but if you look closely Slick Rick is doing it the way he has always done it...going after skill players without building up the in the middle. They call that donut recruitng. He can pull all the speed he wants but if the QB is on his butt or constantly running for his life that skill talent is going to have a hard time florishing.
Also this past weekend there were reports in the local papers regarding how James Boyd arrived at USC...
USC, which just hosted Boyd during his official visit over the weekend, appears to be a strong front-runner.
"Right now it's SC," said Boyd, who has also visited Oregon State. "Washington has to come with a miracle."
USC picked up Boyd in a Lincoln Town Car during his visit and put him and other recruits up in the downtown L.A. Marriott.
"He had the five-star treatment," Jordan Coach Elijah Asante said.
UPDATE: After checking with Boyd, Asante said Monday afternoon that the star recruit was picked up in a Lincoln Town Car, not a limousine.
Now, I am not a fool where I come from when I fly out of Newark or Kennedy I have a CAR pick me up...some would think that's a limo but it is a towncar not a stretch. I think it all depends in who was driving the car. Pete Caroll has been doing this long eough to know what he can and can't do so I wouldn't be too worried.
Of course the clowns from across town immediately pounced on the report lighting their hair on fire in the comments of a fanpost....same s**t different day over there.
SC is going to pull in another top 5 class mabye top 2. A lot can still happen but once again Pete Carroll will be prepared for just about any contingency. It's going to be a fun week!