Casey Matthews - The one that got away...

Over the past few weeks...and probably months many have scratched their head at some ot the recruitng moves that pete Carroll made the past couple of seasons of his time at USC.

I am not interested in taking shots at Carroll or his son who NEVER should have been made recruiting coordinator. That pointless and tarnishes an otherwise great run for USC but the fact remains that we missed on some guys.

I am not talking about the Te'o's or Burfict's of the world but I am talking about some lesser known players that have went on to some great things at other schools. There aren't many but one stands out...

Casey Matthews.

For the life of me I don't understand how Casey was not offered.

I can see that maybe the coaches thought there were better prospects out there but there is no denying that Casey has turned into a pretty good player and his pedigree alone should have earned him a spot on the roster.

I mean did anyone really think this kid was going to be a slouch?

Regardless, Matthews isn't crying over it...

While the Matthews’ name is synonymous with football excellence at USC, Casey has created his own legacy as a three-year starter for the Ducks.

But had USC offered Matthews a scholarship, he would have played for the Trojans.

"I’m just glad things worked out the way they did," Matthews said.

Things are working out well this season for Matthews - he leads the Ducks with three interceptions and three fumble recoveries - and his teammates.

Anyone else think we could have used that leadership and production on our defense right now?

I stings knowing what might have been.

I realize that you can't get them all but this should have been a no brainer...especially with how well his brother Clay did in Cardinal and Gold.

Like I said, the one that got away...