JUCO OL Bernard Schirmer signs with USC

USC receives more depth to the offensive line with the addition of a junior college transfer. Trojans head coach Clay Helton announced that JUCO offensive lineman Bernard Schirmer has signed a financial aid agreement following Tuesday’s practice and will be eligible to play this season as a redshirt sophomore.

Schirmer last played at Mt. San Antonio College, located in Walnut, California and was a former Utah commit. During his freshman season at Mt. SAC, Schirmer knocked out a referee during a tense moment in the game which saw the official attempt to get in between Schirmer and an opposing player during a verbal exchange. The incident resulted in Schirmer getting arrested for suspicion of assult and a five year ban from the Southern California Football Association. However he was not charged for the incident and the ban was lifted a year later after it was deemed that Schirmer struck the referee by accident.

“We vetted for three months this individual, talking with administrators at Mt. SAC, coaches, counselors and also had a chance to sit down with his family over the summer,” said Helton during his media scrum following Tuesday’s practice. “What we learned from the administrators, coaches and counselors is that we were dealing with a tremendous young man, a young man that is a tremendous student, great person and a guy that we had no question would be a great member of our Trojan family.”

Schirmer brings some much needed depth to the Trojans offensive line and could give them some options. He also has some USC family connections.

His sister, Brooklyn currently plays on the Trojans volleyball team while his cousin, Running back Vavae Malepei, also on the football team. His uncle, Titus Tuiasosopo, played for the USC football team during the 1990’s.