USC 2012 Recruiting

2012 USC Trojans ... Head Coach: Lane Kiffin

USC Trojans

2011 Record: 10-2

Sep. 3 Minnesota W 19-17
Sep. 10 Utah W 23-14
Sep. 17 Syracuse L 38-17
Sep. 24 at Arizona State L 43-22
Oct. 1 Arizona W 48-41
Oct. 8 OPEN DATE
Oct. 13 at California W 30-9
Oct. 22 at Notre Dame W 31-17
Oct. 29 Stanford L 56-48 3OT
Nov. 5 at Colorado W 42-17
Nov. 12 Washington W 40-17
Nov. 19 at Oregon W 38-35
Nov. 26 UCLA W 50-0

2010 CFN Prediction: 11-2
2010 Record: 8-5

Sept. 2 at Hawaii W 49-36
Sept. 11 Virginia W 17-14
Sept. 18 at Minnesota W 32-21
Sept. 25 at Wash State W 50-16
Oct. 2 Washington L 32-31
Oct. 9 at Stanford L 37-35
Oct. 16 California W 48-14
Oct. 23 OPEN DATE
Oct. 30 Oregon L 53-32
Nov. 6 Arizona State W 34-33
Nov. 13 at Arizona W 24-21
Nov. 20 at Oregon St L 36-7
Nov. 27 Notre Dame L 20-16
Dec. 4 at UCLA W 28-14
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The Entire 2012 Recruiting Class

Top 5 USC Recruits To Care About
Player writeups by Scout.com

1. S Gerald Bowman
6-1, 215, Scout.com five-star JUCO safety. Shows good aggression, strong safety type that is good at supporting the run. Lacks the top end speed to run with the faster receivers in the game. Has a tendency to peek into the backfield and is susceptible to receivers getting behind him. A big hitter, but more importantly, a sure tackler. He's doesn't sacrifice making a tackler for trying for the knockout hit. Needs to maintain discipline in coverage.

2. LB Scott Starr
6-3, 230, Scout.com 3rd ranked, four-star middle linebacker. Starr has ideal outside linebacker size, he could put his hand down if needed, and looks well-suited for a 3-4 defense. Starr has tremendous strength and aggressiveness and is an exceptional tackler and pass-rusher. Needs to become a little more flexible and fluid.

3. S Nelson Agholor
6-1, 175, Scout.com 5th ranked, four-star safety. Agholor is an athlete with a lot of ability on the field. He is just a natural in the secondary and he could be a ball-hawking safety on the next level. He needs to add weight and muscle and become a little more physical, but he has great ball skills, he breaks on the ball well, and he has a lot of range in the secondary. He is a very fluid athlete that can change direction well and he has great instincts too.

4. OG Jordan Simmons
6-5, 340, Scout.com 4th ranked, four-star guard. Simmons projects best as an offensive guard. He's mammoth player that can handle the strongest of bull rushes. When he gets in trouble is when he over extends and reaches for a player, getting off balance and letting a quicker, smaller end get around him. When he uses his athleticism and trusts his base and lets a player come to him, he is virtually unbeatable.

5. TE Jalen Cope-Fitzpatrick
6-5, 250, Scout.com 4th ranked, four-star tight end. An athletic big man, Cope-Fitzgerald plays tight end in high school as well as basketball, but his future will likely be on the offensive or defensive line.

The 2012 Class Was Heavy On... The bull’s-eye. USC will be in everyone’s preseason top five, and maybe even No. 1 overall, but there’s part of the equation that recruiting experts are quick to point out: the effects of the sanctions are about to kick in. The program might have gotten through the storm, but the scholarship reduction part of the penalty is going to hurt even with a ton of players redshirted and waiting in the wings. Lane Kiffin can sign just 15 players in each of the next three seasons meaning there’s no margin for error whatsoever. Anyone being signed now has to be a starter at some point in the next few years, or else.

Team Concerns For 2012: The defensive line is the only area of real concern with end Nick Perry leaving a year early and with the tackle situation in need of an overhaul. There are terrific prospects waiting to show what they can do, and there’s enough depth at the moment for a good rotation. Finding a left tackle to take over for Matt Kalil is the only other major question mark.

Looking Ahead To The 2012 Season: After a brief hiccup for a few years, it looks like it’s back to business as usual for the mighty Trojan program. Depth might be a bit of an issue after a few years of sanctions, but from 1-to-22 this will be among the most talented and athletic teams in America. The difference will be in the experience. Getting left tackle Matt Kalil back for one more season would’ve been nice, but the return of Matt Barkley to quarterback the loaded attack makes up for it. Robert Woods and Marqise Lee form the nation’s best 1-2 receiving punch, while the backfield is loaded with option.

Defensively, the return of huge-hitting safety T.J. McDonald for his senior year means the starting back seven will return intact, led by a trio of sophomore linebackers that can flat out fly. The one concern is a defensive front that has to replace both tackles and loses pass rushing end Nick Perry a year early to the NFL, but this is one areas stockpiled with big-time prospects.

The 2011 Class Was Heavy On … Defensive linemen. Considering the limitations the Trojan coaching staff has to deal with, this was a phenomenal class with a little something for every spot. While it would’ve been a jaw-dropping haul had top corner DeAnthony Thomas not done an about face and picked Oregon at the last second, it’s still impressive thanks mostly to the defensive front. End Greg Townsend leads a fast, aggressive group of ends, while tackle Christian Heyward was a strong get out of San Diego. Offensively, the spotlight will be on the battle for the future starting quarterback spot between Max Wittek and Cody Kessler, while Amir Carlisle has all the makings of the next great Trojan running back.

2010 CFN Recruiting Ranking: 6. That Class Was Heavy On ... A Pete Carroll-like class. Lane Kiffin might not have gotten every player he wanted, but he sure came up with his share of star players to stop the bleeding. Dillon Baxter and D.J. Morgan are the type of do-it-all backs who can be like other star Trojan runners and play right away. Robert Woods might be the nation's No. 1 receiver recruit, and if he's not, Kyle Prater probably is. Xavier Gimble is one of the nation's top tight ends and Giovanni Di Poalo is one of the best centers, but the real prize is Seantrel Henderson ... maybe. One of the nation's top three all-around recruits, the sure-thing offensive tackle is waiting to make sure the NCAA isn't going to crush the Trojan program before officially signing on. JUCO transfers George Uko and linebacker Glen Stanley are ready to step in and start tomorrow, while the four defensive backs signed are strong enough to grow into starters down the road. In other words, don't assume USC is dead quite yet.

2009 CFN Recruiting Ranking: 5. That Class Was Heavy On ... defense. Ever wonder why the Trojans always have one of the toughest defenses in the country? This class will give you a hint. USC continued its annual tradition of loading up on some of the nation’s premier defenders, landing a top 10 player at each level on the field. S T.J. McDonald and DE Devon Kennard look as if they could move into the lineup from Day 1 if there wasn’t so much talent already ahead of them.

Nov. 26 at USC 50 … UCLA 0
CFN Analysis: Matt Barkley completed 35-of-42 passes for 423 yards and six scores. How is he not the First Team All-Pac 12 quarterback, and why isn’t he in the Heisman chase instead of Andrew Luck? … Marquise Lee caught 13 passes for 224 yards and two scores and Robert Woods caught 12 balls for 113 yards and two scores. UCLA’s defense wasn’t even close. … This was the Trojans’ big statement. Right now, few teams in America are playing better. … The Trojans got much, MUCH better as the season has gone on. They earned the right to be called Pac-12 champs. 

(AP) LOS ANGELES -- Matt Barkley passed for 423 yards and six touchdowns in his possible Coliseum farewell, Robert Woods set the conference's single-season receptions record while catching 12 passes for 113 yards and two TDs, and No. 10 Southern California finished its resurgent season with a 50-0 demolition of Pac-12 title game-bound UCLA on Saturday night.

Marqise Lee had 13 catches for 224 yards and two TDs during a showcase of offensive brilliance by the Trojans (10-2, 7-2), who are banned from postseason play under heavy NCAA sanctions. USC still went out in style, jumping to a 29-point halftime lead before posting its largest victory in the city championship game since 1930, the rivalry's second year.

USC won seven of its final eight games capped by this utter obliteration of the crosstown Bruins (6-6, 5-4), who will represent the division at Oregon next week despite finishing two games behind USC in the South standings.

Kevin Prince passed for 261 yards for UCLA, which had won three of four heading into the city championship game. The Bruins flouted rivalry tradition and unveiled an all-white look in a game usually played in both clubs' colored home uniforms, but the Trojans left them with nothing but grass stains on the backs of those slick new jerseys.

Earlier this week, UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel said he felt the Bruins had "closed the gap more" with the Trojans, who won 10 games for the eighth time in the past decade. Despite the Bruins' Pac-12 title game berth, Neuheisel's job is thought to be in jeopardy after his fourth inconsistent season.

With the Coliseum crowd repeatedly chanting "One more year!" Barkley was brilliant in what might have been the junior's final game at USC. He went 35 for 42 and set a Pac-12 record with his 39th touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter, hitting Woods from 41 yards out to surpass Matt Leinart's mark. Barkley also surpassed his own school record set earlier this year with 35 completions.

Barkley and left tackle Matt Kalil are near-certain first-round NFL draft picks, but they claim they haven't decided whether to return for their senior seasons and a shot at a national title with a team that's likely to be among the nation's most talented next year despite severe NCAA scholarship restrictions that start in 2012.

Woods broke Keyshawn Johnson's 1995 record with his 103rd catch during the first half, while Lee joined Woods as a 1,000-yard receiver. Rhett Ellison and Randall Telfer also caught TD passes from Barkley, who had 29 scoring passes and just four interceptions in his last eight games.

Curtis McNeal added a 73-yard TD run as USC beat UCLA for the 12th time in the last 13 meetings.

Trojans coach Lane Kiffin had no mercy on his rival while claiming the Victory Bell. USC went for a 2-point conversion after its third touchdown, and Barkley attempted 50-yard passes in his first two plays after halftime, hitting Lee for a 52-yard score with the second throw to take a 36-0 lead. Kiffin and Neuheisel still shared a warm postgame handshake.

The Bruins failed to score on three drives inside the USC 25 in the first half, with Prince throwing an end-zone interception to T.J. McDonald. USC's defense preserved its first shutout since Nov. 1, 2008, by stopping the Bruins on fourth down at the 7 with 2:48 to play.

USC hadn't shut out UCLA since 2001, the only other time since 1947.

After Kiffin hugged each of his seniors at the mouth of the Coliseum tunnel, the Trojans' offense needed just four plays to assert its superiority. After Woods made two early catches, Lee slipped unguarded down the middle for a 42-yard TD reception just 1:45 in.

Barkley drove the Trojans 92 yards early in the second quarter, throwing a 1-yard TD pass to Telfer -- and the Trojans rubbed it in with a 2-point conversion pass to Xavier Grimble out of special teams coordinator John Baxter's unorthodox formation. USC then gathered on its sideline, leaping and jumping in unison with the same ebullience that nearly set off a brawl in this game at the Coliseum two years ago.

UCLA stopped the Trojans at the 3 on their next drive in the second quarter, but the Trojans faked a field goal and simply snapped it to Barkley, who hung in the pocket until finding Ellison with another TD pass. The Bruins reached the USC 24 late in the half, but mismanaged the clock and ran out of time.

Nov. 19 USC 38 … at Oregon 35
CFN Analysis: USC just won what the Pac-12 title game would’ve been in a few weeks. Matt Barkley picked a great time to come up with the best game of his career, completing 26-of-34 passes for 323 yards and four scores, but it helped that Robert Woods and Marquise Lee were unstoppable. Lee caught eight passes for 187 yards and a score, and Woods made seven grabs for 53 yards and two touchdowns. … Even with everything working as perfectly as possible, and even with Barkley’s epic day, the Trojans still had to hang on for dear life and were saved by a missed field goal. … Hayes Pullard was tremendous, making 14 tackles with two sacks. … Get the hype machine going. The team is so young and so good that the preseason top five pick could be a lock going into the offseason. If Barkley returns, preseason No. 1 is possible. 

Nov. 12 at USC 40 … Washington 17
CFN Analysis: USC keeps finding ways to be motivated, and after two straight losses to Washington, the team stepped up its play and acted like this rally mattered. … The offensive line dominated the Husky defensive front paving the way for 148 yards from Curtis McNeal, highlighted by his 79-yard dash. … Robert Woods was strangely absent, catching two passes for five yards, but Marqise Lee continues to show why he’s one of the best young players in college football catching nine passes for 74 yards and a score. … The O line was good, the D line was better with six sacks including two from Nick Perry. … No, the Trojans can’t play for the Pac-12 title, but if they beat Oregon next week, they can claim the championship.  

Nov. 4 USC 42 … at Colorado 17
CFN Analysis: An argument could be made that this game was Lane Kiffin’s finest coaching job since taking over at USC. The program lost its “bowl’ game against Stanford in soul-crushing fashion, and then it came back on a short week and blew out the Buffs on the road. Colorado might be awful, but it was still an impressive bounceback performance with Matt Barkley upping his pro stock even more. He spread the ball around well, completing 25-of-39 passes for 318 yards and six scores with a pick. Everything worked, with Marqise Lee and Robert Woods each catching touchdown passes, and the running game averaging 7.4 yards per carry. The Trojans showed they still have something to play for: a ten-win season.  

Oct. 29 Stanford 56 … at USC 48 3OT
CFN Analysis: USC might be extremely disappointed after such a close, hard-fought, emotional loss, but instead, this should be seen as a jumping off point. The final fumble aside, Curtis McNeal looks like a star in the making, and he’s just a junior. True freshman Marqise Lee had a wonderful game with seven catches and a terrific touchdown, and Dion Bailey, before getting banged up, showed once again that he might be the most versatile and talented freshman defensive player in the country making 13 tackles and getting all over the field. There’s still time to make a lot of noise, and if the Trojans can keep their focus and not blow the layup against Colorado, they can have three big games against Washington, Oregon, and UCLA that can define the season. Even with this loss, there’s still time to be special. 

Oct. 22 USC 31 … at Notre Dame 17
CFN Analysis: Notre Dame gave up the turnovers, and USC was more than happy to take advantage, especially on Jawanza Starling’s game-turning fumble return for a score in the third, but give the defense credit for coming up with its best performance of the season. Michael Floyd was a non-factor, and the run defense stuffed Cierre Wood and allowed just 41 total yards. Offensively, the Matt Barkley-to-Robert Woods show continued, hooking up 12 times for 119 yards, while Curtis McNeal added 118 yards and Marc Tyler ran well despite his bumps and bruises. Beating Notre Dame after last year’s loss was big, but it’s time to go big game hunting. With no bowl game on the horizon, ruining Stanford’s dream season would make the season.  

Oct. 13 USC 30 … at California 9
CFN Analysis: Finally, after dealing with a few shootouts, the defense showed up with its best game of the year. The five takeaways made it a rout, but the pressure in the backfield and the tremendous play by the front seven against the run was huge step forward for a team that’s been battling all season long to come up with big stops. Going forward, the offense can’t stall as much as it did, taking three field goals on the way to a 23-0 lead when an extra touchdown would’ve made it a true blowout. It’s nice that it was an easy win without Robert Woods have to carry the attack, He caught five passes for 36 yards, and Matt Barkley was mistake free keeping most of his passes relatively safe and short. With the way the D played, he didn’t need to take many chances. This was a nice win before getting eight days to prepare for Notre Dame.  

Oct. 1 at USC 48 … Arizona 41
CFN Analysis: USC might not be all that great, but it’s a whole bunch of fun. At least the Matt Barkley-to-Robert Woods show is a blast. Give the coaching staff credit for getting the team fired up and ready to go after the loss to Arizona State, and while the defense had a major problem with the Nick Foles air show, the offense was clicking because of the passing game. Barkley’s 468 yards and four touchdowns on a 32-of-39 day were amazing, and Robert Woods’ 14 catches for 255 yards and two scores were impressive. The test now comes on the road with games at Cal and Notre Dame, but the Trojans appear to be more than ready for the shootouts.  

Sept. 24 at Arizona State 43 … USC 22
CFN Analysis: How does USC handle the adversity? It managed to blow close games last year by screwing up, and with ten penalties, four turnovers, and too many mistakes to overcome, this was as disastrous a collapse as any last year. Marc Tyler might have run for 149 yards and a score, but he also gave away a key fumble when the Trojans were on the march. Matt Barkley threw for 227 yards, but he pushed too much and gave away a bad pick-six to all but end the game. The offense was awful on third downs, the defense buckled when pushed, and the team folded in the fourth. With no title to play for, beating Arizona next week is a must or Lane Kiffin could have an unfocused team on his hands the rest of the way. 

Sept. 17 at USC 38 ... Syracuse 17
CFN Analysis: It hasn’t always been pretty, and the offense might not be rolling, but USC is 3-0 against three BCS conference teams. All the wins were at home and each took something special late to close out, but in a stepping stone season to try to get through the sanctions storm, this is a strong start before going to Arizona State. Matt Barkley has been the consummate leader, and came up with one of his best games of his already strong career spreading around five different touchdown passes and coming up with 324 yards including a good second half run. The defense has to be tighter and the return game needs a ton of help, but if the O line keeps giving Barkley time, USC has a shot to make some noise over the next few weeks against a brutal run of tough games. 

Sept. 10 at USC 23 … Utah 14
CFN Analysis: This was the kind of game USC didn’t win last year. Could this mean the team is ready to be clutch, to make up for the lack of talent compared to the pre-sanctions version? Matt Barkely was fine and effective, and Robert Woods followed up his big game against Minnesota with 102 yards on eight catches, but the big key was the return of Marc Tyler to form, with 113 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries. The secondary has been a bit too shaky, and it took a miracle blocked kick to preserve the win, but considering all the problems and issues, starting out 2-0 isn’t bad.  

Sept. 3 at USC 19 … Minnesota 17
CFN Analysis: Robert Woods, Robert Woods, Robert Woods. That’s all that worked for the USC offense against Minnesota with Woods catching 17 passes for 177 yards and three scores. The Marc Tyler-less running game did next to nothing averaging a pathetic 2.4 yards per carry, and the offensive line failed to generate enough of a push against the active Gopher defensive front. Unlike last year in several key games, the defense came up with the stop it needed in the end, but it wasn’t a great performance with the pass rush needing to be far more effective against Utah next week. Offensively, the two fourth down plays were a disaster, with a bad snap leading to a score, but with Matt Barkley and Woods coming up with big games, the Trojans were able to get out alive. 

The 2011 Class Is Heavy On … Defensive linemen. Considering the limitations the Trojan coaching staff has to deal with, this was a phenomenal class with a little something for every spot. While it would’ve been a jaw-dropping haul had top corner DeAnthony Thomas not done an about face and picked Oregon at the last second, it’s still impressive thanks mostly to the defensive front. End Greg Townsend leads a fast, aggressive group of ends, while tackle Christian Heyward was a strong get out of San Diego. Offensively, the spotlight will be on the battle for the future starting quarterback spot between Max Wittek and Cody Kessler, while Amir Carlisle has all the makings of the next great Trojan running back.

Five USC Recruits You Should Care About
Player writeups by Scout.com

1. WR George Farmer
6-2, 210, Scout.com’s 3rd ranked receiver. The ideal combination of size and speed, Farmer is one of the top athletes in the country. He's a 10.6 100 meters at over 200 pounds. He logs some time on defense as well for his Serra team. He can run by anyone on the field, but he has a tendency to drop passes he shouldn't. He's capable of making the spectacular play, but missing on the simple one. Once he becomes more consistent, he will be the total package at receiver.

2. S Marqise Lee
6-1, 185, Scout.com’s 3rd ranked safety. A big play threat on either side of the ball, Lee is a much more natural defensive back than receiver. He plays a lot close to the line of scrimmage and is an aggressive, yet sure tackler. He has good hands and is outstanding at breaking on the ball. He has a good frame to continue to add muscle weight, and his height and long arms coupled with his ball skills let him beat receivers to jump balls and high passes.

3. LB Anthony Sarao
6-1, 220, Scout.com’s 8th ranked middle linebacker. Built like a middle linebacker, Sarao is stout and capable of taking on blocks from fullbacks and pulling guards. He has a knack for avoiding the blocks though and navigating his way through traffic to make plays at or behind the line of scrimmage. A quick burst to the ball and very good in pass coverage, he can be more than a two down run stuffer. Strong through the upper body, ball carriers rarely pull away from him.

4. LB Lamar Dawson
6-2, 230, Scout.com’s 9th ranked middle linebacker. Excellent size at middle linebacker and the type of player that the phrase "linebacker mentality" is coined from. Dawson is an aggressive defender that enjoys taking on and disposing of blockers then attacking the ball carrier. He's disciplined in the middle though. He plays fast without playing reckless. A pure football player that's good on both sides of the ball. Good lateral range and change of direction.

5. QB Max Wittek
6-3, 205, Scout.com’s 11th ranked quarterback. Wittek is a greedy quarterback that is always pressuring the defensive backfield. He has tremendous vision and always wants to make the big play before checking down to his shorter routes. He has a quick release and a strong arm. He struggles with accuracy at times, but shows poise under pressure and a willingness to hang in the pocket and take a hit. A gun-slinger mentality, Wittek likes the high risk, high reward throws.

2011 Entire Recruiting Class
Kris Albarado P 5-11 200 St. Louis HS, Lake Charles, LA
Javorious Allen RB 6-1 205 Lincoln HS, Tallahassee, FL
Victor Blackwell WR 6-1 185 Mater Dei HS, Santa Ana, CA
Charles Burks LB 6-1 220 Edison HS, Huntington Beach, CA
Amir Carlisle RB 5-10 180 Kings Academy, Sunnyvale, CA
Lamar Dawson LB 6-2 235 Boyle County HS, Danville, KY
George Farmer WR 6-1 205 Serra HS, Gardena, CA
Jeremy Galten OL 6-4 285 San Mateo (CA) JC
David Garness OL 6-5 290 City College of San Francisco, CA
Andre Heidari PK 5-11 190 Stockdale HS, Bakersfield, CA
Ryan Henderson DB 5-10 170 Rancho Verde HS, Moreno Valley, CA
Christian Heyward DL 6-2 275 Point Loma HS, San Diego, CA
Cyrus Hobbi OL 6-3 275 Saguaro HS, Scottsdale, AZ
Dallas Kelley LB 6-0 230 Chaffey JC, Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Cody Kessler QB 6-2 220 Centennial HS, Bakersfield, CA
Marqise Lee WR 6-0 190 Serra HS, Gardena, CA
Tre Madden LB 6-0 220 Mission Viejo (CA) HS
Marcus Martin OL 6-3 340 Crenshaw HS, Los Angeles, CA
Peter McBride LS 6-2 210 Chaparral HS, Paradise Valley, AZ
Junior Pomee TE 6-3 235 Rancho Verde HS, Moreno Valley, CA
Anthony Sarao LB 6-0 210 Holy Spirit HS, Absecon, NJ
J.R. Tavai DL 6-2 270 Mira Costa HS, Manhattan Beach, CA
Cody Temple OL 6-2 280 Liberty HS, Bakersfield, CA
Greg Townsend Jr. DL 6-3 275 Beverly Hills (CA) HS
Soma Vainuku FB 6-2 255 Eureka (CA) HS
Aundrey Walker OL 6-6 375 Glenville HS, Cleveland, OH
Isiah Wiley DB 6-1 185 Arizona Western JC, Yuma,AZ
DeVante Wilson DL 6-4 235 Corona (CA) HS
Max Wittek QB 6-4 205 Mater Dei HS, Santa Ana, CA
Antwaun Woods DL 6-1 325 Taft HS, Woodland Hills, CA