Gridiron Goddess

Sigh.

I am so out of steam with this whole NCAA COI and Sanctions and injustice and bullshit. I mean, really. I know as a governing body they do not have to consider precedence, but HOLY MOTHER OF GOD WHAT THE FUCK?

In a move that should be predictable by now, but nevertheless shocked many, the NCAA handed out sanctions to Ohio State that fell far short of what they did to USC despite Ohio State’s infractions being worse, more egregious and there being direct proof the head coach knew about it, willingly played ineligible players and then repeatedly lied about it to the NCAA.

The NCAA is not a universe that ever makes sense, I’ve learned this from experience.

Two years ago, based on tenuous and circumstantial evidence provided by an ex-felon with an axe to grind and no ties to the USC football program, the NCAA issued sanctions just shy of the infamous Death Penalty to USC.  The University of Southern California football program was slapped with a 2 year bowl ban, a loss of 30 scholarships over 3 years, 4 years probation, vacating of wins, trophies and championships, etc.

Oh, and they also slapped that ugly “Lack of Institutional Control” label on Troy.

Curiously, Ohio State didn’t get the lack of institutional control badge of dishonor despite appearing to be a role model for it.

Consider if you will, the fact that Ohio State’s transgressions, by any reasonable measure, were worse than USC’s, ran deeper, involved more deceit and included more than the one player responsible for taking down the men of Troy.  Ohio State’s infractions started back in 2008 and involved 14 players the NCAA found to have accepted more than $16,000 in extra benefits.

USC was told they “should have known,” when Reggie Bush was driving a “flashy, tricked out” Chevy Malibu – by the way, since when is that a flashy car (ESPECIALLY at USC) and “should have known” what kind of home his parents were living in 130 miles away from campus.

Over at Ohio State, on the other hand, some reports claim Terrelle Pryor swapped out cars more often than he changed his underwear, but not only did no one apparently notice or care,  but also Ohio State was not told they “should have known.”

INTERESTING.

Former Ohio State Head Coach and Sweater Vest Enthusiast Jim Tressel knew exactly what was going on and kept not just the Buckeye AD, but also the NCAA in the dark about the violations for nine months.

Why?

Well, because we can only assume that Tressel knew exposing his star QB and other players would render them ineligible. By keeping it to himself they were allowed to play for the entire 2010 season even though they were, in retrospect, they ended up vacating those 2010 games in which ineligible players played.

To add to the controversies in Columbus, over the summer it was found that nine players had taken cash from or been overpaid by an Ohio State University Booster  in their summer jobs.

Ohio State’s sanctions, for the record:

• 1 year bowl ban

• 9 scholarships lost over 3 years

• 5 year show-cause penalty for Jim Tressel

WHAT?!

If USC and their sanctions had never happened or were less than what was meted out to tOSU, I’d say these sanctions were nearly fair. Personally, I think the Buckeye football program should have gotten docked 5 scholarships per year but otherwise, fine.

However in what fucking universe does USC getting slapped the way we (yes WE) did and Ohio State getting off SO LIGHTLY even make the slightest bit of sense?

USC – one player and his parents 130 miles away with a wannabe agent with no ties to the USC football program

This is the last time I am going to address USC’s NCAA Sanctions at length. I don’t even want to do it now, but there seems to be a rabid pack of asshole football fans from other schools that have re-emerged from the woodwork as if this is hot news.

It happened in 2004-2005 folks. The Sanctions were handed down, appealed and settled on (re: appeal denied) in June 2010.  USC has served out its two year post-season ban. It is a thing of the past.

But here’s the thing – It seems people are pissed off that USC went 10-2 and largely steamrolled through their November schedule like the proverbial Trojan horse.  It doesn’t sit well with these people that USC is doing well.  And that is pure sour grapes. That’s jealousy. That’s you hating USC because you aren’t USC. That’s not OUR problem, it’s YOURS.

Seriously, you would not believe the arguments I’ve gotten in because someone spewed vitriol in my direction.  Most of these comments have been of the “Well we would beat you 50-0 too if we cheated.” Or “Matt Barkley might as well stay in school, USC pays him more than the NFL will.” Or “It’s not winning when you cheat.”

For the LAST TIME: USC DID NOT CHEAT

USC did not offer Reggie Bush or his family money to come play at USC.

Boosters of USC did not pay Reggie Bush or his family to stay at USC.

An unscrupulous agent with no ties to USC approached Bush and his family on his own, not at the directive of Coaches, Administration or Boosters.

This is about Reggie’s improper benefits which in no way are tied to USC the actual university.

In fact, read the NCAA report – they could not prove anyone at USC knew about it and fined us largely because “we should have known.”  Of course they let other schools off saying “they didn’t know, “ but this is not a rant about the wild inconsistencies of the NCAA.

This is about certain UCLA*, ASU, Washington, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Stanford, Cal, Oregon, Oregon State, Washington State, Syracuse, NOTRE DAME *, and Minnesota fans who’ve lobbed the “CHEATERS” label at us so many times in the past two seasons it is ridiculous.

And frankly I am sick of it. None of you have any idea what the NCAA case against USC’s football program (which was really ALL about Reggie Bush) is really all about.

So, because of actions happening 130+ miles away in San Diego associated with a player long since departed for the NFL, USC had/was given:

• 1 BCS Title Taken Away
• 1 Heisman Trophy Taken Away
• 2 year post-season ban
• 4 years probation
• 30 lost scholarships

Meanwhile, the kids playing for USC now were in ELEMENTARY school when Reggie Bush and his family were breaking the rules. REGGIE BROKE THE RULES, not the USC football program. However, under NCAA lore, it is the school and innocent kids that pay, not the offender. This is in no way fair, nor is it a deterrent, since the offenders are never reprimanded, fined, or sanctioned themselves in any way.

So Reggie had to give his Heisman back, big deal. Matt Barkley, T.J. McDonald, Matt Kalil, Nick Perry, Robert Woods, et al have played for two seasons, become bowl eligible for two seasons, WON THE PAC-12 SOUTH and been denied the opportunity to play in the Championship game because of something Reggie Bush did when they were in 5th grade.

Tell me how this is fair. I dare you to. Also, tell me how this is CHEATING by the USC football program. I’d like to see how anyone can possibly call what happened “USC Cheating.”

My friend and fellow Trojan Zack Jerome over at the hilariously arrogant Lost Angeles Blog sums it up brilliantly in this Xtra Normal video,  so go give it a watch, be enlightened and STFU because USC will always be better than you. That’s what makes USC, well, USC. I’m sorry you don’t get it, you’re not a Trojan.

Bruin Tries to Explain Sanctions to USC Fan

* Especially those damn bRuins and Domers

USC 50.

UCLA 0.

It was glorious. Better than any die hard Trojan could ever have hoped for. The hapless Bruins of UCLA walked into the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum wearing “special” all white uniforms that signaled their immediate surrender. The Trojans looked, well, looked like USC. Specifically like 2002 USC, Pete Carroll’s 2nd year when Carson Palmer and Mike Williams and Justin Fargus ran all over competitors in November. Only this time it’s Matt Barkley and Robert Woods/Marquise Lee and Curtis McNeal.

It was amazing.

Obviously, it sparked the first post in eons here.

Football fiends, I am at a crossroads with this site. Gridiron Goddess is not going away, or going anywhere, I am just re-evaluating.

I am disillusioned with the game I love so much. I am not making any money with this site at a time when I need to focus 100% of my writing efforts on projects that are making me money.

There will be a state of the Gridiron Goddess post soon, as soon as I figure out what I am doing. I will also be back to talk USC’s season, recap it, look to the future and prognosticate on both Matt Barkley’s Heisman chances and whether or not he will declare for the draft or come back to cement his immortality at USC.

In short, I think this is going to become either a strictly USC blog with occasional posts about other teams or a Pac-12 and NFL blog. I am figuring it out.

In the meantime, I will be savoring the amazing 50-0 Trojan domination of fUCLA’s bRuins.

Remember folks, don’t bRuin your life!

Fight On!

Last week, I wrote a guest post for The Sports Bank about USC’s 2011 team. Here it is:

USC, facing another year of sanctions, thanks to their unsuccessful NCAA appeal, won’t be looking to reinvent the wheel this season. That said, expect improvement from last year’s 8-5 squad (5-4 in the Pac-10) thanks to maturation from key players Matt Barkley and Robert Woods.  Offensively, the Trojans have every reason to improve on last year?s decent effort as the players have a full year of Lane Kiffin’s system under their belts.  The biggest question comes on the O-Line and true freshman Cyrus Hobbi and Aundrey Walker will likely be tapped to make a big impression early on in their careers at Troy. Last year?s dismal kicking game can only improve under wunderkind Andre Heidari. Legends of his leg have infiltrated the entire Trojan network.

Defensively, the Trojans enter the season with a number of serious questions to answer. Last year’s defense was amongst the worst in the school’s venerable history.  Trojan Alumni and Fans want to know:

• Will we be able to stop the run, any run this year?
• Is there any (or enough) depth at linebacker?
• Is there enough depth in the secondary?

Last season, the defense had several painfully memorable 4^th quarter collapses. Depth is going to continue to be a problem for this sanctioned team for a number of years, so how long the D remains healthy is going to go a long way towards determining what kind of defense USC puts on the field this year. During the Spring, several veteran players were still out rehabbing injuries, most notably linebackers Chris Galippo, Shane Horton and Devon Kennard. DT Christian Tupou’s knee was still bothering him and these injuries were part of the depth problem in 2010.  If this defense can stay healthy, fans should be happy to see a return to Pac-12 dominance.  The Trojan faithful are just not used to other teams hanging 30+ on us nor do we have any intention of getting used to it.

Questions surely remain. We have no idea if the kicking game is going to be there. Surely this highly touted Heidari kid was so recruited for a reason, but we just won’t know until he gets out there and wows us. USC will play in the Pac-12 South, facing off against division opponents UCLA, ASU, Arizona, Colorado and Utah as well as annually playing Cal and Stanford (an effort to preserve the natural inter-state rivalries between the Bay Area and Los Angeles schools. Out of conference, SC faces Minnesota, Syracuse and Notre Dame.

Honestly, I think this will be a 9-3 season. Optimistically, maybe even 10-2.  Troy may be down, but the swagger is still there, it just needs to be reignited.

UPDATE 10:30pm:  That picture is a HOAX. Scott Wolf, who covers the USC beat for the Daily News, took them from what appears to be a very dubious source and ran with them. Local NBC & CBS affiliates reported that these were the unis. Fans, alumni and others blogged and tweeted and by and large, were in an outrage about these uniforms.  But it is a HOAX. And Scott Wolf should be ashamed of himself for once again reporting inaccurate and unverified information. There are many devoted USC writers, bloggers, fans and alumni who could do a better job at covering USC for the Daily News.

I’ve been told by someone close to the USC Football program that YES, these pictures are not real. But there is an alternate uniform. It has not been revealed yet. He promised I would love it. Which made me rethink things: I am a big fan of Nike and very impressed with their R&D and technology. They put real thought into the uniforms and shoes they create. They would not (I hope!) mess with a school with the devotion to tradition that USC has.  Oregon allows them to create a vast wardrobe of bizzarre uni combos because, let’s face it, they allow Nike to. Nike also makes Florida’s uniforms. They did a Pro Combat version of Florida’s uni that was very very close to their regular unis. The most subtle of changes I believe nearly all USC alumni, fans and boosters can support. Especially if it utilizes the insane technology Nike has developed for football uniforms.

Original Post:

According to KNBC Los Angeles, Nike approached USC about doing a special Rivalry uniform for this year’s game versus UCLA at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.  Look, I get it from Nike’s standpoint, it’s $$$.  But, as my good friend Randall said: “You Don’t Mess With a Classic!”

USC has always been monstrously protective of its brand, and these uniforms dilute that brand.  Reportedly, Oregon lures key recruits away because of the wide variety of uniform choices at the University of Nike.  Why USC feels the need to change it up is beyond me. After all, OUR PLAYERS GET DRAFTED IN THE NFL. Nine this year. We hold the all time record. How many Oregon players got drafted this year?

ONE.

Casey Matthews.

Don’t do it USC. I suspect this is Lane Kiffin’s doing, as he pulled a similar stunt at Tennessee vs South Carolina.

USC wears gold pants. Not cardinal. Our helmets are cardinal. Not black.

Of course ASU recently debuted their black uniforms. USC does not need to compete with ASU or Oregon in a fashion walk off. We are SC. We have tradition on our side. And you just don’t mess with that.

Yesterday, in Part 1: The Offense of Gridiron Goddess’ look at USC’s 2011 Trojan Huddle Spring Game, we took a look at the various bits and pieces and issues with the Trojan offense.

To sum it up:

• We’re young
• The O-Line – we won’t know until fall as Hobbi and Walker are busy graduating from High School and won’t be integrated until Fall
• Matt Barkley will be key. This is his third year starting
• Robert Woods, Barkley’s favorite receiver, was not in the Spring Game due to an ankle injury
• The kicking game looked dismal. But we hear this Heidari kid has a  hell of a leg on him.

Tonight, I’ll take a look at the defense, discuss some issues and wrap this thing up.

Heading into the Spring Game the big questions amongst the Trojan faithful in regards to our defense were basically

• Will we be able to stop the run, any run this year?
• Is there any (or enough) depth at linebacker?
• Is there enough depth in the secondary?

The defense, wearing white, thoroughly dominated the offense in the first half, who wore cardinal.  The offense managed only one touchdown in the entire first half. (They had six in the second half after reportedly being threatened by Kiffin in the locker room.)  As for the answers to those three questions above – it looks good, yes and yes.

Dallas Kelly, at LB, looked good, solid and dependable.  Free safety TJ McDonald is looking like a superstar.  At the other safety Jawanza Starling played well but is still competing for the position with Drew McAllister, Demetrius Wright and Marshall Jones. Cornerback Nickell Robey has had an amazing  Spring. The first string defense looked very good, especially defensive end Nick Perry.   Perry is fast, almost blindingly so. He led the day in sacks, was in on six tackles and looked very polished for this time of year. Perry, who has been nagged with injuries during his USC career, is surely benefitting from having a full year to really learn Monte Kiffin’s defense.

Linebackers Chris Galippo, Shane Horton and Devon Kennard have spent all of this Spring rehabbing injuries and aren’t expected back until fall practices resume.  Defensive tackle Christian Tupou returned to practice briefly from a knee injury that killed hs 2010 season before he reinjured it and was out once again. The big question though is defensive lineman Armond Armstead (more on him in a moment).

The absence of these veterans on defense during the Spring is a positive thing overall.  USC has been forced to build depth on defense that it lacked last season.  If you remember, we were famous for fourth-quarter collapses. With the lack of depth, there was no one to rotate in and out to keep the defense fresh. That proved costly.

Back to Armond Armstead. His health has been an issue. An undisclosed health issue prevented him from practicing this Spring and his future is not certain.  Kiffin has said that we will know more regarding Armstead’s health this summer.  If he is cleared medically to play, the Trojans defensive line will be unstoppable.  Without him, it will still be good. Definitely better than last year. (Thank God.)

Redshirt freshman defensive tackle George Uko has made the biggest gains this Spring. Defensive tackle DaJohn Harris and defensive end Wes Horton have experience. Combine them with Tupou and you’re looking at experience, strength, speed and depth on the USC Defense this fall.  Incoming freshman Lamar Dawson and Tre Madden could come in and make an immediate difference, strengthen the depth of the D even more.

In short, the defense looked deep and strong. For fans who often had to avert their eyes as teams scored on us nearly at will last year, this is good news. Now they just need to stay healthy.

The 121 play Trojan Huddle Spring game showcased barely more than a quarter of the Fall’s projected starters. USC has only 26 upperclassman and, again in Kiffin’s words,  USC is going to be “extremely young.”  The game gave several players beyond the starters a chance to show off a little of what they’ve got for the fans that support them and cheer them on.

Questions remain. The kicking game especially worries me. The O-Line – I just don’t know.  But I have to think with practices this summer the team will just continue to gel and find its sea legs for the 2011 season.  I am cautiously optimistic about the outlook for the Trojan football team. Of course, we’re still waiting on the NCAA sanctions appeal to be ruled on and I hope a negative outcome doesn’t derail the team’s morale.

USC faces off against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on September 3, 2011.

-Your Gridiron Goddess

In my preview of the NFL Draft for USC’s players last Wednesday, I said:

…I expect it to be better for the USC players than in years when we were flying high and ending up in the top 4 at season’s end.  These players have been through the fire, have stuck it out with SC during the first year of sanctions and I feel that speaks to a strength of character and perseverance…

Little did I know then how right I would be.  It started off slowly, and it feels like a number of our best guys fell farther than they should have. A few went surprisingly undrafted. (Especially Center Kris O’Dowd) But when the draft started and when the draft ended it was one school that reigned supreme, our very own and beloved University of Southern California.

In the first round USC offensive tackle Tyron Smith was the ninth overall pick in the 2011 draft. Picked up by the Dallas Cowboys, where he will join former Trojan David Buehler,  Smith became the 75th USC player to be taken in the first round of the NFL draft. This put USC at #1 for all time first round draft picks. The Dallas Cowboys targeted the 2010 Morris Trophy winner (as voted by the starting offensive lineman around the Pac-10) with their first pick, making it the first time in 22 years that the Cowboys took an O-lineman in the first round.

By the time the draft ended on Saturday evening, USC would surpass Notre Dame as the school with the most players ever drafted by the NFL. The 2011 NFL draft saw nine Trojans come off the board, setting the record for both the most players drafted by a school in the 2011 draft and for all time players drafted (472).

USC’s 2010 MVP – defensive tackle Jurrell Casey went to the Tennessee Titans with the 13th pick of the third round of the draft.  Cornerback Shareece Wright was also a third round pick of the San Diego Chargers – setting up nice synergy for the native of Southern California.  Tight end Jordan Cameron, who saw his stock rise as the draft approached, was chosen in the fourth round by the Cleveland Browns.  Cameron, a former basketball player at BYU, converted to football and transferred to USC (by way of Ventura College) where he had proven to be a gifted athlete.

Wideout Ronald Johnson, or RoJo as we call him,went to the San Francisco 49ers in the sixth round where he will play for former Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh and alongside standout former Nevada QB Colin Kaepernick (more on that in another post – I think that was the best Team-Coach-QB match of the entire draft).  Allen Bradford was selected in the sixth round by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers despite struggling through a 2010 season that was plagued with injuries. Bradford’s dedication, work ethic and perseverance weighed heavily in the Buc’s decision to draft him.

In the seventh round, as time was running out, a rare feat was pulled off. Three USC players in a row were drafted.  Wide receiver David Ausberry went to the Oakland Raiders, linebacker Malcolm Smith – younger brother of standout reciever Steve Smith of USC and the New York Giants – was reunited with Pete Carroll in Seattle and fullback Stanley Havili – he of the monstrous hands and captivating runs — was picked up by the Philadelphia Eagles.

Nine USC Players were drafted. That sets this year’s record for most players by school and, again, cements USC at the top of the list for school with the most players drafted both in the first round, and overall.

Center Kristofer O’Dowd, who struggled with injuries for his entire USC career, was not drafted. O’Dowd, when healthy, played at a consistently excellent level and brought much needed stability to the USC offense. O’Dowd was likely affected by the glut of offensive linemen entering the draft this year, but I do expect him to get picked up as a free agent somewhere. He’s too talented not to.

Other notable Trojans not selected in the 2011 NFL Draft were OL Butch Lewis, QB Mitch Mustain, LB Michael Morgan and RB C.J. Gable.

-Your Gridiron Goddess

***The North Carolina Tar Heels also had nine players drafted.

With the NFL’s 1^st round of the draft mere hours away, here’s a look at the remaining USC Trojans entering the draft. For player stats go HERE.

QB Mitch Mustain

Mitch Mustain’s story is such an odd one. He started as a true freshman at Arkansas then transferred to USC and played backup to Mark Sanchez, Aaron Corp (God what a disaster he was at USC!) and Matt Barkley.  Mustain never got a lot of playing time, and when he did, he didn’t exactly garner confidence from the Trojan faithful.  I don’t know folks, I hope Mustain gets drafted but am not sure. I’ve often said his situation can be compared to Matt Cassel’s – Cassel famously backed up a pair of Heisman Winners  at USC and was a late draft pick and seemed destined for a practice squad until the famous Tom Brady injury. Now Cassel is a franchise player. Mustain isn’t as big nor as athletic as Cassel was when he went into the draft.  Combine that with his recent drug arrest (apparently all a misunderstanding but it does count towards character), and I don’t think Mustain is on many team’s radars.

RB ALLEN BRADFORD

Allen Bradford is a big back who had an odd career at USC. When he was on, he reminded fans of Lendale White. When he was off, you wondered if he was even suited up.  Maybe it was the era of Trojan football in which he played but he didn’t seem to get a lot of attention. That said he is big, strong and speedy and I do think he will get drafted. He’s young and hungry and is going to be a good addition to someone’s roster.

CB SHAREECE WRIGHT
I follow Shareece on Facebook and that dude has been all over the country for look see’s with teams for the past few weeks.  He did get injured at pro day, which probably explains all the frequent flier miles he’s racked up recently.  Shareece is quick on his feet and a better than decent tackler. If he can get and stay healthy he will have an NFL career.

LB Malcolm Smith & Michael Morgan

Smith and Morgan are similar players. Smith is a bit smaller at 6’1 to Morgan’s 6’4 but both had very impressive pro day workouts and both are very athletic. They are the types of players that for teams that have gone back and looked at the tape, will be attractive to teams in later rounds or as free agents.

RB CJ Gable

It feels like Gable has been around SC forever, and in a way he has. He made his debut with the Trojans in the first game of his freshman year against Arkansas in 2006.  He had an amazing freshman year and the Trojan Nation collectively held their breath – would he become another Reggie Bush? Sadly, (in playing terms!) he didn’t. He had a season ending injury early in the 2007 season and when he came back, he just never recaptured the lightning in a bottle quality of his freshman campaign.  That said, Gable is athletic and fast and has great feet.  He’s flying under the radar a bit on this draft, which should make him a steal for whatever team picks him up sometime on Saturday in the later rounds.

The only two I haven’t covered are WR David Ausberry and OC Wendell Lewis. I wish all the Trojans Good Luck over the next few days!

Your Gridiron Goddess

I could cover the draft  as it leads up to it, but let’s be honest, all I am focusing on until draft day is where my USC boys will end up.  The USC Trojans have a long and illustrious history with the NFL Draft.  A cursory Google search reveals USC at the top or near the top on every list of Most NFL First Round Draft Picks by School.  They battle it out for that #1 position with a cast of usual suspect that includes Ohio State, Texas, Notre Dame, and Miami (FL).  Trojans are anxiously awaiting this week’s NFL draft to see where the players we’ve thrown our Trojan Spirit behind will end up.

First, the basics.

The 2011 NFL Draft:

• First round: Thursday, April 28, 7:00 p.m.

• Second-third round: Friday, April 29, 5:30 p.m.

• Fourth-seventh round: Saturday, April 30, 11:00 a.m.

The USC  players entering the 2011 draft are:

David Ausberry  WR  6’3”  233lbs

Allen Bradford  RB  5’ 11 ^7/8” 242lbs

Jordan Cameron TE 6’5 ^1/4” 254 lbs

Jurrell Casey  DT 6’0 ^5/8” 300lbs

CJ Gable RB 6’0” 208lbs

Stanley Havili  FB 6’0 ¼” 299lbs

Ronald Johnson WR 5’11 ¼”  199lbs

Wendell Lewis  OG 6’4 ½” 299lbs

Michael Morgan OLB 6’3 ½” 222lbs

Mitch Mustain QB 6’2 ¾” 205lbs

Kris O’Dowd  OC 6’4 ^1/8” 304lbs

Malcolm Smith OLB 6’0 ½”  227lbs

Tyron Smith OT 6’5” 307lbs

Shareece Wright  CB 5’10 ^7/8” 185lbs

The First Round of the 2011 NFL Draft:

1 Carolina Panthers

2 Denver Broncos

3 Buffalo Bills

4 Cincinnati Bengals

5 Arizona Cardinals

6 Cleveland Browns

7 San Francisco 49ers

8 Tennessee Titans

9 Dallas Cowboys

10 Washington Redskins

11 Houston Texans

12 Minnesota Vikings

13 Detroit Lions

14 St. Louis Rams

15 Miami Dolphins

16 Jacksonville Jaguars

17 New England Patriots (from Raiders

18 San Diego Chargers

19 New York Giants

20 Tampa Bay Buccaneers

21 Kansas City Chiefs

22 Indianapolis Colts

23 Philadelphia Eagles

24 New Orleans Saints

25 Seattle Seahawks

26 Baltimore Ravens

27 Atlanta Falcons

28 New England Patriots

29 Chicago Bears

30 New York Jets

31 Pittsburgh Steelers

32 Green Bay Packers

Now that the details are behind us, how about our Trojans? Well it will be an interesting year for the draft and in many ways, I expect it to be better for the USC players than in years when we were flying high and ending up in the top 4 at season’s end.  These players have been through the fire, have stuck it out with SC during the first year of sanctions and I feel that speaks to a strength of character and perseverance that players like, say, Ryan Mallet, don’t seem to have.

OT Tyron Smith

Smith is ranked #1 for his position heading into this week’s draft.  He’s incredibly athletic, fast, accurate and has the look of  a seasoned NFL veteran in his style of play. Expect Smith to have a long and successful career. Possible criticisms could arise as he only played right tackle for the Trojans, but his high level of athleticism will prove he can make the switch easily.

FB Stanley Havili

Havili was a monster at USC and is ranked #3 for his position in the 2011 draft.  His NFL prospects, however, I believe depend on who drafts him and the system they run. Havili has amazing hands and he’s made some truly breathtaking catches over his years at USC.  He’s also a good runner and the best athlete of all the fullbacks in this draft.  He’s going to need to hit the weight room to get bigger and again, the right system will be crucial to his success. Somewhere that makes good use of the fullback is necessary.

TE Jordan Cameron

Cameron is ranked 9^th and rising for his position heading into the draft. He’s athletic and he had a great showing at the combine.  (More on that in a second) The thing about Cameron, well he was a basketball player and he’s had limited playing time for the gridiron Trojans. 16 career catches and a single start do not make a broad base from which to evaluate him.  Cameron is an athlete, but is he’s barely a football player when compared to other Trojans in the draft. He’s got a lot to learn. That said, let’s talk about his combine showing. He finished second in the 40-yard dash at the tight end position. At 6’5” and 254lbs, he ran a 4.59 in the 40 compared to the 1^st place finisher’s 4.55.  His vertical leap was 37.5. This combination is interesting as, despite Cameron’s overall lack of time on the football field for Troy, his #s display an ability to speed the hell down field like a bat out of hell and to get air—an especially useful skill when you’re in the red zone.  This is exactly what teams need out of their tight ends.  Cameron switched from wide receiver before the 2010 season. His sheer athleticism bodes well and frankly the type of conditioning and NFL style offense USC runs is beneficial in his evaluation. Lack of playing time or not, he has the raw skills and with the right development could make a massive impact on an NFL team.

WR Ronald Johnson

Here’s the thing, RoJo was good at USC, but there’s a lingering feeling amongst the Trojan faithful that he just never really lived up to his own hype. Are we spoiled? Hell yes.  But there was no great leaping one handed catch highlight re: Mike Williams to set him apart from the pack. He’s ranked 23^rd at the Wide Reciever position, which honestly, seems about right. He will be a proficient but middle of the pack player, he is not a superstar.

C Kristoffer O’Dowd

O’Dowd is a beast and the only thing that kept him from having a legendary college career was the amount of time he spent injured. Which, trust me, was OFTEN. Shockingly often.  When he was healthy he was literally the perfect athletic specimen for the Center position. He can handle all the line calls, catch all the blitzes ahead of time and he is truly a great leader. At all times he was one of the emotional centers of the USC team. If he can stay healthy he can have a long and fruitful career. He is ranked 3^rd overall for his position.

Other USC offensive players in the draft:

QB Mitch Mustain

WR David Ausberry

RB CJ Gable

RB Allen Bradford

OG Wendell Lewis

OLB Michael Morgan

OLB Malcolm Smith

CB Shareece Wright

Alright football fiends, that’s it for now. I will try to cover the rest of the offensive draftees from USC and the defense at some point tomorrow. I am a professional freelance writer and as I type this I am in my 14^th hour in front of my laptop. I need to post this, sign off and have a glass of wine.

Fight On!

Your Gridiron Goddess

Lane Kiffin and Coach O absolutely killed it on the recruiting trail this year.  Able to skirt the scholarship reducing sanctions for this year due to the pending NCAA appeal decision, the dynamic duo went out and nabbed 22 signees to go with the eight players who enrolled in Spring 2011 and count towards the 2010 recruiting class.  With Juco transfers, that brings the USC Recruiting Class of 2011 to 30 players.  This is a huge relief, since our team has been decimated by transfers, ineligibility and graduation. With numbers already down in 2010, and three years of scholarship sanctions looming, landing a solid and large class this year was imperative.

Let’s take a look at five recruits who look to make an immediate impact on the Trojans in 2011.

Who: George Farmer

What: Wide Receiver

Where: Gardena, CA – Serra HS

How:  Farmer comes out of the same high school as 2010 freshman phenom Robert Woods and fellow 2011 USC WR recruit Marqise Lee. Farmer, the overall #12 pick and the #1 pick for wide receivers is  fast, big, intelligent and has a set of golden hands on him. Speculation says he’d make a great safety as well as wide receiver.  It is likely Farmer will start alongside his former high school teammate Robert Woods, with his main competition being redshirt freshman Kyle Prater.

Who: Aundrey Walker

What: Offensive Lineman

Where: Cleveland, OH – Glenville HS

How: Kiffin and Coach O stole this monster right out of Ohio State’s backyard, which makes it extra pleasing, you know?  This 4 star recruit is ranked number one at his position and 64^th nationally and looks to make an immediate impact on USC’s depleted O-Line.  Walker has been quoted as saying USC’s coaching staff is looking at him as a potential starting right tackle this season.  Have I mentioned this guy is a monster? He’s 6’5” and 335. And he is 18 years old. It is likely that he will get bigger and better. SC needs a right tackle immediately and will need a left tackle in 2011 or 2012 when Matt Kalil leaves for the NFL. Aundrey Walker, with time and development, should be well suited to move to left tackle later in his USC career.

Who: Lamar Dawson

What: Linebacker

Where: Danville, KY – Boyle County HS

How: Dawson is one of four linebackers in the 2011class (Dallas Kelley, Tre Madden and Anthony Sarao are the other three).  Dawson figures to get playing time right away for two reasons:  his athleticism and his intelligence.  Dawson is easily the best and most developed of the four linebackers in the 2011 class. He also has a high school G.P. A. of 3.8.  USC’s linebackers coach Joe Barry likes a big brain to go with the big bodies, and we have an immediate need due to losing outside linebackers Malcolm Smith and Michael Morgan.  Also, Kentucky is not usual USC recruiting country. Snatched one right out of the SEC’s backyard.

It is very unusual for Punters and Kickers to be scholarship players, but it is not hard to see why Lane Kiffin sought out scholarship players for these positions.  Joe Houston is graduating and let’s face it, we lost a number of games in 2010 (not to mention 2009, etc.) due to a missed field goal. USC would have been at least 10-3 if Houston had been more accurate. Also, R.I.P. Mario Danelo, you are so missed.

Who: Kris Albarado

What: Punter

Where: Lake Charles, LA – St. Louis HS

How: Another score from deep in the heart of SEC country. Albarado, from LSU’s backyard,  should be the starting punter next season as Jacob Harfman graduates this year and didn’t set the world on fire with his punts the past two seasons.  Albarado already has all the fundamentals in place to be a great directional punter and his only competition comes in the form of two walk-on seniors -  Boomer Roepke and Kyle Negrete.  It would be wonderful to have a great punting game in place in Troy again. Winning the battle for field position has been such a big part of USC’s past success and also, its relative lack of success these past two seasons.

Who: Andre Heidari

What: Kicker

Where: Bakersfield, CA – Stockdale HS

How: Heidari inherits pretty much the same situation as Albarado with Joe Houston graduating and his only competition is walk-on Craig McMahon.  Heidari will likely be given the first shot at the starting job as he’s known for kicking a number of 50-plus yard field goals in high school. McMahon’s leg looked decent in spring practices last season by all accounts, but Heidari’s leg is insane – it would be shocking if he didn’t walk right into the kicking game.  Which, let’s face it, USC needs in a bad way after last season’s missed field goal losses to Washington and Stanford.  USC hasn’t had a kicker capable of nailing crucial field goals since David Buehler.

I’ll be looking at five more new USC recruits next week and every week until we’ve gone through all 30 new Trojans.

Fight On!