Gridiron Goddess

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!

(via USCTrojans.com)

LOS ANGELES-Twenty-one high school football players and 1 junior college player signed letters of intent with USC, Trojan head coach Lane Kiffin announced today (Feb. 2).

Additionally, 5 high school players and 3 junior college players already enrolled at USC in January and will participate in the upcoming spring practice.

Kiffin noted that several other signings could be announced soon.

This fall’s incoming freshmen are:

• P Kris Albarado of St. Louis HS in Lake Charles, La.
• RB Javorious Allen of Lincoln HS in Tallahassee, Fla.
• WR Victor Blackwell of Mater Dei HS in Cerritos, Calif.
• LB Charles Burks of Edison HS in Huntington Beach, Calif.
• RB Amir Carlisle of Kings Academy in Sunnyvale, Calif.
• LB Lamar Dawson of Boyle County HS in Danville, Ky.
• WR George Farmer of Serra HS in Gardena, Calif.
• DB Ryan Henderson of Rancho Verde HS in Moreno Valley, Calif.
• DL Christian Heyward of Point Loma HS in San Diego, Calif.
• OL Cyrus Hobbi of Saguaro HS in Scottsdale, Ariz.
• WR Marqise Lee of Serra HS in Gardena, Calif.
• LB Tre Madden of Mission Viejo (Calif.) HS
• OL Marcus Martin of Crenshaw HS in Los Angeles, Calif.
• TE Junior Pomee of Rancho Verde HS in Moreno Valley, Calif.
• LB Anthony Sarao of Holy Spirit HS in Absecon, NJ
• DL J.R. Tavai of Mira Costa HS in Manhattan Beach, Calif.
• OL Cody Temple of Liberty HS in Bakersfield, Calif.
• DL Greg Townsend Jr. of Beverly Hills (Calif.) HS
• OL Aundrey Walker of Glenville HS in Cleveland, Ohio
• DL DeVante Wilson of Corona (Calif.) HS
• DL Antwaun Woods of Taft HS in Woodland Hills, Calif.

The junior college transfer who will be joining USC is DB Isiah Wiley of Arizona Western JC in Yuma, Ariz., who will be a junior. He originally signed with USC last December as a 2011 spring enrollee.

The 5 prep players who joined USC last month as freshmen are:

• PK Andre Heidari of Stockdale HS in Bakersfield, Calif.
• QB Cody Kessler of Centennial HS in Bakersfield, Calif.
• LS Peter McBride of Chaparral HS in Paradise Valley, Ariz.
• FB Soma Vainuku of Eureka (Calif.) HS
• QB Max Wittek of Mater Dei HS in Santa Ana, Calif.

The 3 juco players who joined USC in January as juniors are:

• OL Jeremy Galten of San Mateo (Calif.) JC
• OL David Garness of City College of San Francisco (Calif.)
• LB Dallas Kelley of Chaffey JC in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.

“This may be the most critical class that ever signed at USC,” said Kiffin. “It was imperative that we address a number of position and depth issues with this class, and we were able to do that by signing, as of now, 25 quality high school players and 4 junior college players.

“I believe it speaks volumes about the power of USC as a university to be able to sign this kind of class considering the circumstances we faced.

“We look forward to helping these new Trojan student-athletes develop and excel on and off the field.” # # #

2011 USC FOOTBALL SIGNEES

SPRING ENROLLMENT
HIGH SCHOOL PLAYERS
NAME                     POS      HGT      WGT     HIGH SCHOOL 
Andre Heidari            PK       5-11     190     Stockdale HS, Bakersfield, CA
Cody Kessler             QB       6-2      220     Centennial HS, Bakersfield, CA
Peter McBride            LS       6-2      210     Chaparral HS, Paradise Valley, AZ
Soma Vainuku             FB       6-2      255     Eureka (CA) HS
Max Wittek               QB       6-4      205     Mater Dei HS, Santa Ana, CA

SPRING ENROLLMENT
JUNIOR COLLEGE PLAYERS
NAME                     POS      HGT      WGT     JUNIOR COLLEGE
Jeremy Galten            OL       6-4      285     San Mateo (CA) JC
David Garness            OL       6-5      290     City College of San Francisco, CA
Dallas Kelley            LB       6-0      230     Chaffey JC, Rancho Cucamonga, CA

FALL ENROLLMENT
HIGH SCHOOL PLAYERS
NAME                     POS      HGT      WGT     HIGH SCHOOL 
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
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
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
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
Aundrey Walker           OL       6-6      375     Glenville HS, Cleveland, OH
DeVante Wilson           DL       6-4      235     Corona (CA) HS
Antwaun Woods            DL       6-1      325     Taft HS, Woodland Hills, CA

FALL ENROLLMENT
JUNIOR COLLEGE PLAYERS

NAME                     POS      HGT      WGT     COLLEGE
Isiah Wiley              DB       6-1      185     Arizona Western JC, Yuma,AZ

BIOGRAPHIES ON USC’S 2011 FOOTBALL NEWCOMERS

KRIS ALBARADO-His 2010 honors included Max Preps All-American Medium Schools second team and All-State 4A as a senior punter at St. Louis High in Lake Charles (La.)…He averaged 45.3 yards on his 24 punts (with a long of 65 yards) and put 8 punts within the 20-yard line in 2010…As a junior in 2009, he averaged 41.8 yards on his 38 punts, with 19 punts within the 20…He averaged 40.7 yards on his 37 punts (with 8 within the 20) as a sophomore in 2008.

JAVORIOUS ALLEN-His 2010 honors included ESPNU150, Super Prep All-Dixie and Prep Star All-Southeast as a senior running back at Lincoln High in Tallahassee (Fla.)…He ran for more than 1,500 yards in 2010…Lincoln won the 2010 Florida state Class 4A title…He missed his 2009 junior season with an injury…As a sophomore in 2008, he rushed for 1,044 yards on 162 carries (6.4 avg.) with 10 TDs…Lincoln played in the Florida state Class 4A championship game…Current Trojans Jawanza Starling and T.J. Bryant also prepped at Lincoln…His nickname is Buck.

VICTOR BLACKWELL-His 2010 honors included Super Prep All-American, Prep Star All-American, U.S. Army All-American, ESPNU 150, Sporting News Top 100, Prep Star Dream Team, Super Prep All-Farwest, Prep Star All-West, Orange County Register Fab 15 first team, Long Beach Press-Telegram Best in the West first team, Tacoma News Tribune Western 100, Max Preps All-State Division I first team, Cal-Hi Sports All-State second team, All-CIF Pac-5 Division, Orange County Register All-Orange County first team and All-Trinity League Co-Offensive MVP as a senior wide receiver at Mater Dei High in Santa Ana (Calif.)…He caught 50 passes for 976 yards (19.5 avg.) with 14 TDs in 2010, including 3 games with 175-plus receiving yards, despite missing part of the season with a shoulder injury…As a junior in 2009, he made Cal-Hi Sports All-State Underclass second team, All-CIF Pac-5 Division, Orange County Register All-Orange County first team and All-Trinity League Offensive MVP while catching 52 passes for 1,044 yards (20.1 avg.) with 11 TDs…As a sophomore in 2008, he made Cal-Hi Sports All-State Sophomore and All-Trinity League second team…In his career, he had 130 receptions and 33 TDs…Current Trojans Matt Barkley, Robbie Boyer, Khaled Holmes, Max Wittek and Conrad Tavarez also prepped at Mater Dei.

CHARLES BURKS-His 2010 honors included Super Prep All-Farwest, Prep Star All-West, Tacoma News Tribune Western 100, Orange County Register All-Orange County second team and All-Sunset League Defensive Line MVP as a senior defensive end at Edison High in Huntington Beach (Calif.)…He had 86 tackles, including 7.5 sacks, plus 3 deflections, 3 forced fumbles and 2 fumble recoveries in 2010…As a junior in 2009, he made Max Preps Junior All-American second team, All-CIF Pac-5 Division, Orange County Register All-Orange County first team and All-Sunset League Defensive Line MVP while getting 52 tackles and 14 sacks…Edison was a 2009 Pac-5 Division finalist…Current Trojans Martin Coleman and Will Andrew also prepped at Edison.

AMIR CARLISLE- His 2010 honors included Super Prep All-American, Prep Star All-American, UnderArmour All-American, ESPNU 150, Rivals 100, Prep Star Dream Team, Super Prep All-Farwest, Prep Star All-West, Orange County Register Fab 15 second team, Long Beach Press-Telegram Best in the West first team, Tacoma News Tribune Western 100, Cal-Hi Sports All-State first team, Cal-Hi Sports All-State Small Schools first team, SectionSports.com All-Central Coast second team and Palo Alto Daily News Offensive Player of the Year as a senior running back at Kings Academy in Sunnyvale (Calif.)…He ran for 2,110 yards (10.0 average per carry) and 28 TDs in 2010 and also caught 12 passes for 231 yards (19.3 avg.) with 3 TDs…As a junior in 2009, he made Cal-Hi Sports All-State Small Schools first team, Cal-Hi Sports All-State Underclass first team, Max Preps All-State Division III second team and San Jose Mercury News All-County…He ran for 2,037 yards on 187 carries (10.9 avg.) with 29 TDs and caught 11 passes for 182 yards (16.5 avg.) in 2009, plus he returned kicks and punts…As a sophomore in 2008, he made Cal-Hi Sports All-State Small Schools second team and Cal-Hi Sports All-State Sophomore while running for 961 yards with 14 TDs…In his career, he rushed for 5,108 yards (11.0 average per carry) with 73 TDs, and had 26 100-yard performances (in 28 games)…His father, Duane, ran track at Maryland and then was a strength and conditioning coach/speed and performance coach with numerous high school, college and pro teams, including the Philadelphia Eagles, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Penn State, Philadelphia Charge (women’s pro soccer), New Jersey Pride (pro lacrosse) and, most recently, San Francisco 49ers (2005-10).

LAMAR DAWSON-His 2010 honors included Parade All-American, Super Prep All-American, Prep Star All-American, U.S. Army All-American, Max Preps All-American second team, Max Preps All-American Medium Schools first team, Rivals 100, Prep Star Dream Team, Super Prep All-Dixie, Prep Star All-Southeast, Gatorade Kentucky Player of the Year, AP Kentucky Mr. Football and Louisville Courier-Journal All-State as a senior linebacker, running back and tight end at Boyle County High in Danville (Ky.)…He had 158 tackles, including 8 sacks, plus 4 interceptions (1 for a TD) and 3 forced fumbles on defense in 2010, plus ran for 686 yards with 15 TDs and caught 19 passes for 270 yards (14.2 avg.) with 1 TD on offense…Boyle County won the 2010 Kentucky state 4A championship…As a junior in 2009, he made Max Preps All-American Medium Schools first team, Max Preps Junior All-American first team and Louisville Courier-Journal All-State while getting 176 tackles, including 23 for losses, plus 2 interceptions, 3 forced fumbles and 2 fumble recoveries…Boyle County won the 2009 Kentucky state 4A championship…In his career, he made 502 tackles as Boyle County went 43-1 his last 3 years.

GEORGE FARMER-His 2010 honors included Parade All-American, Super Prep All-American, Prep Star All-American, Max Preps All-American first team, U.S. Army All-American, Max Preps All-American Medium Schools first team, ESPNU 150, Sporting News Top 100, Rivals 100, Super Prep Elite 50, Prep Star Dream Team, Super Prep All-Farwest, Prep Star All-West, Orange County Register Fab 15 first team, Long Beach Press-Telegram Best in the West first team, Tacoma News Tribune Western 100, Cal-Hi Sports All-State first team, SectionSports.com All-State first team, Max Preps All-State Division II first team, All-CIF Western Division Offensive MVP, SectionSports.com All-Southern Section first team, Los Angeles Times All-Star, South Bay Daily Breeze All-South Bay Player of the Year and All-Mission League MVP as a senior wide receiver and defensive back at Serra High in Gardena (Calif.)…He had 65 receptions for 1,514 yards (23.3 avg.) with 14 TDs, ran for 2 more TDs, had 5 TDs on kick/punt returns and intercepted 3 passes in 2010…Serra went 14-1 in 2010, won the CIF Western Division title and played in the California state Division II championship game…As a junior in 2009, he was Cal-Hi Sports All-State Medium Schools first team, Cal-Hi Sports All-State Underclass first team, Max Preps All-State Division III first team, All-CIF Northwest Division, South Bay Daily Breeze All-South Bay first team and All-Del Rey League…He had 41 receptions for 891 yards (21.7 avg.) with 12 TDs in 2009…Serra went 15-0 in 2009 and won the CIF Northwest Division title and the California state Division III championship…As a sophomore in 2008, he made Cal-Hi Sports All-State Sophomore and All-Del Rey League first team…Current Trojans Robert Woods and DaJohn Harris also prepped at Serra, as does USC signee Marqise Lee…He also was on the basketball and track (10.44 best in the 100 meters) teams at Serra…At the 2010 California state meet, he was second in the 100 meters (10.45) and seventh in the 200 (21.3)…His father, George, was a wide receiver at Southern and then in the NFL with the Los Angeles Rams (1982-84) and Miami Dolphins (1987).

RYAN HENDERSON-His 2010 honors included UnderArmour All-American, Super Prep All-Farwest, Prep Star All-West, Tacoma News Tribune Western 100, All-CIF Central Division, SectionSports.com All-Southern Section first team, SectionSports.com All-Inland Empire first team and All-Inland Valley League first team as a senior defensive back at Rancho Verde High in Moreno Valley (Calif.)…Rancho Verde went 12-1 in 2010 and was a CIF Central Division finalist…He won the inaugural 2010 SPARQ Rating National Championship, which tests speed, power, agility, reaction and quickness.

CHRISTIAN HEYWARD-His 2010 honors included Super Prep All-American, Prep Star All-American, UnderArmour All-American, ESPNU 150, Rivals 100, Super Prep All-Farwest, Prep Star All-West, Orange County Register Fab 15 second team, Long Beach Press-Telegram Best in the West Best of the Rest, Tacoma News Tribune Western 100, Max Preps All-State second team, SectionSports.com All-State second team, Cal-Hi Sports All-State Medium Schools first team, All-CIF San Diego first team, SectionSports.com All-San Diego first team and All-Western League Defensive Player of the Year as a senior defensive lineman at Point Loma High in San Diego (Calif.)…He had 86 tackles, with 8 sacks, and 3 fumble recoveries in 2010…As a junior in 2009, he made 66 tackles, including 9 sacks, plus 6 deflections, 3 forced fumbles and 2 fumble recoveries.

CYRUS HOBBI-His 2010 honors included Parade All-American, Super Prep All-American, Prep Star All-American, UnderArmour All-American, ESPNU 150, Prep Star Dream Team, Super Prep All-Farwest, Prep Star All-West, Orange County Register Fab 15 first team, Long Beach Press-Telegram Best in the West first team, Tacoma News Tribune Western 100, All-State and All-Region 4A as a senior offensive and defensive lineman at Saguaro High in Scottsdale (Ariz.)…Saguaro won the Arizona state 4A-1 title for the fourth time in 5 years in 2010…As a junior in 2009, he made All-State and All-Region 4A…As a sophomore in 2008, he was All-Region.

MARQISE LEE-His 2010 honors included Parade All-American, Super Prep All-American, Prep Star All-American, UnderArmour All-American, Max Preps All-American Medium Schools second team, ESPNU 150, Rivals 100, Prep Star Dream Team, Super Prep All-Farwest, Prep Star All-West, Orange County Register Fab 15 first team, Long Beach Press-Telegram Best in the West first team, Tacoma News Tribune Western 100, Max Preps All-State Division II first team, All-CIF Western Division Defensive MVP, SectionSports.com All-Southern Section second team, Los Angeles Times All-Star, South Bay Daily Breeze All-South Bay first team and All-Mission League Defensive MVP as a senior wide receiver and defensive back at Serra High in Gardena (Calif.)…He had 57 receptions for 1,409 yards (24.7 avg.) with 24 TDs on offense in 2010 and 45 tackles, 3 interceptions and 11 deflections on defense…Serra went 14-1 in 2010, won the CIF Western Division title and played in the California state Division II championship game…As a junior in 2009, he made South Bay Daily Breeze All-South Bay first team while getting 89 tackles (with a sack), 6 interceptions, 2 fumble recoveries and a forced fumble…Serra went 15-0 in 2009 and won the CIF Northwest Division title and the California state Division III championship…Current Trojans Robert Woods and DaJohn Harris also prepped at Serra, as does USC signee George Farmer…He also played basketball at Serra (he made the 2010 South Bay Daily Breeze All-South Bay first team).

TRE MADDEN-His 2010 honors included Super Prep All-American, Prep Star All-American, U.S. Army All-American, USA Today All-USA second team, Rivals 100, Prep Star Dream Team, Super Prep All-Farwest, Prep Star All-West, Orange County Register Fab 15 second team, Long Beach Press-Telegram Best in the West first team, Cal-Hi Sports All-State first team, Tacoma News Tribune Western 100, Max Preps All-State Division I first team, SectionSports.com All-State first team, All-CIF Pac-5 Division, SectionSports.com All-Southern Section first team, Los Angeles Times All-Star, Orange County Register All-Orange County first team and All-South Coast League Defensive MVP as a senior linebacker and Wildcat quarterback at Mission Viejo (Calif.) High…Despite missing 4 games with a foot injury in 2010, he had 81 tackles, with 3 sacks, and an interception on defense, while he completed 13-of-26 passes (50.0%) for 311 yards and 2 TDs and ran for 310 yards with 7 TDs on offense…Mission Viejo was a 2010 CIF Pac-5 Division finalist…As a junior in 2009, he made Max Preps All-State Division I first team, Cal-Hi Sports All-State Underclass first team, All-CIF Pac-5 Division, Los Angeles Times All-Star, Orange County Register All-Orange County first team and All-South Coast League Defensive MVP…He had 115 tackles on defense, plus ran for 222 yards and completed 5-of-7 passes (71.4%) on offense in 2009…Current Trojan Taylor Ashton also prepped at Mission Viejo…His father, Curtis, was a fullback and defensive end at Kansas State (1988-91)…His grandfather is Lawrence McCutcheon, a Colorado State and NFL All-Pro running back with the Los Angeles Rams (1972-79), Denver Broncos (1980) and Buffalo Bills (1981) who set the since-broken Rams career rushing record (6,186 yards), led the Rams in rushing 5 times and played in Super Bowl XIV (he then was a scout and now is Director of Player Personnel with the Rams)…His uncle is former USC (1995-98) cornerback Daylon McCutcheon (a 2-time All-Pac-10 pick) who played with the Cleveland Browns (1999-2006)…He was born in Texas.

MARCUS MARTIN-His 2010 honors included Super Prep All-Farwest, Prep Star All-West, Long Beach Press-Telegram Best in the West Best of the Rest, Tacoma News Tribune Western 100, Max Preps All-State Division I first team, SectionSports.com All-State second team, All-L.A. City Offensive Lineman of the Year and Los Angeles Times All-Star as a senior offensive lineman at Crenshaw (Calif.) High…Crenshaw won the 2010 L.A. City Division I championship…Crenshaw won the 2009 L.A. City Division I championship and played in the State Open Division title game…Current Trojan Hayes Pullard also prepped at Crenshaw.

JUNIOR POMEE-His 2010 honors included Super Prep All-American, Prep Star All-American, Super Prep All-Farwest, Prep Star All-West, Long Beach Press-Telegram Best in the West Best of the Rest, Tacoma News Tribune Western 100, All-CIF Central Division, SectionSports.com All-Inland Empire first team and All-Inland Valley League first team as a senior wide receiver and tight end at Rancho Verde High in Moreno Valley (Calif.)…Rancho Verde went 12-1 in 2010 and was a CIF Central Division finalist.

ANTHONY SARAO-His 2010 honors included Super Prep All-American, Prep Star All-American, U.S. Army All-American, Super Prep All-Northeast, Newark Star-Ledger All-Non Public second team and Newark Star-Ledger All-South Jersey second team as a senior linebacker at Holy Spirit High in Absecon (N.J.)…He had 79 tackles, with 7.5 sacks, in 2010…Holy Spirit went 12-0 and won the New Jersey Non-Public III state title in 2010…As a junior in 2009, he made Newark Star-Ledger All-Non Public second team and Newark Star-Ledger All-South Jersey first team as he had 123 tackles, with 11 sacks, and 2 blocked punts.

J.R. TAVAI-His 2010 honors included Super Prep All-Farwest, All-CIF Northern Division Defensive MVP, South Bay Daily Breeze All-South Bay first team and All-Bay League MVP as a senior defensive lineman and fullback at Mira Costa High in Manhattan Beach (Calif.)…He had 95 tackles with 12 sacks on defense in 2010 and 278 yards on 59 carries 4.7 avg.) with 3 TDs on offense…As a junior in 2009, he was All-CIF Western Division Defensive MVP, South Bay Daily Breeze All-South Bay first team and All-Bay League Defensive MVP while making 92 tackles (with 7 sacks)…Mira Costa won the 2009 CIF Western Division title…As a sophomore in 2008, he was All-CIF Western Division, South Bay Daily Breeze All-South Bay second team and All-Bay League first team while getting 72 tackles (with 2 sacks)…Mira Costa was a 2008 CIF Western Division finalist…He also was on Mira Costa’s track team (shot put and discus throw).

CODY TEMPLE-His 2010 honors included Cal-Hi Sports All-State third team, Super Prep All-Farwest and All-Southwest Yosemite League first team as a senior offensive and defensive lineman at Liberty High in Bakersfield (Calif.)…He had 95 tackles, with 2 sacks, plus 7 fumble recoveries and 5 forced fumbles in 2010…As a junior in 2009, he made Cal-Hi Sports All-State Underclass second team while getting 102 tackles, with 7 sacks.

GREG TOWNSEND JR.-His 2010 honors included Super Prep All-American, Prep Star All-American, UnderArmour All-American, ESPNU 150, Rivals 100, Prep Star Dream Team, Super Prep All-Farwest, Prep Star All-West, Orange County Register Fab 15 first team, Long Beach Press-Telegram Best in the West first team, Tacoma News Tribune Western 100, Cal-Hi Sports All-State second team, All-CIF Western Division and All-Ocean League Defensive MVP as a senior defensive lineman at Beverly Hills (Calif.) High…He missed part of the 2010 season with a jaw injury…As a junior in 2009, he made Cal-Hi Sports All-State Underclass second team and All-CIF Western Division…He had 73 tackles, with 7.5 sacks, plus 3 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery and 3 blocked PATs in 2009…As a sophomore in 2008, he had 38 tackles, with 3 sacks…He also played basketball at Beverly Hills…His father, Greg, played at TCU (1981-82) and then was a 4-time All-Pro defensive end with the NFL’s Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders (1983-93, 1997) and Philadelphia Eagles (1994).

AUNDREY WALKER-His 2010 honors included Super Prep All-American, Prep Star All-American, U.S. Army All-American, Max Preps All-American second team, Rivals 100, Prep Star Dream Team, Super Prep All-Midlands, Prep Star All-Midwest, AP Division I All-State first team, AP Northeastern Lakes All-District first team and Cleveland Plain Dealer All-Star as a senior offensive and defensive lineman at Glenville High in Cleveland (Ohio)…He had 17 pancake blocks in 2010…He missed part of the 2010 season with a knee injury…As a junior in 2009, he helped Glenville win the state Division I championship…He was a 3-year starter…He also competed on Glenville’s track team.

ISIAH WILEY-He originally signed with USC in December of 2010 as a 2011 spring semester enrollee…His 2010 honors included NJCAA All-American first team, Super Prep JUCO 100, Rivals JUCO 50, NJCAA Region I Defensive Co-MVP, Prep Star All-West and All-Western States Football League first team as a sophomore cornerback and safety at Arizona Western Junior College in Yuma (Ariz.)…Arizona Western went 10-2 in 2010…He also started at Arizona Western as a freshman in 2009…He earned 2008 Class 5A All-State first team honors as a senior defensive back at West Monroe (La.) High…He had 45 tackles and 2 interceptions in 2008.

DEVANTE WILSON-His 2010 honors included Prep Star All-American, Super Prep All-Farwest, Prep Star All-West and All-Big VIII League first team as a senior defensive lineman at Corona (Calif.) High…He had 59 tackles with 9.5 sacks in 2010…As a junior in 2009, he made All-CIF Inland Division and Riverside Press-Enterprise All-Riverside second team while getting 84 tackles and 2 forced fumbles…Current Trojan Demetrius Wright also prepped at Corona.

ANTWAUN WOODS-His 2010 honors included Super Prep All-American, Prep Star All-American, UnderArmour All-American, ESPNU 150, Prep Star Dream Team, Super Prep All-Farwest, Prep Star All-West, Long Beach Press-Telegram Best in the West Best of the Rest, Tacoma News Tribune Western 100 and Los Angeles Daily News All-Area second team as a senior defensive and offensive lineman at Taft High in Woodland Hills (Calif.)…He made 31 tackles in 2010…As a junior in 2009, he was All-L.A. City second team, All-L.A. City Division I second team and Los Angeles Daily News All-Area first team while making 38 tackles with 4 sacks…As a sophomore in 2008, he made Cal-Hi Sports All-State Sophomore…He was a 4-year starter…Current Trojan D.J. Morgan also prepped at Taft.

BIOGRAPHIES ON USC’S 2011 MID-YEAR FOOTBALL ENROLLEES JEREMY GALTEN-His 2010 honors included Super Prep JUCO 100 and All-NorCal Conference first team as a sophomore offensive guard at San Mateo (Calif.) Junior College…As a freshman in 2009, he was All-NorCal Conference first team…San Mateo went 10-2 in 2009, won the NorCal Conference title and was a finalist in the state championship game…He was an offensive and defensive lineman at Hillsdale High in San Mateo (Calif.).

DAVID GARNESS-His 2010 honors included Super Prep JUCO 100, Rivals JUCO 50, JC Athletic Bureau All-Region I first team and All-NorCal Conference first team as a sophomore offensive tackle at City College of San Francisco (Calif.)…CCSF went 10-1 in 2010 and was the state runnerup…As a freshman in 2009, he was All-NorCal Conference first team…In 2008, he briefly attended Alaska Anchorage and then walked on at Hawaii, but did not see any action…He was a 2-time (2006-07) All-State and All-Conference honoree at Bartlett High in Anchorage (Ak.), where he played on the offensive and defensive lines and was the long snapper…He could become the first Trojan letterman to claim Alaska as his home.

ANDRE HEIDARI-His 2010 honors included UnderArmour All-American, Super Prep All-Farwest, Prep Star All-West, Tacoma News Tribune Western 100 and Cal-Hi Sports All-State third team as a 2010 senior placekicker and punter at Stockdale High in Bakersfield (Calif.)…He kicked 8 field goals and 17 PATS, had touchbacks on 53 of his 65 kickoffs and averaged 38.4 yards punting in 2010…As a 2009 junior, 59 of his 70 kickoffs were touchbacks and 20 of his punts pinned opponents within the 20-yard line (with a long of 63 yards) as he made the All-Southwest Yosemite League second team.

DALLAS KELLEY-His 2010 honors included All-Central Division West Conference first team as a sophomore linebacker at Chaffey Junior College in Rancho Cucamonga (Calif.)…He had a team-best 82 tackles, including 13.5 for losses (with 4 sacks), plus 2 forced fumbles, 1 interception, 1 blocked kick and 1 deflection in 2010…As a freshman in 2009, he had a team-best 74 tackles, including 9.5 for losses (with 3.5 sacks), and 4 deflections…He prepped at Norco (Calif.) High, where as a 2007 senior he won All-CIF Inland Division honors while getting 100 tackles, 2 interceptions, 1 fumble recovery and 1 forced fumble…He helped Norco to a pair of CIF Inland Division titles…Current Trojan Nathan Guertler also prepped at Norco.

CODY KESSLER-His 2010 honors included Super Prep All-American, Prep Star All-American, U.S. Army All-American, USA Today All-USA second team, Rivals 100, Prep Star Dream Team, Super Prep All-Farwest, Prep Star All-West, Orange County Register Fab 15 second team, Long Beach Press-Telegram Best in the West first team, Tacoma News Tribune Western 100, Gatorade California Player of the Year, Cal-Hi Sports All-State first team, Max Preps All-State Division I first team, Bakersfield California All-Bakersfield Player of the Year and All-Yosemite League Offensive MVP as a senior quarterback at Centennial High in Bakersfield (Calif.)…He completed 175-of-251 (69.7%) of his passes for 2,831 yards and 36 TDs with just 2 interceptions in 2010 and rushed for 324 yards on 75 carries (4.3 avg.) with 8 TDs…He also averaged 36.4 yards on 32 punts in 2010, with a 13 pinning opponents within the 20-yard line and a long of 60 yards…Centennial was 10-2 in 2010…As a 2009 junior, he was named Cal-Hi Sports All-State Underclass first team and Bakersfield Californian Area Player of the Year as he completed 188-of-312 passes (60.3%) for 2,195 yards with 14 TDs and 6 interceptions and also ran for 12 TDs…Centennial was the 2009 CIF Central Section runnerup…As a sophomore in 2008, he completed 133-of-288 passes (63.6%) for 1,878 yards with 10 TDs and 7 interceptions and he also ran for 373 yards with 13 TDs…He also played basketball at Centennial, where he averaged 29.5 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists and was named the Bakersfield Area Player of the Year (becoming the first player to be so honored in both football and basketball).

PETER McBRIDE-His 2010 honors included UnderArmour All-American, Prep Star All-West and 5A Desert Valley All-Region first team as a long snapper and defensive lineman at Chaparral High in Paradise Valley (Ariz.)…Chaparral won the 2010 5A Division II state championship.

SOMA VAINUKU-He originally signed with USC in February of 2010, but did not qualify for admission, so he returned to Eureka (Calif.) High but did not play football in 2010…His 2009 honors included Super Prep All-Farwest, Cal-Hi Sports All-State Medium Schools first team and All-Humboldt-Del Norte Big Four League first team as a senior linebacker and fullback at Eureka…He had 2,202 yards on 252 carries (8.7 avg.) with 38 TDs on offense and 14 tackles, 1 interception and 1 forced fumbled on defense in 2009…Eureka won the 2009 CIF North Coast Division II title…As a junior in 2008, he had 800 rushing yards with 14 TDs on offense and 34 tackles, 1 interception and 1 forced fumble on defense…As a sophomore in 2007, he had 1,500 rushing yards with 27 TDs…His father was a rugby star in Tonga…His cousin is former USC All-American (2005-08) and current Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Rey Maualuga.

MAX WITTEK-His 2010 honors included UnderArmour All-American, Super Prep All-American, Prep Star All-American, ESPNU 150, Rivals 100, Prep Star Dream Team, Super Prep All-Farwest, Prep Star All-West, Orange County Register Fab 15 second team, Long Beach Press-Telegram Best in the West honorable mention, Tacoma News Tribune Western 100, Cal-Hi Sports All-State third team and All-Trinity League first team as a senior quarterback at Mater Dei High in Santa Ana (Calif.)…He completed 153-of-282 passes (54.3%) for 2,252 yards with 24 TDs and 15 interceptions in 2010, plus ran for 175 yards with 6 TDs…As a 2009 junior, he made the All-Trinity League second team as he completed 136-of-230 passes (59.1%) for 2,158 yards and 15 TDs with 9 interceptions and ran for 189 yards with 2 TDs…Current Trojans Matt Barkley, Robbie Boyer, Khaled Holmes and Conrad Tavarez also prepped at Mater Dei, as does USC signee Victor Blackwell…He grew up in Connecticut.

Look, let’s face it. It’s Saturday night and I’ve once again been into TEH WINE.  I am designated driver tomorrow, I am allowed, LOL.

As a total USC homer, I am happy that we are guaranteed a Trojan in the Super Bowl. However, I am rooting for the one team devoid of USC Alumni. I am Chicago born, and a die hard Bears fan.  And we’re not here to cause no trouble, we’re just here to do the Super Bowl Shuffle.

That said, let me be honest. I think Green Bay is going to win this game. Aaron Rodgers and company are on fire and the Bears, well, Jay Cutler is very interception prone at the best of times. And he’s been On Fire the past few games so, I expect him to fall apart under the pressure on Sunday. What? Is the way of the fan of any Chicago team: We Expect Failure. I balance it out by also being  a USC and  Laker fan.

I find it ironic that the team I am rooting for is the only team of the four remaining without a former USC player on their roster. Whatever.

I expect Green Bay & Pittsburgh to emerge victorious tomorrow. I am rooting for the Bears & the Jets. So be it.  I’d love to say more, but frankly, am saving it for the results tomorrow.

Well fellow USC fans, this is it. Right now the USC contingent is in Indianapolis getting ready to plead our case to the NCAA on Saturday. I am sure you, like me, are doing every good juju, good mojo, let the sanctions lift dance you can.

Dudes, I don’t know what to think. If I approach it rationally, I think we have an excellent chance at winning our appeal. USC seeks to have the sanctions basically reduced by 1/2. Meaning we’d be bowl eligible next year, in the first year of the new Pac-12 which I happen to believe is VERY important and could set the tone for the new conference for years to come if USC is not eligible to participate in the Pac-12 championship (should we get to that game) or bowl games.

But since when has logic and rationality ever applied to the NC “We favor the $EC” AA?”  I know my fellow Trojans feel me on this. To be slapped with “lack of institutional control” and then to sit through a sanctioned season and watch Cam Newton get away with claiming he had no idea what his Daddy did, and see tOSU players sanctioned and UNC sanctioned and USC freshman Dillon Baxter suffer through 10 days of ineligibility for catching a ride with a FELLOW STUDENT who just happened to be sanctioned as an agent  by the NFLPA… first of all NO STUDENTS should be credentialed NFLPA agents but second of all… it is a little fucking hard to slap USC with ‘lack of institutional control’ when the problem is so pervasive and so many incidences came to national prominence this year.

I mean have you READ the Allegations Against Auburn ? (READ it, is FASCINATING!!!) The FBI alerted the NCAA to the improprieties for fuck’s sake. And yes, is all hearsay, but if Reggie Bush taught us anything, where there are rumors, there is truth. And also, is about so much more than Cam. Cam is MINOR in the scope of the potential Auburn woes. We’re talking expulsion from the SEC we’re talking Death Penalty… IF, and it is a BIG IF is proven. For those who will say “of course Auburn won’t be sanctioned, they are the $EC” — well, I agree.

However, go watch the ESPN 30 for 30 film Pony Excess about SMU. Back in the 80s, the old Southwest Conference was equivalent to the SEC today. And let me make it clear, I have no beef against Auburn.   But I am fascinated by the Death Penalty and reading that Tiger Droppings article stokes my inner sick train wreck fascination with it.

So all of that (wine fueled) tangent aside, my point IS: all of that makes the allegations against Reggie Bush and USC look like child’s play. And though the NCAA Appeal policy is not to consider anything that has happened since – either at the school or in the sport — I maintain that these people are HUMAN and the organization as a whole runs a very real risk of making a complete joke of themselves.

Even J.K. McKay, USC’s Associate Athletic Director for Football has said: “Our primary contention is, given what we were found to have done, these are the harshest penalties ever meted out. When you compare them to other cases, probably unduly harsh, and we think they should be lessened.”

USC has gotten rid of Mike Garrett, Pete Carroll and Todd McNair (though I feel McNair was railroaded, but that’s another post). Lane Kiffin has been positively angelic this year. Pat Haden is toeing the line and saying and doing all the right things.

Based on all of this info and more, pretty much all rational people looking at the situation believe that USC has a chance to win at least a part of their appeal.  The OC Register is reporting that a Florida based lawyer thinks USC will get back a portion of the scholarships but the post-season ban will be upheld.

Um, that’s not my feeling. Granted, I am not an expert, just a passionate fan. I feel like if the NCAA wants to save face at all, that we’ll see 50% of the scholarships restored and based on the 1/2 reduction in sanctions there be eligible for post season play in the 2011 season.  I believe that the probation period will be upheld. Again, am not an expert and am in fact highly biased.

Athletic director Pat Haden, a USC alum and former Trojan football player along with new USC president Max Nikias will be a part of the team presenting USC’s appeal on Saturday.   Haden is cool as ice under pressure and Nikias is composed yet passionate. Nikias and Haden have hired many compliance officers for USC’s previously grossly understaffed compliance department, making it one of the best, if not the best (late, wine, my pizza just arrived, not looking it up) staffed compliance offices in FBS/Division 1 sports.

All we can do is sit and wait. In typical slow as a damn dinosaur NCAA fashion, after USC’s one-day appeal hearing, the NCAA can take up to six weeks to render its decision.  This appeal is the only avenue USC has left. If upheld, well, the NCAA sends a HUGE message, and not necessarily a fair one.

Since the NCAA moves so slowly– let’s look down the road five or six years– and let’s say the Auburn Allegations and LaMichael James of Oregon allegations are proven true and sanctioned.  It will turn out this year’s Heisman and BCS National Champions, and BCS Championship Game will all need asterisks next to them. And that is just wrong. The NCAA is in no way able to enforce the rules that they set in any reasonable amount of time. I mean for fuck’s sake, the kids at USC now were in JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL when Reggie Bush played.  It is just, well, for an organization that prides itself on leveling the field of play so all schools have a chance — it is NOT FAIR.

Last night I came up with this theory. You see my friend and fellow Trojan Karen and I were talking about  Norm Chow and how he didn’t seem to have any loyalty. Chow was beloved at USC and ended up coaching at fUCLA.  He was a long time coordinator at BYU and reports have him going to Utah as their OC.

Karen and I could not believe the balls on this guy. Going to the rivals of two teams he’d coached – it is a pattern! He has no loyalty. We were outraged.

Until last night when it occurred to me: well what good has Chow been to fUCLA in his tenure there? They’ve sputtered and failed and posted some pretty dismal seasons lately. Maybe Chow was up to something. After all, Trojans certainly appreciate him not turning fUCLA into the offensive powerhouse USC was in the Carroll-Chow era.

So now he’s reportedly being courted by Utah — who are not only his former team BYU’s hated rival but they are a new member of USC’s division in the Pac-12 South and the team most likely to challenge USC for the division crown.

Could Chow be working behind the scenes for USC? Going to fUCLA and screwing with their offense, heading to Utah to screw with theirs, all in the name of Trojan Loyalty!

Think about it. It is sort of brilliant, no?  Hell, it’s an amusing thought, if nothing else!!!

(I could swear this morning I saw that Utah had reportedly named someone other than Chow their OC. But now I can’t find it, so… have a good weekend everyone!)

Football Fiends,

Long time no talk! Life and work and writing has been keeping me very very busy lately. But how could I let the day of the big crosstown rivalry come and go without a post? I CAN’T.

Neither team has a lot (or anything) to play for besides respect and bragging rights. So it stands to reason that this will probably end up being an epic game. Matt Barkley looks to be back under center for the Trojans, while the bRuins are still operating with their backup in the latest incidence of the QB Curse in Westwood.

For now I will leave you with an oldie but goodie-Trojan faithful learn the lyrics to this spoof on the UCLA fight song practically before we learn FIGHT ON!

SATIRE — Westwood High
lyrics by the USC Marching Band

High up in the hills of Westwood
Sprawled offensive to the eye
Lies a Cal extension campus
Known as Westwood High (high, high, high).
Home of all the Bruin bearcubs
UGLY is its name,
The student body’s vile,
The football team’s a pile,
And the campus is a shame.

U clap, clap, clap
G clap, clap, clap
L clap, clap, clap
Y clap, clap, clap

U – G – L – Y

EAT MY SHORTS!