USC and UCLA fans should feel good about their recruiting haul, especially USC…
As traditional National Signing Day closed Wednesday, Los Angeles Times college football experts Ben Bolch, Ryan Kartje and J. Brady McCollough weighed in on how well UCLA and USC restocked their rosters through a mix of the recruiting trail and transfer portal.
So, how did they do?
Kartje: After signing just seven high school prospects a year ago, this is a much more conventional recruiting class for Lincoln Riley and Co. It boasts the nation’s top receiver, a top-five quarterback, and two of the top four recruits from California, enough for USC to finish with the nation’s 8th-best overall class, according to the 247Sports.com composite rankings. That’s certainly nothing to scoff at, but it’s also not a stellar signing class by USC standards, either, especially under Pete Carroll before he left for the NFL in 2010.
USC missed out on some elite in-state targets, including St. John Bosco defensive lineman Matayo Uiagalelei, and ended up with only five of California’s top-30 prospects. But it loaded up its depth along the defensive and offensive lines. So we might have to wait before any final judgments on the strength of this class.
Bolch: There was some buzz not felt in Westwood for a long time after the Bruins snagged Dante Moore (5), the highest-rated quarterback in school history, as the heir apparent to Dorian Thompson-Robinson. It doesn’t matter that Moore basically fell into their lap because of a coaching change at Oregon, only that they got him. Moore headlined, in 100-point type, another smallish high school recruiting class that has been heavily supplemented by the transfer portal. Chip Kelly might not have liked the Transfer U tweet that went out in the fall, but it reflects the reality for a team that plugs most holes via transfers.
McCollough: There is still no enforcement of the NCAA’s guidance on NIL, which prohibits pay-for-play inducements to recruits, and until there is, programs will be playing by different rules on the trail. USC and Oregon, for instance, are playing by different rules. The Trojans do not have a fully operational collective supporting their efforts, and even if they did, it is unclear if that group would go into bidding wars for high school talent, for fear of appearances. To a certain extent, with a certain type of player, Lincoln Riley’s hands might be tied. Given that, USC hovering around the top 10 and continuing to skillfully mine the transfer portal is keeping it in the ballgame to perform like a top-10 program that is building the culture for something even better in the future.
As for UCLA, Bruins fans should be elated, mainly thanks to the sudden signing of five-star quarterback Dante Moore out of Detroit. Things fell Chip Kelly’s way when Oregon’s Bo Nix decided to return for his final year of eligibility and offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham left for the head coaching job at Arizona State. Props to Kelly and the Bruins for convincing Moore to follow Dorian Thompson-Robinson as the next great UCLA quarterback in Westwood. From there, this is a pretty predictable haul for UCLA, with a small high school group and a bunch of transfers who should help the Bruins remain in the top half of an improving Pac-12 next season.
Should USC and UCLA fans be excited about the additions to their rosters?
Kartje: Though there might not be a clear program-altering defensive prospect like USC fans clamored for in this class, USC had no issue piling up blue-chip recruits on the other side of the ball for 2023. The gem among that group is five-star and No. 1 overall receiver Zachariah Branch (1), an electric talent whose skillset has been likened to All-Pro NFL wideout Tyreek Hill. Even in an already deep receiver room, expect him to make an immediate impact. Adding a five-star quarterback to any class is also no small thing, so the arrival of heir apparent passer Malachi Nelson will be monitored closely; though, he won’t be full go until sometime this summer.
The cupboard isn’t entirely bare on defense in this class, either. Four-star linebacker Tackett Curtis will be one to watch closely, after Riley raved about his arrival in December. His ferocity could mean finding his way onto the field as a freshman.
Bolch: Moore could transform the Tarp Bowl back into a Rose Bowl teeming with fans from the season opener, assuming he wins the job over talented Kent State transfer Collin Schlee and incumbent Ethan Garbers, not to mention precocious redshirt freshman Justyn Martin. Another newcomer to watch will be running back Carson Steele, a Ball State transfer who has a pet alligator back home in Indiana. Steele exudes personality with his long blond hair and strongman persona as a freakishly brutish ballcarrier, probably making him an instant fan favorite. Cal transfer J. Michael Sturdivant could give the Bruins the kind of game-breaking wide receiver they haven’t enjoyed in years, as well as a reliable target for whomever wins the starting quarterback job.
McCollough: College football is a quarterback’s game. Two of the top five quarterbacks in this class, Malachi Nelson (USC) and Moore (UCLA) are headed to L.A. to usher the programs into the Big Ten era. These were the guys that Riley and Kelly had to bring in, with Caleb Williams nearly guaranteed to go pro after 2023 and DTR already gone from Westwood. Moore will have to compete with a couple of capable upperclassmen in Kent State transfer Collin Schlee and current UCLA backup Ethan Garbers, but it would be pretty shocking if Moore doesn’t take the team’s first snaps in 2024, along with Nelson for USC.
Wide receivers Zachariah Branch and Makai Lemon will draw the most headlines beyond Nelson, but the most important recruits in this class might be top-100 defenders Braylan Shelby and Tackett Curtis, whom the Trojans plucked right out of SEC country. If Riley is going to get USC to its first College Football Playoff — much less the semifinals — he’s going to need Shelby and Curtis to be program cornerstone-type players.
Should fans be concerned about any UCLA or USC departures?
Bolch: Not yet. The early departures were going to be buried on the depth chart amid the influx of talent. But keep in mind that the transfer portal reopens after spring practice and the odds are that the Bruins will lose at least one quarterback with such a logjam at the position.
McCollough: It was a great sign for the health of UCLA’s program and the culture that Kelly has created the last five years that the Bruins did not lose any of their key cogs to the transfer portal after this season.
Kartje: USC lost two former top-10 receiver prospects from its crowded receiving corps, as Gary Bryant Jr. and Kyle Ford entered the transfer portal. But USC was already stacked at receiver and only got better in this recruiting class with the addition of Branch and top-50 receiver Makai Lemon. Any other losses to the portal have already been mitigated.
What are the USC and UCLA’s biggest needs and can they fill them before the 2023 season starts?
Kartje: Continuing forth with a familiar plan, USC has already plugged most of its holes via the portal. Any concerns about losing three starting offensive linemen were soothed when the Trojans added three transfers up front with Power Five starting experience. They also beefed up the defensive front with a former five-star edge rusher in Anthony Lucas, an All-Pac-12 interior lineman in Kyon Barrs and an All-Big 12 middle linebacker in Mason Cobb. Where the Trojans could still stand to get stronger is in the secondary, where top corner Mekhi Blackmon is off to the NFL, leaving a lot of unproven talent in his wake.
Bolch: Kelly has admirably filled most of the glaring holes at quarterback, running back, wide receiver, linebacker and on the offensive line, but some more secondary help would be great. That’s the biggest need with the departures of Stephan Blaylock and Mo Osling III.
McCollough: USC needs to find a pass rusher to fill the massive voids left by Tuli Tuipulotu and by cornerback Mekhi Blackmon. We really won’t know how the Trojans did in replacing them until September, but it’s time for five-star recruits Korey Foreman and Domani Jackson to play to their reputations in 2023.
UCLA won’t be able to remain relevant if it doesn’t find adequate production to replace Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Zach Charbonnet. Can MAC transfers in Schlee and Ball State running back Carson Steele make the jump to the Pac-12 seamlessly? We’ll see.
USC and UCLA fans had concerns about their defensive coordinators’ performance last season. Where do those positions stand?
Kartje: Riley has been clear about his confidence in Alex Grinch, but the shelf life of that endorsement remains to be seen. Grinch will have to show marked improvement in USC’s defense next season, and that won’t be easy, considering some of the top talent the Trojans have lost on that side of the ball. Replacing a top corner and the nation’s leader in sacks will have to be a group effort, and for Grinch, that means making major progress at all three levels of the defense. Good luck with that.
Bolch: Bill McGovern has said he “absolutely” plans to return for the 2023 season after unspecified health issues forced him to miss the final five games of the regular season. It’s my understanding the Bruins would love to have him back in his current role as long as he’s capable of withstanding the pressures of such a high-stress job in the wake of what happened last season. Clarity should come before spring practice.
McCollough: This is Grinch’s last chance to follow through on Riley’s continued belief in his ability to build a great defense. I can see why he chose continuity over making a change this early in his tenure, but it’s unlikely he would do so again unless USC’s defense makes major improvements.
My gut tells me that Kelly is going to need more youthful energy out of his defensive coordinator than what he’s gotten from Jerry Azzinaro and now Bill McGovern, who missed five games last year because of health problems.
Hey, maybe Grinch will be available next year at this time.
Looking at a combination of the schedules and the rosters, do you think UCLA and USC are poised to contend for a Pac-12 championship during their final season in the conference?
Kartje: After falling just short of a Pac-12 title and the College Football Playoff this past season, there’s no reason to think USC won’t find itself in the same position next fall. Caleb Williams will be back to defend his Heisman Trophy, and his weapons, while not quite as experienced, have only gotten more explosive. No one is expecting USC’s defense to suddenly dominate, but if Grinch is able to find some answers, the Trojans should find themselves well-positioned to make one final run in the Pac-12.
Bolch: It’s tough to win a championship with a freshman quarterback, but Moore isn’t just any freshman quarterback. The bigger question is whether the Bruins’ defense will take a huge step forward — no matter who is running it — after another disappointing showing in 2022. If UCLA can pair a slightly above-average defense with what figures to be another elite Kelly offense, it could be the surprise of the Pac-12.
McCollough: USC should be just as explosive offensively, if not more, and surely the Trojans will be more sound defensively in Year 2 under Grinch. But the schedule is far more brutal in 2023. USC will be favored to start 6-0 for the second straight year, but the Trojans then play Notre Dame, Utah, Washington, Oregon and UCLA in five of their last six. USC probably will have to sweep the Utes, Huskies and Bruins at the Coliseum to find its way back to the Pac-12 title game — a tall task even at home.
UCLA should take a step back next year, but the Bruins benefit from avoiding Oregon and Washington. Still, road trips to Salt Lake City, Oregon State and USC will be tough to escape. Unfortunately, 2023 seems unlikely to be the year Kelly breaks through for his first 10-win season in Westwood.
latimes.com
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Arizona Five-star USC QB target Dylan Raiola set to transfer Yahoo Sports/The Athletic — Dylan Raiola (6-3, 215), the No. 1 2024 football prospect in the country, is in the process of transferring from Chandler to Phoenix Pinnacle (TE Duce Robinson’s school; elite OL Elijah Paige is a 2023 USC signee). Through two varsity seasons, Raiola has thrown for more than 5,700 yds (64%) and 54 TDs. Pinnacle, Raiola’s new school, played in the Arizona 6A state title game last season. Raiola, once an OHIO ST commit, now favors USC, GA, NEB (father Dominic was an All-America OC and played… Read more »
Per reports, ND has lost its OC Tommy Rees, also an Irish football alum (QB, 2010-13), to Nick Saban. Sorry Irish. Them’s the breaks. See you on Oct. 14.
USC’s first of 15 2023 spring ball practices is set for Saturday, March 4, with an April 15 spring game, a week earlier than last year.
A different opinion on USC’s class: The “not so good” surprises USC 2023 class ranking: No. 12 overall (Second in Pac-12) Average player rating: 91.33 Klatt’s thoughts: “Seeing them where they were in the recruiting rankings was jarring. I look at USC and I thought, ‘Lincoln Riley, in this state, should be able to have a top-five recruiting class easily. It wasn’t even close.’ When I look at what you need to do if you’re USC, you need to put a fence around the state of California because if you do that, you’re gonna get a nice class. Basically, there were about 20 players… Read more »
It will take time to rebuild our reputation. Right now, we are known as Wide-out U. May have to get rid of our overrated ex-interim coach who is still on the staff. Plus our DC is on shaky ground, thanks to poor coaching of tackling techniques.
It is clear that we improved in physicality, but we were lacking in depth, and it showed later in games. Tired guys arm tackle and chest bump, it is just what they do. We need more depth on D, and building depth takes place over time. Klatt needs to remember that we are a couple years removed from pulling in the 80th best class in the country or something like that. The transfer portal plugs holes, but it doesn’t build depth. We’re moving in the right direction though.
The real competition is coming from Oregon with their Nike money. I truly believe that is what happened to both Uigalele and Pleasant. Remember that Robinson is still out there for someone. In this age there needs to be a monetary award for instate kids to stick around. Plain and simple. It is the only what USC can compete with the ducks, Miama, TAMU, and few others.
As to NIL, it is clear that SC is taking a very cautious approach, and letting the Oregons and Texas A&Ms of the world be the guinea pigs in terms of what the NCAA is going to tolerate. Of course the NCAA is one more tough crackdown away from being decommissioned altogether, and it knows it, so it has to choose its victim on this one carefully. SC is its favorite punching bag, and the NCAA would be happy to turn to ol’ reliable as a target if it got the chance. So LR is content to sit back and… Read more »
I don’t really mind losing prospects because of NIL money, which could be totally over-the-top in some cases. If that’s their main priority in view of all the other important considerations which should properly come into play, let them go. I like LR’s style here and his emphasis on the culture and player mix he is trying to build. USC is obviously very competitive based on the results I see. A&M just showed us what can go wrong with NIL, big-time. So did UF in a very major, humiliating way. I really couldn’t care less we lost Pleasant. Good for… Read more »
Rock, I do not think SC is worried about the NCAA. Given that virtually every school in the SEC, B1G, the Big 12 and the ACC is openly using “pay for play” NIL. Along with Oregon, Oregon State and I think Washington. From what I read, Allen nails LR view below. He does not want to pay 18 year old kids based on “potential”. He wants his kids to earn it, not be given it. He also wants kids who are committed to team success and their teammates. We are still in the infancy of the “pay for play” NIL.… Read more »
Although I think USC recruiting will improve with overall better performance (Yes there was room for improvement by all facets of play including some better game decisions by LR) and a few years of consistent top 10 finishes Klatt appears to want to completely ignore NIL. A couple of the high profile loses were nothing but NIL. If those players choose USC this is a top 3-5 team.
NIL pay models are new, changing frequently… Possible USC is willing to use the money bag for proven Portal players. In our HS recruiting class who really warrants $$ up front? Zac B. who else?
Oregon is the only real player out west recruiting..
We should shift the conversation to BIG TEN now, How do we compare there? The 23′ class matters more compared to the Ohio St., Mich. , Peen State’s much less Oregon, Washington ect.
As for ucla, not much to see here
Petero, Totally agree that Oregon is the only team that is competitive with SC in recruiting on the West Coast. That competitive edge does not come from better coaching, or recruiting staff, or strength of program, it comes from Nike money and management. The results speak loud and clear.
ORE has Phil Knight. Good for them. Great advantage. He literally saved their program. And Knight’s been fantastic for the entire Pac-12 actually. My hat’s off to him. He’s a great, totally interesting guy. I used to talk with him over SuperPrep recruiting info. He’s a terrific Duck IMO. I’d still much rather have USC’s enormous and numerous advantages like tradition, better rivalries, location (right in the middle of one of the USA’s elite recruiting hotbeds and in L.A., the Hollywood and beach factors), degree value, uniforms, Rose Bowl dominance, famous cheerleaders (at least when I was at USC), the… Read more »
Concerning NIL Zaniness…Report from a 4* player &(Family)
Tennessee DL commit Daevin Hobbs, was offered 600k by a 3rd. party- verified Multi Mil follower’s account to sign with Utah….Problem was he wasn’t even recruited/offered by the Utah staff…..
Nick Saban is pushing back too. He’s a hypocrite whenever it suits him, but he’s out in the media bragging about telling hotshots to bug off because of their NIL demands.
Steveg, I think you nailed it. The Times article got it right. Oregon has the best organized and funded “pay for play” NIL on the West Coast; SC does not even offer “pay for play” NIL. SC offers one of the best “you earn it” NILs in the nation. Klatt totally ignores this obvious difference. Based on some posts I have read (and they may be wrong), the Pleasant kid wanted to go to SC, but his family either wanted or needed the Oregon NIL money. SC offers an great NIL opportunity; Oregon offers guaranteed cash. It makes a huge… Read more »
I’m amazed that people think LR is supposed to have totally fixed USC football in one year after the Clay Helton disaster years. I really don’t get that. And Klatt’s totally wrong about the recruiting class ranking. USC actually finished #1 in the Pac-12 and is ranked #8 in the country by 247Sports, with 33 new players coming in. That’s a fact. I don’t know how Klatt could make such a major error (which is 100% public information), since he should be in the business of reporting facts and not simply supporting his own agenda. His focus on only emphasizing… Read more »
Agree with the first sentence and it is an important point.
Even with Kiffin and Sark USC was in the top 5 in recruiting.
When Helton came in it slowly declined to about 70 in country or worse.
The USC recruiting will take time to build up.
It took years for Bama, Georgia, OS and the like to get where they are now.
usc50, My complaint with Klatt is that he ignored the NIL differences between SC and Oregon (in particular). So far, kids are keeping silent on how much money they are being paid to sign, but clearly they are and clearly it matters. The signing day statement should say, Oregon agreed to pay me $150,000 to sign and SC did not match it, so I am going to Oregon. Or, SC offers only potential earnings while Oregon was willing to pay me $150,000 right now, so I decided to take the money as my family really needs it. At least it… Read more »
Boogie’s heating up like a “microwave” again vs WSU. Fun to watch this guy!
USC got two commits PWO’s King Miller 6’1″ Rb and his brother Kaylon, 6’1″ 250 DL. Both passed up scholarships to come to USC.
Congrats to a great Trojan, and now an NFL Pro Bowler, Amon-Ra St, Brown!
Really amazing. Helton had two Pro Bowlers on the same team, one on O (Amon Ra) and one on D (Hufanga) and he still produced lousy teams.
Goes to show how building a program with a winning, dominant culture is so much more important than just signing individual great players. Poor Helton never grasped the concept of accountability while at USC.
Ironically, we’re all now wondering if LR’s going to insist on accountability from Alex Grinch, who dug himself an amazing hole, about the size of the Cotton Bowl.
I was thinking the si3 of the Grand Canyon, but ok. Cotton Bowl works too. 😉
Lousy breeds lousy. Helton by being on the sideline made his teams worse.
Most Overrated Athletes Ever!
Lynn Swann is held up as one of the great receivers, but his 37-catch-per-season average, and two seasons with double-digit TDs, would beg to differ with that assessment. Was Lynn Swann a good receiver? Definitely! Does he deserve his current position in football history? Not at all.
bonvoyaged.com
I always have a hard time comparing players from the past with those of today. If you do then Swann is definitely not the only one that should be listed here. The passing game was night and day to what it is now.
IMO, Lynn was most definitely a Super Bowl Hall of Famer. Incredible. I remember watching him catch passes on Cromwell Field (now Allyson Felix’s) when I was a student. He was stunningly smooth and impressive.
But during the reg NFL season, not so much, in part because the Steelers also had Hall of Famer John Stallworth to catch balls from Terry Bradshaw.
USC searching for a down-the-road corner
2025 4-star MICH commit Chris Ewald Jr. (Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna Prep, FL) was offered by USC last weekend.
The 6-0, 160-pound soph is 247Sport’s #38 overall prospect and the nation’s No. 3 CB.
Ewald has already been offered by UF, FSU, GA, MIA, A&M, USF, PSU, ORE and GT, to name a few.
yahoo.com
2025? That is really down-the-road AND AROUND-the-corner!
I guess LR plans on sticking around for a while. Trying to take a big-time Florida DB away from the clutches of MICH, who could lose Harbaugh to the NFL whenever it suits him (which seems to always be an issue), works for me.
I enjoy that these writers clearly note that SC and Oregon are playing by different recruiting rules. Oregon pays its elite recruits for signing, pure and simple, via Nike. SC does not. SC offers the opportunity for players to have the best NIL market in the nation, but they must earn it. IF the NCAA seeks to enforce its “ban” on “pay-for-play” (good luck with that – the entire SEC, at least OR, OR ST, and probably UW in the Pac, the entire Big 12, most of the ACC (Miami is a major player in that market), and the entire… Read more »