Laying the Foundation: USC Football Recruiting in 2009

The one constant in the Pete Carroll era of USC football is, well, Pete Carroll.

Players come and go. Coaches too. But Pete Carroll stays and he builds.

His enterprising handiwork has resulted in a mind-boggling set of statistics. Seven straight Pac 10 titles either won outright or shared. Seven straight 11+ win seasons in a row. Seven straight top five national finishes.

The last two accomplishments are NCAA records.

Pete Carroll has been so successful because he combines a blend of coaching skills with incredible organization, infectious enthusiasm, and the power to motivate.

I have talked to parents of recruits who say THEY want to run through walls for the man. He is that great of a motivator.

Like a master craftsman, Pete Carroll approaches his task of building football at USC like he would constructing a house.

And as any good contractor will tell you, a well built house must have a solid foundation.

For a successful college football program, that foundation is recruiting.

Without the players to execute the game plan, it doesn’t matter how brilliant the strategy is. Even a great motivator can only get so much accomplished if the talent isn’t there. You can be the most enthusiastic person on the planet and your organization can include dotting every “i” and crossing each and every “t.”

It just doesn’t matter if you don’t have quality players.

And Pete Carroll, in terms of football, is a master craftsman.

Oh, and the man can recruit.

Throughout this decade, USC has been at or near the top of high school recruiting. Both locally in the southern California area and nationally as well, Carroll and his staff have consistently brought top flight prep talent in to play for the Trojans.

For the next few weeks, or until it becomes apparent that this information isn’t wanted, this space will be devoted to reporting and updating the comings and goings of Trojan high school football recruiting.

From information on who USC has offered scholarships to and who they are considering offering, to those who have given verbal commitments to the Trojans, the information located within will encompass all things Trojan recruiting.

If there are high school players out there that USC is recruiting and readers would like more information on or perhaps would just like to highlight their talent, just leave a comment and this space will endeavor to cull that info.

Pete Carroll and his staff have changed their recruiting philosophy this year in response to some nefarious activity by other programs.

The next article found in this space will deal with those changes, the motivation for them, and begin to profile those prep stars who have already given their verbal commitments to the Trojans.

Like Frank Lloyd Wright’s iconic design of “Greycliff” and “Fallingwater,” Pete Carroll is building his own masterpiece at USC.

And it all begins with that solid foundation known as recruiting.