USC Football: Notes, Rumors and Recruiting News

With summer camp preparations beginning in earnest, the Trojans are still trying to answer questions regarding the make-up of the team that will take the field in 2011.

While answers will be found in the next month, some illumination was offered by head coach Lane Kiffin at the recent Pac-12 media day in Los Angeles.

Some of the more interesting tidbits offered by the coach had to do with the refurbished offensive line where at least two of the true freshmen could make an impact.

Also, information regarding the running backs was in order and in this case, the news may not be good.

This slideshow will look at what is going on with the Trojans as they prepare to enter the final camp before the start of the upcoming season, as well as some recruiting news that features some of the top prep talent in the country.

So let's get started and see what's going on with USC as they prepare to start what they hope will be a very successful 2011 campaign.

Curtis McNeal Is Not Yet Academically Eligible

The Trojans have been waiting for running back Curtis McNeal to flash the same talent in a game that counts as he has in a variety of camps since his arrival at USC in 2008.

After playing sparingly as a red-shirt freshman in 2009, McNeal lost the entire 2010 season due to academic woes.

Now he is facing those same scholastic challenges this year as he scrambles to complete summer school in hopes of becoming eligible for the Trojans in 2011.

To be certain, McNeal has a ton of talent.

At 5'7", 180 lbs., McNeal is quick and powerful, a running back who reminds many of a poor man's Maurice Jones-Drew.

And he has dazzled in practice, including this year's spring session.

But if McNeal doesn't take care of business in the classroom, all that talent won't amount to much.

Time to get serious, Curtis.

Devante Wilson Injures Knee

Since spring camp ended, the injury bug has bitten two Trojans, causing both safety Patrick Hall and incoming freshman defensive end Devante Wilson to miss the upcoming season.

Like Hall, Wilson also suffered a torn ACL, which occurred last month.

Wilson was penciled in as a third-string back-up and though he was likely to have taken a red shirt this year anyway, it does further limit Lane Kiffin's options at the position.

Media Picks USC to Win South Division

In what is hoped for by Trojan fans as a delicious bit of prognostication, the media voted USC as the likely winner of the South division of the new Pac-12.

Picked over Arizona State, the media suggests that when the inaugural Pac-12 championship game is held, it won't include the Trojans who are banned from any postseason play by the NCAA's sanction of USC relating to the Reggie Bush scandal.

For USC fans, if the media is right, it will be a delightful case of irony to relegate the initial conference championship meaningless by not having USC playing in it.

While this is only a small bit of consolation, it will at least offer both the program and its fans the ability to smugly assert that by screwing the Trojans, they ultimately screwed themselves.

Could Two Freshmen Start for the Trojans on the Offensive Line?

For the last few months, the possibility that a true freshman could start on the offensive line had been talked about by those who follow the men of Troy.

Most of that conjecture had centered on guard Cyrus Hobbi being that freshman as he was the most polished of the incoming O-linemen.

However, Lane Kiffin has recently said that massive Aundrey Walker will be the likely starter when summer camp breaks not Hobbi.

Part of the reason for Walker's elevation is his size.

At 6'6" and 375 lbs., Walker is simply an unmovable force.

But despite all of that size, he is also surprisingly nimble and has a high enough football acumen to learn the playbook in time for the start of the season.

However, this doesn't mean that Hobbi will not be considered as starting material as well.

Both guard positions are wide open and if Hobbi seizes the opportunity, no one will be surprised.

So will USC start two freshmen on the offensive line?

Only time will tell.

Recruiting News

Although there have been few, if any, scholarship offers made to prospective Trojans recently, there are some quality recruits who have flown somewhat under the radar.

Included among these recruits are a couple of 4- and 5-star players as rated by Rivals.com.

Most of these players reside out of state, but all are very good and play at positions of need for the most part.

Now that summer camp is ready to start and with the season set to begin, recruiting will take a backseat for the foreseeable future, but in the meantime, the following slides will look at these Rival.com top 100 players.

Trojans Offer Two 5-Star Prep Players

Rounding out the primary Trojan scholarship offers are two very good out of state 5-star prep players as rated by Rivals.com.

And of course, what would Trojan recruiting news be without an offer to a wide receiver?

Fortunately for those Trojan fans who would like to see other positions offered, USC also extended an offer to one of the best defensive backs in the nation.

Now lets take a brief look at these two top-rated prepsters:

Stefon Diggs

Rvials.com No. 8 rated player is a fabulously talented wide out from Olney, MD.

Though not particularly big (6'0", 180 lbs.), Diggs is exceptionally fast (4.43 forty) and possesses a great pair of hands.

Diggs has well over two dozen scholarship offers in his pocket, including those from all of the major national powers and lists them all as "medium" in terms of his interest.

Landon Collins

If you are looking for eye-popping measurables, look no further than Landon Collins, a 6'0", 199 lb. defensive back from Geismar, LA.

Collins, who is exceptionally fast (4.43 forty), is listed as a safety but has the talent to play corner with some good coaching at the next level.

Rated the No. 17 overall top prospect in the nation by Rivals.com, Collins has been offered by most of the top programs and has them listed as medium interest-wise.

Plus Two More 4-Star Players Are Offered

Also offered by the Trojans were a couple more elite prep football players and among them is another player who excels at a position where USC is well-stocked already.

Both of these 4-star players, as rated by Rivals.com, are exceptional athletes and are coveted by most of the major programs in the country.

As for the Trojans true interest, at least one of these recruits may not be as wanted as he once was.

Let's find out who that is:

Geno Smith

Nope, Smith is very much wanted.

A 5'11", 170 lb. corner back with excellent speed (4.45 forty), all Smith needs is to gain weight to be a force at the next level.

Hailing from Atlanta, GA, Smith holds offers from all of the major programs in the nation but unfortunately for USC, his interest in the Trojans is low.

Kent Taylor

Besides wide receiver, the other two units where the Trojans are well-stocked is quarterback and tight end.

So what position does Kent Taylor play?

Of course, tight end.

Taylor, who calls Land 'O Lakes, FL, home, is a very talented tight end with great size (6'5", 220 lbs.) and soft hands.

However, with Jalen Cope-Fitzpatricks recent verbal commitment, Trojan interest has probably been tempered to say the least.

Conclusion

Now that the college football season is looming near, news on the Trojans should be flying fast and furious over the next few weeks.

Summer/Fall camp will offer surprises as coach Kiffin and his staff settles on a final depth chart and Trojan fans will be waiting with bated breath as their boys prepare to kickoff the 2011 season.

How will the revamped offensive line look?

Who will back up quarterback Matt Barkley?

And how will the Marc Tyler escapade shake out?

These are just a few of the many questions that will be answered in the next month.

For fans of the men of Troy, they can't wait for the first game of the season against Minnesota.

But in the meantime, they will have to be satisfied with rumors and camp news.

As long as it doesn't involve drunken running backs and TMZ.