USC Football Recruiting 2012: Who's In, Who's out and Who's Still on the Fence?

Because of the scholarship restrictions that have been imposed on the program, USC head coach Lane Kiffin and his staff have to be careful and choosy with which recruits they want to bring to Los Angeles this year. 

The Trojans currently only have 12 commitments for the 2012 class, and they likely won’t be able to fit a lot more in, seeing as they'll be capped out at 15 because of the restrictions, but even though the group will be one of the smallest out of all of the BCS schools, it will also be one of the most talented. 

Kiffin has already received commitments from some of the top prospects in California, and he’s got a few of the top uncommitted recruits in the nation still considering USC. 

It will be interesting to see how the Trojans class ultimately ends up looking after national signing day, but at this point, here’s a look at who’s in, who’s out and who’s still on the fence. 

Who’s In?

Lane Kiffin went to the JUCO ranks to find his best recruit this year. 

Safety Gerald Bowman, who played for Pierce Community College in California, is the gem of USC's 2012 class. He's the type of impact player who should challenge for time in the defensive backfield immediately, while another JUCO recruit, defensive end Morgan Breslin (Diablo Valley College, Calif.), will add valuable depth to the defensive front. 

The player to watch coming out of the high school ranks is LB Scott Starr out of California's Norco High School. 

Starr, who will enroll early in January, has the potential to be a Brian Cushing-type impact 'backer for the Trojans defense, and he should definitely make his presence felt early on in his career. 

Another early enrollee who looks to have a bright future is OT Chad Wheeler. If Wheeler can get into the weight room and add some bulk to his 6'6'', 255-pound frame, he's got the athleticism to develop into USC's next great offensive tackle. 

Other key commits in the class include offensive lineman Jordan Simmons out of California's Crespi High School, tight end Jalen Cope-Fitzpatrick out of California's Whitney High School and WR Darreus Rogers out of California's Carson High School.  

Who's Out?

There isn't anybody who's happier about the whole Reggie Bush fallout than Cal head coach Jeff Tedford. 

Because of the scholarship restrictions placed on USC, the Trojans won't be able to bring in more than 15 recruits for the 2012 class, and that means they've been losing out on some California kids who in years past they probably would have been able to reel in. 

Tedford, seeing the opportunity to swoop in, has come in and nabbed highly rated USC targets like S Shaquille Thompson, WR Jordan Payton and DT Ellis McCarthy.

USC also lost out on OG Isaac Seumalo to Oregon State and DE Tyriq McCord to Miami.   

Who's Still on the Fence?

With such a tight restriction on scholarships, it doesn't seem like USC will be able to add too many more recruits to its current class, but there's enough room to land a few more big names. 

The top uncommitted recruit in the country, WR Dorial Green-Beckham, is still considering USC. And other highly coveted recruits from around the country like WR Stefon Diggs (Our Lady of Good Counsel, Maryland) and CB Tracy Howard (Miramar, Florida.) are all also considering USC as we continue to count down the days until national signing day.