USC Trojan Football: Ranking the Recruiting Classes of the Last Decade

Well, that time is upon us again.

The "second season" begins at the start of February when the fortunes of college football programs are sealed in the swipe of a young man's signature stating which team he will display his wares for in the next few years.

Recruiting is the lifeblood of a college football team. For the USC Trojans, their destiny has been mapped on that special day when letters of intent are signed.

This slideshow will look at the Trojans' recruiting classes since 2002 and will attempt to rank them in some semblance of order relative to their importance to USC's performance.

Some of the classes will be burdened by the reality that their story is still left to written.

However, consideration will be taken to project these classes over the next couple of years as well.

It will be highly subjective and of course open to speculation, but here it is.

Let's get started, shall we?

No. 10: 2009 Class

It is difficult to rank this class so low when it features the savior of USC football in quarterback Matt Barkley.

However, despite the enormous contributions of Barkley, this class has been low on performance in other areas, although some of this is not the fault of the players.

On the plus side, safety Jawanza Starling, tackle Kevin Graf, guard John Martinez and defensive end Devon Kennard have all had their moments.

Unfortunately, linebackers Jarvis Jones (who now stars for Georgia) and Frankie Telfort both left the football team due to USC's doctors being unable to clear them medically and safety Byron Moore washed out.

All in all, this has been a pretty disappointing class so far, although their final story has yet to be written.

No. 9: 2006 Class

This class had their significant contributors, including fullback Stanley Havili and safety Taylor Mays, both solid players who served the Trojans very well.

There were also some shortcomings in this class as well, such as 5-star receiver Vidal Hazelton, who transferred to Cincinnati, and Antwine Perez, another 5-star safety who left the program as a disappointment.

Couple those two with Josh Tatum, a 5-star linebacker who never did much with the Trojans, and Mike Morgan, a decent but not great linebacker, and it is apparent that this class will wind up in the lower echelons of the last decade.

No. 8: 2007 Class

This was a good, but not great, class that featured several steady performers for the Trojans.

Among these players was DaJohn Harris and Christian Tupou, both very good interior defensive linemen; Kris O'Dowd, who started at center for the Trojans from the moment he stepped on the field and Chris Galippo, the hard-luck linebacker who had to overcome two back surgeries to get back on the field of play.

On the negative side, quarterback Aaron Corp came to the Trojans as a 5-star prospect and never looked the part. Broderick Green was a 4-star running back who transferred, while Everson Griffin, a 5-star defensive end, never lived up to his press clippings.

No. 7: 2011 Class

Talk about your stories still waiting for an ending; last year's class would definitely fit the bill.

Suffice it to say, this class has the potential to be huge when all is said and done.

And in the future, when talking about great Trojan recruiting classes, this one may dominate that banter.

Featuring offensive guard Marcus Martin, linebacker Lamar Dawson and all-everything freshman All-American wide receiver Marqise Lee, among many others, the potential for this class is off the charts.

So far, the only downside for sure is the strange departure of running back Amir Carlisle, who looked good while he was here.

No. 6: 2010 Class

Still another of those classes whose ending is waiting to be written.

However, the beginning of the story has been great so far, with All-American flanker Robert Woods, linebacker Hayes Pullard and star in the making, defensive tackle George Uko leading the way.

There are many other contributors in this class as well, and they will all have a chance in the next couple years to make their mark.

Still, there is always some disappointment, and for this class, it comes in the form of running back Dillon Baxter, who was more trouble than he was worth, and Kyle Prater. Many thought Prater would be a star, but his injuries kept him from seeing much playing time.

No. 5: 2008 Class

This class was steady if not spectacular and was led by linemen on both sides of the ball.

Tyron Smith and Matt Kalil both had very nice careers with the Trojans on offense. Defensively, Jurrell Casey and Nick Perry led the Trojans.

Like all classes, there were also some underperformers and they came in the form of cornerback T.J. Bryant, wide receiver/running back D.J. Shoemate (a 5-star recruit who transferred after a couple of years), Matt Meyer, a 4-star offensive tackle who never panned out, and Blake Ayles, a 5-star tight end who looked better on paper then on the field of play before he, too, transferred.

No. 4: 2004 Class

Now we start getting into the cream of the crop of Trojan recruiting classes over the last decade.

It all starts with wide receiver Dwayne Jarrett, who had some big moments with USC. Linebacker Keith Rivers had a nice career with the Trojans and offensive linemen Deuce Lutui and Jeff Byers who were both stalwarts in the trenches.

But there were several 5-star players who never quite caught on, such as Fred Davis, who ate his way out of a wide receiver spot but had a serviceable career as a tight end; Jeff Schweiger, a highly-touted defensive end; linebacker Ryan Powdrell, a guy who looked like he would be a beast but never materialized as such; and Scott Ware, a good but not great safety.

No. 3: 2002 Class

This class would be a large part of the foundation that the Trojans dominance would be built upon later in the decade.

For sheer impact, perhaps no other player in this class had the effect that wide receiver Mike Williams had on the Trojans and the image they were trying to build.

Joining Williams was offensive lineman Winston Justice, tight end Dominique Byrd and perhaps the greatest USC punter of all time, Tom Malone.

Of course, there were the less successful, such as defensive tackle enigma, Manuel Wright, and 4-star junior college linebacker, Danny Urquhart.

No. 2: 2005 Class

It was tough to choose between this class and the eventual winner of the No. 1 slot in this slideshow.

"Linebacker U," the west coast version, was established with this class which featured Brian Cushing, Rey Maualuga and Kaluka Maiava (remember, Clay Matthews was a walk on).

But that's not all.

Wide receiver Patrick Turner and quarterback Mark Sanchez were also part of this very successful class.

But even this class experienced disappointment, as 4-star quarterback Michael Coleman, 4-star defensive lineman Walker Ashley and 5-star linebacker Luthur Brown did not leave a mark on the program.

No. 1: 2003 Class

As a follower of the men of Troy, it pains me to make any class that disgraced Reggie Bush was a part of as the best of the last decade.

Still, there was no denying how electric Bush was for the cardinal and gold and by no means was he the only standout member of this class.

Joining Bush in this remarkable class was wide receiver Steve Smith, offensive linemen Ryan Kalil and Sam Baker, running back LenDale White and quarterback John David Booty.

Incredible talent for an amazing class.

But just to show that nothing is ever perfect, who can forget the disappointment of 5-star wide receiver Whitney Lewis?

Also worth mentioning was the tragedy of linebacker Drean Rucker, who drowned in the high surf of Huntington Beach.

Conclusion

There it is, one man's ranking of the last 10 years of Trojan recruiting classes.

Certainly this list will invite criticism and there are many great arguments to be made on behalf of other arrangements.

What can't be argued is that USC has had an incredible run of prep talent to play for the cardinal and gold.

Whether it was the recruiting of Pete Carroll earlier in the decade or Lane Kiffin now, the Trojans have been blessed to have such talent play for the men of Troy.

For the legions of USC fans, they appreciate all of the efforts the coaching staff have made to make the Trojans one of the greatest football programs of all time.

Still, there are questions to be answered as the program moves forward.

The first of those will come February 1, when this year's class signs on the dotted line.

Where will this year's class fall on the list of all-time greats?

Only time will tell.