USC Football Recruiting 2013: Patience Is Key to Trojans' Chase of Top Recruits

USC has but one committed recruit in their 2013 recruiting class. Granted, Kenny Bigelow is a consensus 5-star prospect from the other side of the country (Bear, De., Red Lion Christian Academy).

The Trojans are a program looking to re-establish themselves as a national power after NCAA sanctions limited their scholarships, stripped them of a Heisman Trophy winner and banned them from the postseason.

Just one 5-star recruit simply isn't going to get it done and they know it.

That being said, despite the lack of early commitments, the Trojans have made some noise as of late.

They recently offered rising Texas star Torrodney Prevot and in-state offensive lineman Nico Falah, while one of the top players in the nation, 5-star running back Ty Isaac, visited last weekend.

Coach Lane Kiffin is no newbie to recruiting and there is a method to the way he and his staff work. They finished with only 17 signees in their 2012 class, but they were not short on talent. Rivals ranked their class as No. 8 overall in the country.

This year, they're in contention for the majority of the biggest names and have a chance to land several of the top players at their respective positions. Throw in the fact that they can actually compete in the Pac-12 and postseason play this year, and they finally have a bit more to sell recruits.

That being said, they are still limited in the number of scholarships they can offer. As a result of this, they cannot afford to miss on the players that ultimately sign with them.

That is why patience is key.

The Trojans already saw one of their prized recruits from two years ago, running back Amir Carlisle, leave for rivals Notre Dame. He was the second eligible back to leave the program last year. Even more unfortunately, he's eligible to play this year for Brian Kelly in South Bend.

Any more defections will be a problem for this program.

This weekend, the NFTC will be in Los Angeles and the Trojans' staff will get a great look at what some of the top kids in the country can do.

As the summer creeps in and players continue to make commitments, look for the Trojans to exercise caution and patience in their pursuit of the nation's best.

You can catch me talking talking football and throwing seven different kinds of smoke on Twitter.