Silas Redd: Star RB Should Give Himself a Chance to Win a BCS Title at USC

There probably isn't a lot of glory left for Silas Redd at Penn State. There probably isn't a lot of glory left for any of the players there.

It's not necessarily right to ditch your program when times get tough. But times at Penn State aren't tough; they're devastating. Recovering from a disaster like the one the Nittany Lions are currently facing is going to take a long, long time, and dealing with this is not something any of their recent recruits signed up for. 

And if someone like Silas Redd—who signed on with Penn State back before any of this started—wants to leave in order to give himself the college football experience he intended on having, can you really fault him?

Penn State probably isn't ever going to give him the experience he thought he was getting when he signed his letter of intent. He might as well go somewhere that can.

According to ESPN.com's Joe Schad, USC has made it known to Penn State that it is interested in Redd, who rushed for 1,241 yards and seven touchdowns last season. He's already been named a preseason Player of the Year candidate, according to The Hartford Courant.

By comparison, the running back at the top of USC's post-spring practice depth chart—Curtis McNeal—rushed for 1,038 yards and six TDs.

Redd seems to be, at the very least, considering the move: According to a tweet from Bob Flounders, the Patriot-News' Penn State beat reporter, Redd's father was asked via text if his son planned to transfer. His reply:

"

Will PSU TB Silas Redd transfer to USC? Reply of dad Silas Redd Sr. to Patriot-News' Dave Jones via text: "Still sifting through it all!"

— Bob Flounders (@BobbyFlo7) July 24, 2012"

If Redd stays at Penn State, from which players could be making a mass exodus in the coming months, he's never going to have a shot at NCAA glory. The Nittany Lions aren't playing in a bowl game until after Redd is long gone.

Even if the NCAA didn't cut PSU's available scholarships by 10 per year over the next four years, it would still have a tough time convincing recruits to play in State College, where the media attention is focused on very little other than negativity.

The team is going to have a hard enough time keeping its own players, never mind recruiting new ones: Any of the current Nittany Lions are free to transfer without being forced to sit out a year. 

USC isn't perfect, either. The program is just beginning to recover from its own NCAA sanctions stemming from the Reggie Bush drama, levied in 2010, which robbed them of 30 scholarships over three years, two years of bowl eligibility and a whole lot of wins.

But unlike Penn State, USC is on the upswing. The Trojans went 10-2 in 2011, and despite the fact that they couldn't go to a bowl, they ended their season with a resounding 50-0 annihilation of crosstown rival UCLA.

And as they embark upon their quest to restore their reputation in their first year of bowl eligibility since everything went awry, the Trojans could use one of the top running backs in the country to assist in the effort. Currently, the running back at the top of USC's post-spring practice depth chart—Curtis McNeal—rushed for 1,038 yards and six TDs.

USC can give an elite talent like Redd everything a college football player wants. The Trojans play in a strong conference and in a massive stadium; in the absence of an NFL team, they fill the football hole in L.A. They have storied rivalries with some of the biggest programs in the NCAA, including UCLA, Cal and Notre Dame.

There's the chance to play on national television game in and game out. There's abundant media attention and exposure and everything you need to establish yourself as draft-worthy.

Redd is unlikely to get any of that at Penn State before he leaves. At present, State College is not exactly an environment that is going to foster a winning attitude. And a player like Redd—one of the best running backs in the country—deserves to play somewhere that will give him a chance to get what he deserves.

To some, leaving Penn State might seem like a cop-out. But for Redd, staying there would be a waste.