Silas Redd: Penn State RB Reportedly Meeting with USC Coach Lane Kiffin

With Penn State football set to incur a four-year bowl ban, multiple scholarship losses, major fines and several other punishments stemming from the Jerry Sandusky scandal, many current players figure to transfer in the coming days and weeks. One who may be close to doing so is star running back Silas Redd.

According to Colin Cowherd of ESPN, Redd is meeting with USC head coach Lane Kiffin today. USC has been the rumored destination for the junior workhorse should he decide to transfer, and his pow-wow with Kiffin confirms that he is seriously considering becoming a Trojan.

UPDATE: Thursday, July 26 at 1:30 p.m. ET by Mike Chiari

Redd's meeting with Kiffin has come to a conclusion, and while there has yet to be a resolution, it appears as though the talks were positive. According to ESPN's Joe Schad, a source said that the meeting went very well. Also, Redd may visit USC on Saturday and make a decision with regards to whether to transfer on Monday.

It would seem as though the meeting featured preliminary talks more than anything, but Kiffin had to have made a good first impression if Redd is indeed going to visit the campus this weekend.

*END OF UPDATE*

One thing that may make the decision easier for Redd is the fact that current Penn State players have been granted a special exception by the NCAA. A player must normally sit out a year after transferring to another school, but the NCAA will allow any Penn State player to compete during the 2012 season regardless of where he goes.

Redd is a bona fide superstar and a possible Heisman Trophy candidate on the right team. He exploded for 1,241 yards and seven touchdowns as a sophomore after receiving just 77 carries during his freshman year. If he improves at a similar clip this season, then Redd will undoubtedly be considered one of the best backs in college football.

He could do some great things at Penn State, but the Nittany Lions are very much in flux and can't provide what Redd is likely looking for. Every player's dream is to compete for and win a national championship, but that isn't an option at Penn State.

USC, on the other hand, is among the top contenders to win it all in 2012 thanks to the return of quarterback Matt Barkley and a stout defense. The Trojans' running game has been a bit iffy in recent years, but Redd would really solidify the backfield, and I have to believe that he would make USC the team to beat.

There are a lot of factors for Redd to consider, but if he wants to be a champion and become a huge star, then USC is the place for him. Kiffin is a very convincing individual and there is no doubt that he is doing his best to sell Southern California to the Connecticut native.

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