USC Football: How High Are Expectations for the Trojans' 2013 Recruiting Class?

ESPNU has them at No. 1. Rivals.com agrees and count 247Sports.com as a believer too. 

USC has the No. 1 recruiting class in the country for 2013 according to those three major publications.

The Trojans have 18 commitments and nearly a third of the class are 5-star prospects. No matter how you slice it, the Trojans have an outstanding group of players set to sign with them next February.

This isn't a shock, as USC is a traditional recruiting juggernaut on the trail. However, this class is special due to the circumstances.

The Trojans are still under sanctions and scholarship limits due to their infractions centered around the Reggie Bush ordeal.

Only allowed to sign an allotted 15 scholarships and thanks to a couple early enrollments and transfers, this 18-man class is subject to tremendous hype.

With hype so great, how high are the expectations for this class? What will they accomplish before they leave USC? Are the expectations realistic?

The Trojans didn't just fill needs and add depth with this class—they got many future starters that should develop into cornerstone players for Pac-12 title contending teams. 

Is that all we should expect from this group? Or should we expect them to be a future Final Four team? Win a national title? Multiple national titles?

The hype comes from talent in this class and it starts at the QB position. Max Browne is viewed by many as the No. 1 QB prospect in the country.

He's 6'5", 215 pounds, has a quick release, excellent play smarts and is a natural leader. He's expected to join the ranks of recent QB greats at USC before his Trojan career ends.

At RB, there is 6'3", 220-pound Illinois native Ty Isaac and 6'0", 200-pound uber-productive Justin Davis. These two have expectations of becoming a dynamic duo in the backfield.

Steven Mitchell, Sebastian LaRue and Eldridge Massington are three of the better WRs in the country. Mitchell and LaRue can work the slot and perimeter with speed and quickness along with excellent RAC skills.

Massington is a bigger bodied pass-catcher at 6'3", 205 pounds that has the skill set and size of the big WR that USC traditionally loves.

The OL will get a boost from OG Khaliel Rodgers and OT Nico Falah. Rodgers is an interior prospect that goes 6'1", 300 pounds that plays with good strength and nastiness.

Falah is a 6'4", 270-pounder who plays with good athleticism and a mean streak and who only has been playing football for a few years.

The DL has an elite future tandem in DTs Kenny Bigelow and Eddie Vanderdoes, plus DEs Kylie Fitts, Jason Hatcher and Torrodney Prevot. Bigelow and Vanderdoes are two of the top 25 overall players in the country.

The LBs will take in Michael Hutchings, who can play the Sam or Will at 6'1", 215 pounds. Also, do not be surprised to see Su'a Cravens end up with this group before he leaves USC.

If not, he'll be a part of a secondary that will also feature Max Redfield, Jalen Ramsey and Chris Hawkins with the latter two being CB prospects.

The expectations for this class are out of this world high. Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Stanford, Texas, Michigan, Ohio State and LSU are schools that have recruited well recently and I think will be elite teams.

The Trojans are fully expected to be right there with them, competing for national titles and Final Four berths, led by many players from this 2013 recruiting class.

Edwin Weathersby has worked in scouting/player personnel departments for three professional football teams, including the New York Giants, Cleveland Browns and the Las Vegas Gladiators of the Arena League. He spent a year evaluating prep prospects & writing specific recruiting and scouting content articles for Student Sports Football (now ESPN Rise-HS). A syndicated scout and writer, he's also contributed to WeAreSC.com, GatorBait.net and Diamonds in the Rough Inc., a College Football and NFL Draft magazine.