USC Football Recruiting: Profiling the 2014 Safety Offers

USC is pretty well-stocked with safeties right now and that is a good thing because by and large, this position isn't very strong in this year's recruiting class.

In fact, the Trojans have only made offers to four safeties so far and none of these players are particularly impressive.

This slideshow will look at the players USC has offered and analyze both their talent and the likelihood of their signing with the men of Troy.

Although I don't often say this, pull up a chair and prepare to be underwhelmed by a small and unimpressive quartet of prospective Trojans.

Budda Baker

Okay, I am not a professional scout and Lord knows there are experts out there with far more acumen then I possess when it comes to evaluating talent, but for the life of me, I can't see why this guy is considered a 4-star talent.

Listed as a safety by Scout.com and an athlete by 247sports.com, Bellevue High School (Bellevue, WA) prospect Budda Baker is too small (5'10", 175 pounds) to play safety at the next level and is just so-so as a running back.

Still, most recruiting services list him in their top 250 high school prospects lists and in addition to the USC offer, he holds offers from high profile programs such as Florida, Notre Dame and Oregon. So he must have something going for him.

But I just don't see it.

Kendall Gant

Unlike Budda Baker, Lake Gibson High School (Lakeland, FL.) safety Kendall Gant has the size to be an impact player at the next level.

A legitimate 6'2", 185 pounds, Gant has tremendous upside and his nose for the ball makes him quite attractive to the myriad of programs interested in him.

Gant has over 20 offers in his pocket thus far, including offers from top programs such as Alabama, Ohio State and Florida State. At this time he claims his interest is "medium" in all of the programs offering.

Mattrell McGraw

Another undersized safety, John Curtis Christian (River Ridge, LA) High School's Mattrell McGraw is at least also listed as a cornerback, which makes his versatility valuable.

At 6'0", 175 pounds, McGraw would have to add some bulk to be effective at the collegiate level, but as long as he can maintain his good (4.5-forty) speed, he can be effective.

Although McGraw doesn't sport a ton of offers, the ones he has garnered, such as Alabama, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Oregon, are impressive.

John Battle

The fourth and final safety offered a scholarship by the Trojans calls Hallandale, Florida home and he plays for the high school with the city's same name.

John Battle is a 6'2", 180 pound stud whose athleticism is his primary calling card. Lean and quick, Battle has the frame to add needed weight and will do so with the help of a college strength and conditioning program.

With over 20 scholarship offers in hand, including from programs such as Florida State, LSU and Ohio State, Battle says they are all even in terms of his interest.

Conclusion

One name noticeably missing from this slideshow is John "JuJu" Smith from Poly High School in Long Beach, California.

Although Smith—rated a 5-star safety by Scout.com—has indeed been offered a scholarship from the Trojans, it is to play wide receiver where his pass-catching talent is needed by USC more than at safety.

As stated before, the safety position is one of a few units where USC is well stocked and once again, this is fortunate because overall, this is a very down year at the position.

Because of this, don't be surprised if the Trojans don't take any players at this position, which leaves them an extra scholarship for a unit of need.

Those they have plenty of, unfortunately.