USC Recruiting: Ricky Town the Beginning of Big Things for Steve Sarkisian

Steve Sarkisian got the 2015 recruiting cycle off to a good start when 5-star quarterback Ricky Town flipped his commitment from the Alabama Crimson Tide to the USC Trojans.

That verbal got a little sweeter for Sarkisian on Tuesday when Town moved up to the top spot of 247Sports.com's composite rankings. With his elevated place in the rankings, Town would be Sarkisian's first No. 1 overall commit in his tenure at USC if Town remains committed through next season.

That's pretty impressive considering Sarkisian hasn't even coached a game at USC yet.

Town's decision to align himself with USC was important even during the 2014 recruiting cycle, as it helped tight end Bryce Dixon firmly commit and ultimately sign with the Trojans earlier in February:

Additionally, preferred walk-on Davonte Nunnery voiced his excitement about Town's future presence in Troy: 

The fact that one future and two incoming athletes from St. Bonaventure High School (Ventura, Calif.) are so high on Sarkisian is good news for USC and could help shape the Trojans' future recruiting classes.

In a recruiting hotbed like Los Angeles, establishing pipelines from the most elite high schools is critical to maintaining a lock on top talent.

USC has long had one with Orange County powerhouses Mater Dei and Mission Viejo, as well as Los Angeles' premier programs like Junipero Serra and St. John Bosco. With crosstown rival UCLA's program on the rise, the competition for prize recruits will be fiercer than it has been in years. Forging a pipeline with St. Bonaventure would be a great, strategic move for USC to continue its advantage in securing local talent. 

Thanks to Town—as well as Dixon and Nunnery—the Trojans are one step closer to getting that done.

After committing to the Trojans in late January, Town has taken a few unofficial visits to USC. He made a cameo appearance during USC's Elite Junior Day and posed for this picture with 4-star WR/CB Isaiah Langley (Pleasanton, Calif.):

It's still early, but the pro-style quarterback's commitment to USC could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship between the Trojans and the St. Bonaventure Seraphs. 

Per 247Sports.com, Town is considered "the most college ready quarterback we’ve seen in five years," despite a junior season that was hindered by injury. If Town fulfills that projection at the collegiate level, Sarkisian will have mined a true gem, securing USC's future at quarterback.

The Trojans have tapped into the St. Bonavanture well before, as former Trojans Patrick "Birdie" Hall and Whitney Lewis both went to high school there. Neither of them flourished in college, however, which means this Dixon, Nunnery and (potentially) Town crop will set the tone for how rich that channel actually is. 

Sarkisian showed in 2014 that coming in late and hauling in a top-flight recruiting class was not a problem for him. With his early start on Town, Sarkisian could prove that his success in 2015 will be even better. 

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