USC Football Recruiting: Meet the Trojans' 2015 Class

The 2015 recruiting season could not have gone much better for USC football head coach Steve Sarkisian and his staff. 

Depending on the outlet, they landed either the No. 1- or No. 2-ranked class in the nation, a program best since 2007. Rivals.com tabbed the Trojans top, while 247Sports' composite rankings had USC second behind perennial recruiting heavyweight Alabama. 

One or two, USC's success compiling this year's recruiting is obviously a huge win in the short term and a positive indicator of where the program is headed with NCAA sanctions no longer playing a role. 

"It is great to be able to sign a full class this year," Sarkisian said of USC in his signing-day press conference, via USCTrojans.com. "Had this been last year, many of the players we signed today would have had to go somewhere else."

No need to worry about USC losing out on any of its top targets. In the days leading up to and including signing day, the Trojans went on a frenzied run, pulling in one priority prospect after another. 

5-Star Finish 

Only Alabama, with six, signed more 5-star prospects than USC's four. Florida State matched USC. 

Offensive lineman Chuma Edoga was in the fold for several months and enrolled at USC for the current semester. Otherwise, the rest of the Trojans' 5-star recruits all committed either on national signing day or just before. 

Linebacker Osa Masina was the first, making his declaration on Jan. 23. Defensive tackle Rasheem Green and cornerback Iman Marshall followed on signing day to cap USC's recruiting season with a bang. 

This has become something of a signature for Sarkisian. He finished the 2014 signing class, his first at USC, by landing 5-star prospects Adoree' Jackson and John "JuJu" Smith on national signing day. 

Sarkisian's 2012 class, his best at Washington, made its biggest splash in the final push with the addition of Shaq Thompson. 

Offensive Standouts 

247Sports.com

With Nelson Agholor, the team's leading pass-catcher each of the last two seasons, and big-play threat George Farmer both bound for the NFL draft, Sarkisian had a pressing need for impact wide receivers. 

Junior college transfer De'Quan Hampton has that kind of potential. At 6'4", 220 pounds, the 4-star prospect will be one of the biggest bodies in the Trojans' wide receiving corps. 

Hampton has the potential to be a possession-receiving complement to 2014 breakout star Smith. 

USC is in even more desperate need at running back, losing its top ball-carrier and one of only two scholarship players at the position from 2014, Javorius "Buck" Allen. 

Ronald Jones II is the most likely addition to join Justin Davis and Tre Madden in the backfield rotation.

Meanwhile, quarterbacks Sam Darnold and Ricky Town are unlikely to see any game snaps in 2015, but their participation in practices behind returning starter Cody Kessler and talented 2013 signee Max Browne will begin shaping the future of USC's offense. 

And all those skill-position players can look forward to years of strong offensive line play ahead of them. USC did not need much in the way of offensive line support, coming off a campaign in which three true freshmen started up front. 

But Edoga is a great addition to the Trojans' young line. 

Defensive Standouts 

Marshall, Green and Masina highlight a star-studded collection of defensive signees, with each of the 5-star prospects serving as a cornerstone for a particular unit. 

Green is the key addition on the line, which also adds 4-star tackle Jacob Daniel. Daniel could be an immediate impact player up front for the Trojans in 2015. 

Masina is the highest rated of a crop of linebackers that might be the best in the nation. Consider the talent joining him: any one of 4-stars Porter Gustin, John Houston and Cameron Smith could step into the lineup right away, but all have high ceilings for their careers. 

USC featured one of the youngest secondaries in the nation last season, playing true freshmen Jackson, John Plattenburg and Jonathan Lockett, redshirt freshman Chris Hawkins and sophomore Leon McQuay III. 

That group gets another infusion of talented youth this year, starting with Marshall but hardly stopping there. Safety Marvell Tell might have the best opportunity to break into the starting rotation immediately, while dynamic playmakers Isaiah Langley and Ykili Ross will vie for roles at cornerback. 

The Complete Class 

Below is the complete USC recruiting class for 2015. The six early enrollees who will participate in spring practices are highlighted. 

Player	Position	Star Rating	Height/Weight	Prev. School (Hometown)
Iman Marshall	CB	5	6'1"/190 lbs	Long Beach Poly (Long Beach, California)
Rasheem Green	DT	5	6'5"/275 lbs	Junipero Serra (Gardena, California)
Chuma Edoga	OG	5	6'3"/280 lbs	McEachern (Powder Springs, Georgia)
Osa Masina	LB	5	6'3.5"/230 lbs	Brighton (Salt Lake City)
Ronald Jones II	RB	4	6'0"/185 lbs	McKinney (McKinney, Texas)
Porter Gustin	LB	4	6'5"/245 lbs	Salem Hills (Salem, Utah)
John Houston	LB	4	6'3"/211 lbs	Junipero Serra (Gardena, California)
Marvell Tell	S	4	6'1.5"/188 lbs	Crespi (Encino, California)
Jacob Daniel	DT	4	6'4"/310 lbs	Clovis North (Clovis, California)
Ricky Town	QB	4	6'3"/206 lbs	St. Bonaventure (Ventura, California)
Ykili Ross	CB	4	6'0.5"/175 lbs	Riverside Poly (Riverside, California)
Isaiah Langley	CB	4	5'11.5"/161 lbs	Foothill (Pleasanton, California)
Sam Darnold	QB	4	6'3.5"/208 lbs	San Clemente (San Clemente, California)
Cameron Smith	LB	4	6'3"/225 lbs	Granite Bay (Granite Bay, California)
Tyler Petite	TE	4	6'5"/225 lbs	Campolindo (Moraga, California)
De'Quan Hampton	WR	4	6'4"/220 lbs	Long Beach City College (Compton, California)
Clayton Johnston	OT	4	6'6"/281 lbs	Servite (Anaheim, California)
Noah Jefferson	DE	4	6'5"/271 lbs	Desert Oasis (Las Vegas)
Roy Hemsley	OT	3	6'6"/280 lbs	Windward (Los Angeles)
Dominic Davis	RB	3	5'10"/175 lbs	Bishop Alemany (Mission Hills, California)
Christian Rector	DE	3	6'3.5"/255 lbs	Loyola (Los Angeles)
Isaac Whitney	WR	3	6'3"/200 lbs	Riverside College (Oklahoma City)
Aca'Cedric Ware	RB	3	6'0"/196 lbs	Cedar Hill (Cedar Hill, Texas)
Cole Smith	C	3	6'3"/270 lbs	Mission Viejo (Mission Viejo, California)
Deontay Burnett	WR	3	6'0.5"/166 lbs	Junipero Serra (Gardena, California)
Kevin Scott	DT	3	6'5"/280 lbs	Bishop Mora Salesian (Los Angeles)

Recruiting rankings and information courtesy of 247Sports.com composite scores unless otherwise cited.