Laying the Foundation: USC Football Recruiting, 2011 (3/26/2010)

It has been awhile since we last looked at the recruiting efforts of coach Lane Kiffin and company at "Trojanville."

In our absence, the Trojans have offered five more athletes, including a quarterback from a prep school that has historically been a pipeline of quarterbacks to USC.

None of these athletes have achieved a high "star status" as rated by Scout.com, but all of them are definitely on the rise as evidenced by their offers from the Trojans.

However, before we start, lets cross one athlete off the list that may have included USC as a possible destination.

Darryl "Pookie" Collins, a 6'0", 180 lb. wide receiver recently gave his verbal commitment to Alabama.

Collins, the Gasden, AL resident who had offers from most of the SEC, gave his pledge to the Crimson Tide early in the process, spurning other close programs such as Auburn.

For the Trojans, the loss of Collins won't hamper their efforts as USC is rich in young wide receivers and have offers on the table for several others.

Without further delay, lets take a look at these "sleepers" who the Trojans have offered recently:

Max Wittek

The prep quarterback factory also known as Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, CA, has been delivering polished quarterbacks to USC for years. Both Matt Leinart and Matt Barkley honed their craft at the high school power house and now Max Wittek is the latest Mater Dei quarterback to capture the Trojans interest.

The 6'3", 205 lb. gunslinger has a rocket for an arm and just needs seasoning to improve his accuracy. Wittek, who understands the tradition of Monarch quarterbacks who have gone on to USC, also holds offers from almost every major program in the country, including Florida and, recently, Notre Dame.

Shane Wynn

This diminutive (5'7", 155 lbs.) cornerback/wide receiver has tons of speed and a knack for the ball. With cornerback as his likely playing spot at the next level, Shane Wynn has tremendous instincts and only needs to add weight to his frame, which shouldn't be too difficult at a major college program.

Wynn, who holds offers from programs such as Miami and Ohio State, lists his interests in the Trojans, as he does all of those who have offered him, as "medium."

Aundrey Walker

"Big Dre'," as he is known, fits the nickname well. A 6'6", 355 lb. mammoth offensive tackle, Walker, who hails from Cleveland, Ohio, is rising fast as a player.

Drawing interest from Ohio State and Michigan, among others, Walker is now only a single-star player, as rated by Scout.com, but based on his size and improving skills, Walker will be much higher rated before all is said and done.

Ha'Sean Clinton-Dix

Though only rated a singe star, Clinton-Dix nonetheless is a fast rising player who now holds offers from almost all of the major programs in the country.

The 6'2", 190 lb. safety recently shined at the 7-on-7 Florida camp and is getting better by the day, but unfortunately for USC fans, Clinton-Dix has named Alabama as highest on his interest list.

Andre Yruretagoyena

This big offensive tackle from Scottsdale, AZ, is raw but intriguing in terms of potential. With a frame that can easily pack on more weight, Yruretagoyena is a fast riser who will hold many more offers before his prep career is over.

So there you have it.

Five fast rising players who the Trojans have offered in the hopes that their raw skills will be best served playing for USC.

Are these players a reach?

At this point it is difficult to say although I think most Trojan fans will happily defer to the expertise of Kiffin and Coach Orgeron.

And those two are rarely wrong.

Stay tuned for more Trojan recruiting news as it breaks.