USC Recruiting: Trojan Update and a Shameful Admission

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote an article suggesting that since the NCAA hammered USC for violations committed related to Reggie Bush, the Trojans appeared to have shifted gears as far as their recruiting strategy goes.

To support this argument, I offered objective evidence which showed that prior to the sanctions, the Trojans had been offering prep football players scholarships at the rate of about four to eight a week.

At the time I wrote the piece, the Trojans had offered exactly one athlete a scholarship, while at least 10 players they had previously made offers to had decided to verbally commit elsewhere.

For me, this reflected a concerted effort by Lane Kiffin and company to scrutinize the offers extended and apply a different set of standards to those they considered viable candidates to become future Trojans.

Now, some eleven days later, the proof of this change of tactics appears to be validated.

In that time, the Trojans made an offer to exactly one player—kicker Andre Heidari from Bakersfield, CA, who has accepted to be the face of USC kicking for the foreseeable future once he graduates from high school this year.

So in three weeks USC has offered a grand total of two players scholarships, which represents a huge reduction of what the Trojans have historically tendered to prospective athletes.

I also suggested in the first piece that it may very well be that this lack of offers is just a coincidence, and that it may truly reflect a dearth of players that USC desires.

Only time will tell.

Meanwhile, three more players whom the Trojans have offered scholarships are now off the board.

Kiaro Holts, four-star offensive tackle (as rated by Scout.com), has accepted an offer to play for North Carolina, Andre Yruretagoyena, another four-star offensive guard, verbally committed to Oregon and Ryan Shazier, a four-star outside linebacker, gave Florida his verbal pledge.

Now for the admission I allude to in the title.

For those here who know me, they understand that as a Trojan fan with deep family ties to USC, I have an obligation to intensely dislike all things "Bruin."

In fact, I find the color "powder blue" to be completely nauseating, and I avoid it, and anything else that spanks of UCLA, like the plague.

So where have I been the last eleven days?

Yep, Westwood, CA, the home of the aforementioned UCLA Bruins.

And not just in the city.

No, that would be too easy. After all, I could just get in my car and go elsewhere.

Instead, I have accepted a 30-day assignment to be a faculty advisor to a large group of high achieving high school scholars who are contemplating entry into the field of medicine.

And this requires that I stay on UCLA's campus.

Like some kind of bizarre punishment for transgressions committed in another life, I am now drowning daily in a sea of powder blue.

Of course, there is nothing in my contract that says I can't rock the cardinal and gold while there, and I truly delight in the second looks I garner as I merrily stroll around the campus in my Trojan gear.

The downside is that my students refuse to be seen with me, which results in some lonely lunches during my infrequent breaks from the program.

So if I disappear from the writing scene for an extended length of time, direct the authorities to De Neve plaza on the campus of UCLA.

And put out an APB on Rick Neuheisel and the rest of his powder blue boys if the cardinal color in my cardinal and gold appears blood red.