USC Football Recruiting: On the Field Success Coincides With a Flurry of Moves

Still basking in the glory of their most complete game of 2010 against Cal, the Trojans have also made a significant amount of scholarship offers on the prep landscape.

Amidst those offers, some players the Trojans had previously offered came off the board, having decided to commit elsewhere.

Whether these prospective players pull the trigger for USC remains to be seen, but what is certain is that the last 10 days or so have seen more activity recruiting-wise than any other period recently.

Before we see who the Trojans have offered, let's take a look at those players who previously held USC offers but have decided to take their talents elsewhere:

Amir Carlisle is an intriguing running back from Sunnyvale, CA., whose blend of size and speed will translate well on the next level.

Despite what Carlisle called a "great trip" to USC, he recently gave his verbal commitment to Stanford, which was expected all along.

However, a massive junior college defensive tackle who did have the Trojans very high on his list has decided to look elsewhere.

Maurice Couch, who recently has said USC was in his "top three" now has Tennessee on top of his list.

Also, Stephen Nembot. a big, raw offensive lineman who was thought to be a LSU lean, surprised everyone and gave the Washington State Cougars his verbal commitment.

However, other prep players who had said that USC wasn't being considered, now are considering the Trojans and among them is a big offensive/defensive tackle from Washington.

Danny Shelton, a big, mobile interior lineman who had neither an offer or a desire to play for the Trojans, now has both.

According to an article by Scout.com, Shelton really enjoyed his visit to USC and now has it in his top five.

Shelton is rated a 4-star prospect and the Trojans will have to beat out Washington and Oregon for his services.

The Trojans need linebackers and Corey Waller, an athletic defensive end who will play linebacker in college, fits the bill for USC's needs.

Waller, who hangs out with Trojan recruits Victor Blackwell and DeAnthony Thomas, has grown up a Trojan fan and his signing with USC appears a solid possibility.

Finally, Koa Ka'ai, a big, athletic defensive end for Hawaii, has received a Trojan offer.

Ka'ai, is rated a 3-star prospect by Scout.com but will end up being rated higher, blends size and athleticism to form a menacing package on the edge for his high school team.

He lists no favorites and has been offered by over a dozen schools including Oklahoma and Oregon.

While this list reflects a lot of movement in what had been a very slow period, there have been other offers extended by the Trojans.

However, these have been made to 2012 prospects and will be the focus of a later article.

In the meantime, the Trojans hope that their success on the field against Cal marks a period of brighter days ahead, including in the recruiting department.

I suspect a win over Oregon in a couple of weeks will further those hopes as well.

That part will rely on current Trojans laying the foundation for the coming years.

And Trojan fans most fervently hope they succeed.