USC Football Recruiting: Lane Kiffin Makes Final Push for 2010, Looks To 2011

In this space last week, it was reported that Daimion Stafford, a 4-star JC safety from Chaffey college, had given his verbal pledge to USC over Nebraska.

Apparently, this announcement, at best, was premature.

Although his brother, Dallas Kelley, a linebacker also from Chaffey who gave the Trojans a verbal pledge, felt that Stafford would attend USC, and a report from Scout.com also confirmed this, the latest information has Stafford going to Nebraska.

After suffering the slings and arrows of detractors who felt this space was "making things up," it can only be offered that the information provided was based on released news reports that supported the information.

Now that disclaimers have been provided for this unfortunate circumstance, let's get down to business.

Entering the home stretch of the 2010 prep recruiting season, head coach Lane Kiffin and his staff continue to leave no stone unturned in terms of recruiting.

These efforts reflect the staff's desire to bolster depth for 2011 and beyond.

For this year, you can add an offer made to a big JC offensive tackle from El Camino college in California.

Miles Mason, who goes 6'5" and 300 lbs., is rated a 2-star prospect by Scout.com.

Mason, who also holds a scholarship offer from SMU, lists his interest in the Trojans as "medium" and is expected to make a decision soon.

It is suspected that the USC offer is conditional on a early enrollment but this is not confirmed.

Not content to focus solely on 2010 recruits, Kiffin and his staff are also getting a head start on the 2011 prep recruiting season.

After the unwelcome news that defensive tackle Jurrel Casey would leave early for the NFL, coupled with the defection of former Trojan defensive tackle, Sheldon Richardson, Kiffin is looking for D-line help.

To that end, an offer has been made to 5-star (as rated by Scout.com) defensive tackle, Eddie Goldman.

Goldman, who has a grown man's body (6'3", 290 lbs.), hails from Washington D.C. and has drawn interest from coast to coast.

Holding offers from literally every major program in the country, Goldman lists "no interest" in the Trojans but it is early in the process and we'll just have to see how things shake out.

Meanwhile, the Trojans' fascination with wide receivers continues into next year's recruiting season.

Despite a plethora of wideouts already either in the fold (Woods, Prater, Butler, etc.), on their way (Victor Blackwell, George Farmer) or coming (2011 verbals Jordan Payton & Jayden Mickens), the Trojans continue to extend offers to players at this position.

Darreus Rogers, a 3-star wide out from Carson, California, has received an offer for the 2012 college football season and has reciprocated in kind by claiming the Trojans are the front runners for his services.

Also expressing interest in UCLA, Rogers is an exciting and elusive runner in the open field who will only get better as he now becomes a featured player for his Carson high school team.

Joining Rogers with an offer from the Trojans is yet another wide receiver.

Derrick Woods, a 5'11", 180 lb. wide out from Inglewood high school in California and who is considered a star in the making, received an offer recently from USC.

With conjecture surrounding a possible move to a more wide open option offense to utilize the Trojans speed at the skill positions, these offers to speedy and elusive receivers may just portend things to come.

Woods, who has also received offers from Oregon and UCLA, lists the Trojans as "medium" in terms of his interest.

With the wrappings being put on the 2010 prep recruiting season, Kiffin and company are looking beyond this season to address the Trojans' depth deficiencies that were so glaring this year.

While the final results of this years recruiting efforts remain to be seen, a head start on next year's class is taking shape.

Depth will continue to be a focus for the Trojans, and this is being addressed by this year's offers to prospective Trojans.

However, depth is not achieved in one year and a comprehensive plan must be addressed with a long-term solution.

Which means you should probably get ready for news regarding 2012 and beyond.

Because you know that Lane Kiffin and his staff are already working on not leaving those stones unturned either.