Cyrus Kouandjio: Weighing the Pros and Cons of Alabama and USC
DeMatha (MD) offensive tackle Cyrus Kouandjio is a top-10 national player and elite offensive trenches prospect that has every major program in the country hot on his trail.
He currently has USC and Alabama in his top five schools and will make his intentions known on signing day. While many have speculated that he is a Tide lean, as in all things college football recruiting, a surprise could likely be in store.
Let's weigh the pros and cons of Kouandjio's options of Alabama and USC.
Con for USC: Distance from Home
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With many recruits and really, teenagers, who go off to college, they aim to stay as close to home as they possibly can so they can feel as comfortable in their new surrounds as possible.
Kouandjio is from Maryland and USC is across the country in Los Angeles. That is a long ways from home and could have the big offensive tackle feeling homesick.
Kouandjio has stated distance will not be a factor, bu we have a hunch that it could play a small role in his final decision.
Con for Alabama: Arie Kouandjio
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Cyrus says Arie will not play a role in his decision and that he is own man, making his own life choices.
Cyrus has also expressed concern over having to compete with his brother if he were to wind up at Alabama, as it would be nice to play but bittersweet in keeping his brother on the bench.
Could brotherly love be working against the Tide? We'll see.
Con for USC: No Bowl Game and Sanctions
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Every major recruit wants to play early. Every major recruit wants to compete for conference and national championships early. Every major recruit wants to go to a bowl game, early.
USC has suffered from heavy sanctions and one of the outcomes of the NCAA's punishment was taking away bowl games from the Trojans for two years.
Kouandjio would not be allowed to compete in a bowl game in his freshman season at Troy and would witness firsthand the other ways USC has been affected by the sanctions from the NCAA.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Con for Alabama: Potential Position Change
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As talented a tackle Kounadjio is, and can develop into, there are some whispers that he may better suited as a guard.
If he were to sign with the Tide, Nick Saban might see the 6'6", 320-pound Kouandjio as a guard. Alabama is not stranger to trying to switch a recruit's position—ask Brent Calloway.
Con for USC: Likely Further from Competing for a BCS Bowl Than Alabama
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The NCAA sanctions will not only affect the current USC squad, but will be felt for a few years to come. USC saw an upwards of eight players defect from the program over the summer with the NCAA issuing an immediate transfer window without penalty. This severly hurt the Trojans depth and affected their roster, numbers-wise.
With a new coach in Lane Kiffin, sanctions, depleted numbers, Oregon's and Stanford's rise, and Utah coming into the Pac-12 party, the Trojans may be a few years from returning to their expected polish.
Meanwhile, Alabama will be competing for a national championship for years to come.
Con for Alabama: Alabama's Run-Oriented Offense
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It's no secret how talented Kouandjio currently is and how much potential he oozes out. Yet the knock on him is that he needs to improve as a pass protector and gain more experience in this facet of his game.
DeMatha has been a run dominant team and Alabama isn't all too different.
If he desires to improve as a player and become a complete linemen, then working on his pass protection skills should be a high priority on his list, and that would be a detriment to signing with Alabama.
Pro for USC: Potential Early Playing Time
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USC has seen its starting center and right tackle leave via graduation and for the NFL. Center Michael Reardon may also leave the team.
Often-injured Martin Coleman and Kevin Graf are the two favorites for the starting right tackle spot and Kouandjio is as talented as they are.
It is not far-fetched to believe Kouandjio could come and become a starter on the Trojan offensive front at some point early in his freshman campaign.
Pro for Alabama: Tuscaloosa
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I'm sure everyone who watches sports has seen the ESPN commercial of everyone in Alabama saying "Roll Tide." While it is funny, it also is a true depiction of how passionate Alabama fans are.
The Tide are "it" in Tuscaloosa and the fans treat the football team like kings.
Kouandjio would join a big-time program and see firsthand how much of a fishbowl the life of an Alabama football player can be. The attention and perks that presents are endless.
Pro for USC: USC's Offense
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USC has a plethora of talented receivers, tight ends and running backs returning to its roster in 2011, with no fullback that has any experience.
This has prompted head coach Lane Kiffin to openly state he is contemplating going to a more open spread offense next season to adapt to his personnel.
While USC currently runs a pro-style offense which prepares its players well for the NFL, the spread could afford Kouandjio the chance to work and improve his pass protection ability. If the Trojans stick with their current offense, then that also is fine, as Kiffin does like to throw the ball out of traditional sets as well.
Pro for Alabama: SEC Play
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The SEC is the top conference in college football. Hands down. It has the most talent and speed, which is why it is a hotbed for NFL scouts.
More defensive players from the SEC get drafted by NFL teams than any other conference in America and when an offensive line prospect excels, NFL teams take notice. Ask Michael Oher, the Pouncey twins and Ben Grubbs.
Kouandjio is talented enough to be one of the better offensive linemen in the SEC, should he sign with a school in that conference, and the competition would certainly make him a better player.
If he were succeed against that competition, it would certainly make him a lot of money.
Pro for USC: Chance to Be His Own Man
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Kouandjio seems bent on proving that his brother is not a factor in his decision and he is not an Alabama lock because of the family ties.
Going across country, to a storied program such as USC, in a big city like Los Angeles, and doing well would allow Kouandjio to be on his own and really prove that he is serious when he says he is his own man.
Kouandjio could opt for USC as a symbol of independence.
Pro for Alabama: Recent Success
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Kouandjio has grown up in a time when USC and Alabama have both experienced very high recent success, yet Alabama more in recent times.
Even before Lane Kiffin started his second era in Los Angeles, USC did not have a typical Trojan season in Pete Carroll's final year at the helm.
Coincide that with Alabama winning the national championship that year, being preseason No. 1 going into the 2010 season, having perhaps three first-round draft picks this year with more to come in coming years, and one of the elite head coaches in the game, and it makes Alabama a very attractive option for Kouandjio.
Where Will He Sign?
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We think that, even though Kouandjio wants to make a name for himself independently and doesn't want to compete against his brother, the Crimson Tide will win his services.
It's an elite program, in the SEC, and his family could easily come watch him and Arie both play college football in one setting.
While he will keep his options open and state that he is doing so until signing day, Tuscaloosa is his likely destination.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
