National Signing Day 2011: Rebuilding the USC Trojans Powerhouse

USC has been a national powerhouse in football for the last 10 years.

Unfortunately, illegal actions inside the program have put a temporary halt to that. The NCAA sanctioned the school with a two-year bowl ban as well as significantly reducing the number of football scholarships for years to come. 

Somehow, recruits still choose USC despite its problems, making the program fortunate enough to remain competitive. The team went 8-5 last season and the recruiting class seems very promising.

With that said, here's a list of some of the big-name players committed to USC.

Victor Blackwell, WR

Name: Victor Blackwell

Height: 6'1''

Weight: 190 pounds

Also Considered: UCLA, California, Washington, Tennessee and Notre Dame

Ranking at Position: No. 10 

Victor Blackwell is an athletic specimen at the wide receiver position: He is very fast, very strong and has good hands.

The knock on Victor is that he is a very inconsistent route-runner—some might even call him a lazy one. He'll wow you on some plays and disappear on others.

Lane Kiffin will have the chance to make him more consistent, and if he does, he will have a stud as athletes like Blackwell are hard to come by. 

Max Wittek, QB

Name: Max Wittek

Height: 6'3''

Weight: 200 pounds

Also Considered: UCLA, Florida, California, Notre Dame and Florida State

Ranking at Position: No. 3

Perhaps another great quarterback to play for USC? Well after Matt Barkley, Max Wittek is going to get his chance.

Ranked No. 3 in his class at the QB position, Wittek was heavily recruited by numerous big-name schools but ultimately chose USC.

Wittek went to the same high school as Barkley and shows a lot of the same qualities as the "golden boy." He has excellent pocket presence and great rhythm, makes good decisions and throws a very accurate pass.

Wittek should be a great signing for the Trojans' future. 

DeAnthony Thomas, CB

Name: DeAnthony Thomas

Height: 5'9''

Weight: 160 pounds

Also Considered: UCLA, California, Washington, Florida and Arizona

Ranking at Position: No. 1 (as Athlete)

Currently, DeAnthony Thomas's future position in college is a virtual unknown.

The safe bet would be that with his speed and small size, Thomas is going to be a cornerback. But this is not definite, as he is also a good pass catcher and very versatile on offense.

He could even be an undersized running back that would be force in the open field.

Right now however, it seems as though he's going to be groomed as a CB. And with his athletic ability and lightning speed, he could be a great one. 

Antwaun Woods, DT

Name: Antwaun Woods

Height: 6'1''

Weight: 315 pounds

Also Considered: Arizona State, Washington, California, UCLA and Arizona

Ranking at Position: No. 5

At 6'1'' and 315 pounds you can understand why Antwaun Woods was ranked so highly at his position—he is an absolute beast.

Woods is a little short but he makes up for it in bulk and body mass. He has great lateral quickness and has the potential to be unstoppable in college.

Woods has a tough attitude and wants to be great, when he is locked in it is almost scary to watch him hit people. He also happens to have good hands.

Woods is going to be one heck of a player for the Trojans. 

Greg Townsend Jr., DE

Name: Greg Townsend Jr. 

Height: 6'3''

Weight: 260 pounds

Also Considered: TCU, Washington, Oregon, UCLA and Miami

Ranking at Position: No. 9

Townsend has football in his blood. His father was an NFL player and he looks to keep the family name in the sport.

Townsend is a very smart player and has great anticipation. He gets a good jump most of the time and that will help him become an excellent pass rusher in college. He is also a solid run stopper.

If things go as planned, USC seems to be forming a defensive line that will be nearly impossible to run on. 

Andre Heidari, K

Name: Andre Heidari

Height: 5'11''

Weight: 185 pounds

Also Considered: Nebraska and Fresno State

Ranking at Position: No. 1

Yea, so kicking isn't exciting. So what?! Points are points and this guy will get USC a lot of them.

Ranked the No. 1 kicker in his class, Heidari is said to love kicking in pressure situations, and with the recruits USC has, there could be many in his college career. 

Cyrus Hobbi, OG

Name: Cyrus Hobbi

Height: 6'4'' 

Weight: 285 pounds

Also Considered: UCLA, Arizona State, Nebraska, Oregon State and Michigan

Ranking at Position: No. 1 

Cyrus Hobbi was ranked No. 1 at his position for a reason. He is a big guy, is very athletic and has all the necessary tools to succeed at the next level.

Scouts say he could someday be the best pass and rush blocker in college football—and that has to excite Lane Kiffin with the QBs the Trojans have.

Hobbi can block all the way up the field and he has a great IQ and passion for the game. 

George Farmer

Name: George Farmer

Height: 6'2''

Weight: 205 pounds

Also Considered: Miami, Florida, Oregon, Alabama and California

Ranking at Position: No. 1

George Farmer is an athletic specimen. USC has had some great wide-outs in the past, but Farmer looks like he is going to be the best since Mike Williams.

Some scouts say that he is so strong and athletic that if he were to try playing safety, he'd probably be the best at that position too. Farmar is ranked No. 12 overall in the class and No. 1 at WR.

He comes from a school that has had playmakers before and he will probably be a great target for Matt Barkley right away. If not, there's always the connection that he and Max Wittek will form.

Words and pictures would not do Farmer nearly the justice, so if you really want to see a dominant WR, watch the video.