USC Recruiting: New Offers Show Lane Kiffin Will Fight Through NCAA Sanctions

If you didn't know better, one might think that USC's football program is completely oblivious to the possibility they may be losing a third of their scholarships for the foreseeable future.

While it may be true, when all is said and done, that USC will be operating in 2011 under the shackles of reduced scholarships, you wouldn't know it by the efforts of the Trojan's recruiting department.

Though the possibility remains that USC's appeal of the NCAA's sanctions will be denied, thus stripping the program of 10 scholarships for the next three years, head coach Lane Kiffin, recruiting coordinator Ed Orgeron and the rest of the staff just keep on chugging as though those scholarships will still be there.

And perhaps they will...or at least five per year will, which is what the Trojans are hoping for as a result of the appeal.

Do they know something we don't? Or is it just a case of that department only knowing one way of doing things, which is "full speed ahead?"

Either way, the bevy of new offers are so numerous that it will take multiple articles to profile all of these erstwhile prospective Trojans, so lets get started.

Gunner Kiel

Give Kiffin credit. He certainly is not afraid to stockpile talent at already endowed positions.How else could you explain why he is actively recruiting yet another quarterback?

Young Mr. Kiel, who possesses an apt first name, also possesses a cannon for an arm.

As a sophomore, Kiel threw for 2,200 yards and 25 touchdowns, and for good measure rolled up 400 yards and five more scores on the ground for Columbus East High School in Indiana.

Standing 6'4" and 200 pounds, Kiel holds offers from all of the major programs in the country and rates them all as "medium" in terms of his interest.

Joshua Garnett

The state of Washington has produced some fine football players in recent years and joining those prior high school athletes is a 4-star (as rated by Scout.com) offensive guard named Joshua Garnett.

Garnett, who goes 6'5" and 275 pounds, is extremely explosive in the run game where his athleticism makes him a force as a pulling guard.

But for college coaches, it is Garnett's potential that has them intrigued as he owns a body that can certainly pack on more bulk at the next level.

Garnett holds more than a dozen offers including Auburn, Michigan and Notre Dame and has no favorites at this point in his recruiting.

However, USC may have a leg up on the competition in that Garnett has already attended a Trojan camp.

Malcolm Brown

From Brenham, Texas comes a beast of a defensive tackle who goes by the name of Malcolm Brown.

Standing 6'2" and weighing 280 pounds, Brown, who is rated a 4-star prospect by Scout.com, has a motor that never quits and is relentless in pursuing runners from sideline to sideline.

To complete the package, Brown's athleticism also makes him a force as a pass rusher.

Of course, as a Texas native, the Longhorns will be tough to beat out for the Trojans and Brown holds offers from most of the major programs in the country, but he lists them all as "medium" on his dance card.

Tommy Schutt

Continuing with well-regarded prep defensive tackles, we find another stellar interior defensive lineman in Tommy Schutt from Glenbard West High School in Glen Elleyn, Illinois.

Tipping the scales at 295 pounds and checking in at 6'5," Schutt had 67 tackles along with 12 sacks and four fumble recoveries as a junior.

Rated a 4-star prospect by Scout.com, Schutt's appeal at the next level also comes in his versatility where Schutt is also comfortable on the other side of the ball where he also excels as an offensive guard.

Schutt holds over a dozen offers from many major programs and lists them all as even in terms of his interest.

Ronald Darby

Ronald Darby is a very intriguing prospect who has all of the things you look for in a running back.

Though he has only average size (5'11", 175 lbs), Darby, who hails from Oxon Hill, Maryland, does possess great speed (4.36 forty) and all of the shiftiness that great running backs must own.

Rated a 3-star prospect at this point, look for that to change once he enters the gridiron for his senior year.

Darby holds well over a dozen offers and lists them all as medium interest-wise.

Okay, that is it for this chunk of profiled players.

But that is not it for the prep athletes the Trojans have recently offered.

And they will be the focus of upcoming articles.

Stay tuned.