USC Football Recruiting: Arik Armstead Changes "Status" and New Offers

When it was decided by Lane Kiffin and his staff to redshirt senior defensive end/tackle Armond Armstead due to medical issues that cost him a large portion of this years campaign, talk immediately shifted to the status of his younger brother Arik, a five-star defensive/offensive lineman recruit who had given the Trojans his verbal commitment almost a year earlier.

Would young Arik remain solid in his pledge to join the Trojans after the 2011 high school season?

For some, it seemed the opportunity to play with his older brother for a year in 2012 would work in USC's favor.

Others weren't so sure.

Now, there may be some indication of the younger Armstead's mindset.

Recently, Scout.com has begun listing Armstead's recruiting status as a "soft verbal" to the Trojans.

This innocent adding of the word "soft" to Armstead's status accompanies a list of schools that he will take recruiting visits to, which include Alabama, Notre Dame, Arkansas and Arizona, at a minimum.

While there is no talk of Armond's redshirt when Arik discusses his school visitation plans, he has made it no secret that he would like to play basketball at whatever school he finally decides on.

USC basketball coach Kevin O'Neill has gone on record as saying he would be receptive to the idea, and why not?

At 6'8", 275 lbs. and with a feathery mid-range jumper, Armstead would be a very intriguing prospect down low to be sure.

How this all plays out is uncertain, but you can be sure that all involved will be keeping a very close eye on things as this saga plays out.

Meanwhile, the Trojans have a few precious football scholarships available, and here are the latest prep athletes they have extended offers to:

Stefon Diggs:

What would a list of prospective Trojans be if it didn't include a wide receiver?

In Stefon Diggs, the Trojans have fulfilled their odd need to always offer a wideout, but it might interest fans of the men of Troy to know that he is much more versatile than just a pass catcher.

In addition to his prodigious receiving capabilities, this 5-star athlete (as rated by Scout.com) is a very good cornerback and also totes the rock for his Our Good Lady Counsel High School in Olney, MD.

However, at 6'0", 185 lbs., it would seem that Diggs would focus on receiver or the defensive backfield at the next level.

Diggs has collected offers from almost all of the big-time programs across the nation, but the important thing for Trojan fans to know is that USC has made his first cut of programs and remains in young Stefon's scope of interest.

Kenny Orjioke:

Kenny Orjioke, a 6'4.5", 223 lb. linebacker from Lassiter High School in Marietta, GA., is an intriguing prospect on many levels.

A 3-star prospect who is just now learning the game, Orjioke is extremely athletic, and his physical prowess often masks his lack of fundamentals.

As Orjioke becomes more familiar with the nuances of his position, he will become more dominant, which must be a scary thought to those players he is already overwhelming at the prep level.

At this point, Orjioke holds almost a dozen offers from programs all over the country, and he lists them all as "medium" in terms of his interest.

Jamal Marcus:

Speaking of "intriguing prospect," Jamal Marcus would certainly fit the bill.

At 6'3", 245 lbs., Marcus has all the tools one looks for in a dominant defensive end.

Fast and powerful, Marcus also is getting better by the day, as evidenced by his Nike camp awards garnered for his one-on-one skills.

Hailing from Durham, NC, Marcus, who plays for Hillside High School, holds 23 offers at the moment but recently cut his list down to seven schools he remains interested in.

Trojan fans will be pleased to know that USC has made that trimming of the list.

In what is a typically slow period for offers, this abbreviated list constitutes all that the Trojans have made recently.

However, that doesn't mean that there isn't other news in Trojan recruiting, and future articles will look at the status of prep players have already offered.

Stay tuned for that and any other news which may surface in the near future as football winds down and the recruiting season heats up.