USC Football Recruiting: Trojans Sign 5-Star Safety Gerald Bowman

The Trojans unwrapped the second of two early Christmas presents when Scout.com reported that 5-star safety Gerald Bowman signed his letter of intent today with USC.

Earlier, it was reported that 3-star defensive end Morgan Breslin gave the Trojans his verbal commitment, switching from UCLA.

It was noted in an earlier article that Breslin would be a mid-year enrollee, and as such, would allow the Trojans some latitude with the reduced scholarships they have to work with.

In Bowman, they receive the same benefits and so much more.

Bowman was considered one of the best prospects in the junior college ranks, and by all accounts, the finest safety at the JC level.

For Bowman, it came down to two schools, Oklahoma and USC, and when he finally made his decision, it had a lot to do with the Trojan connections he could make which would be with him long after his playing days.

According to the Scout.com article, Bowman was quoted as saying, "The education [and] everyone was kind of leaning towards USC out here, for the simple fact that I'll be able to reach out to them for anything, support and that was one of the main things that came down to me and my decision."

With Marshall Jones graduating and T.J. McDonald perhaps going pro, the signing of Bowman, who is expected to immediately vie for playing time, was huge.

Bowman, who goes 6'1", 215 lbs. and blazes a 4.43 40-yard dash, is also a tremendous hitter who can take over a game in many facets.

Along with the offer from Oklahoma, Bowman also had Oregon, Miami, Nebraska and a host of others desiring his services.