5-Star Safety Gerald Bowman Commits to USC: Breaking Down Trojans' Top Recruits

Although the USC Trojans have been on probation and banned from participating in bowl games for the last two years, they are back. Now that they are off punishment and looking to compete for a national championship next season, the top recruits are once again rolling in.

JUCO safety Gerald Bowman, rated the top safety in the country, has committed to the USC Trojans. Bowman had offers from schools including Miami, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oregon and Tennessee, among others.

He is now the 11th player to commit to USC and is the second 5-star recruit for the Trojans, quickly moving USC up the rankings as one of the top classes in the country.

Here are quick breakdowns for each 5-star recruit the Trojans have landed so far.

Safety Gerald Bowman

Bowman played a season at North Carolina Tech and followed it up by switching to Pierce College. After a great season, USC extended an offer, and then other top colleges like Oklahoma began getting in the mix. He is an athletic safety at 6'1", 215 pounds but is known for his big hits and is a ball hawk. He is great in run support because of his solid tackling skills.

He has two years of eligibility remaining and will compete for playing time from day one.

Offensive Lineman Jordan Simmons

USC entered this recruiting class with a huge need for offensive linemen, and it added quite a few pieces, but none are as huge as Jordan Simmons—literally, as he stands at 6'5", 340 pounds. The guy is absolutely huge and will be able to handle nearly any defensive lineman in the country. 

He has great footwork and balance and is versatile. He has experience at the tackle position, but he will probably play guard once he secures playing time.

Any time you're able to lock up a 5-star recruit, it's huge. But these commitments are even bigger for the Trojans because they touch on positions that this program so badly needed.

Randy Chambers is a B/R Featured Columnist who covers College Football and the NFL. You can contact him @Randy_Chambers or [e-mail]