This report on USC football recruiting brought to you by Recruitocosm, and our friends at FanTake.com. Follow them on Twitter at @recruitocosm.
Other than Mack Brown -- who along with Major Applewhite kept an entire class together minus Westerman after total staff upheaval -- I'm not sure any staff has done a more impressive job of recruiting than Lane Kiffin and company.
Admit it, after USC was put on sanctions you thought this could be the beginning of a long slide back to mediocrity. I did. Notre Dame and UCLA fans relished the notion. Teams trending negatively just don't put together classes like the one the Trojans have. But a coaching staff comprised of a mixed bag of excellent recruiters, schematic wizards -- oh, and Lane Kiffin -- is feeling alright about life on probation. In Southern California, USC is still king. Rap sheets are to be celebrated after all.
Overall class rating - A
This will give USC the best class in the league, yet again. It's as constant as the smog and unstable fault lines.
Top 5 Commits
George Farmer - WR - #3 overall (247), #11 (Rivals)
Farmer is a cut above the rest of the crop of 2011 WRs. Look for George to cultivate an early bond with SC signal caller Matt Barkley and yield bountiful yards after catch in Pac 10 country.
De'Anthony Thomas - ATH - # 5 overall (247, Rivals)
There's lots of smoke stemming from Thomas' recent visit to Eugene that hints at a possible signing day switch from Troy to Nike. You don't see many kids listed at 5'9 160 lbs on national Top 10 lists but Thomas fearless in run support and a witch in coverage. Play him in the backfield on offense, motion him out wide, and send him to the middle east for peace talks. Kid can do it all.
Greg Townsend Jr. - DE - , #33 (Rivals), #46 (247)
Blending ideal size (6'4, 255) with superior genetics, Greg Townsend Jr. is a well rounded prospect that should contribute early. Townsend has been one of Kiffin's best recruiters and wants to restore dominance in Troy quickly. And kids from Beverly Hills usually get what they want.
Tre Madden - LB - #91 overall (Rivals)
Madden has the type of athleticism coaches dream about. After coaching Derrick Brooks for years, Monte Kiffin has to be ecstatic to coach a guy with similar skills. At 6', 215 lbs, Madden was athletic enough to play some QB in high school.
Jalen Grimble - DL
The cousin of current Trojan TE Xavier Grimble, Jalen projects to the other side of the ball. He's a versatile defender than can play DE on running downs and DT on passing downs.
Early Contributor
Look for RB Amir Carlisle to join the five guys just mentioned as potential first year contributors. The slight yet speedy Carlisle should see early playing time on special teams while also being worked into the backfield rotation. He needs to add some muscle but he possesses the type of speed that you don't waste on the bench.
Top Sleeper
DeVante Wilson continues the recent run of talent coming out of the Inland Empire town of Corona. 6'4, 230 with a 30" vertical leap, Wilson has a long frame with raw instincts off the edge.
The One That Got Away
If De'Anthony Thomas does in fact switch his commitment to Oregon that will hurt the Trojans ranking considerably. The Thomas storyline will be one of the most closely watched developments of signing day. Another signing day decision comes from Florida's Kent Turene. The LB and former commit still has USC in the hunt along with Texas Tech, Nebraska, and Georgia.
Hey, Jealousy
USC didn't lose many battles on the recruiting front but one they did lose was OLB Jason Gibson, which is surprising given the fact that Gibson is a teammate of George Farmer Junipero Serra High School in Gardena.
I'm From Mizzourah
Massive Defensive Tackle Antwaun Woods has all the talent to dominate the interior line like Sedrick Ellis before him, but if he doesn't keep his weight down and improve his conditioning it might take a while for him to contribute.
Strongest Position Group
There's a lot of strengths within this class, but we haven't even mentioned the most important position in Troy, QB1. With eight stars worth of QB's already on campus, perhaps the most prestigious position in all of college sports looks to be in good hands. Both Max Wittek and Cody Kessler have the skills to continue the rich tradition of drop back pro-style USC quarterbacks. I give the slight edge to Wittek, but don't forget about 2010's Jesse Scroggins when it comes time to replace Barkley.
Weakest Position Group
Although they have four offensive lineman coming in, the quality isn't up to USC standards. Three of them rate as three stars and recent commit Cyrus Hobbi rates as a four star. No Deuce Lutui in this group.
What's It All Mean, Tom Lemming?
When you're the lone true regional power recruiting in a talent laden area you're supposed to pick and choose your players as you see fit. But with Southern Cal being on probabtion for the next few years, the job that Lane Kiffin and Ed Orgeron have done selling their program is nothing less than phenomenal. This class addresses almost every need with a heavy emphasis on quality defensive front seven talent. But with all the great work done by the staff, their most pressing need is keeping Thomas in the fold. He's a true difference maker regardless of where you play him. Losing him to Oregon will hurt much in the same manner that losing Cliff Harris to the Ducks previously did.
Were Needs Addressed?
Save for the aforementioned OL and DB position groups, this class fills all of it's needs. The defensive line and linebacking corps should rate with anyone's nationwide.
Closing Shop
While Oregon has overtaken SC on the gridiron, the Trojans have put together a class that should help them level the playing field. By the time they're off probation they should be positioned nicely to challenge for conference championships in the newly established Pac 12.