When the USC Trojans take on their cross-town rival this Saturday evening at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, far more than bragging rights will be at stake, as the game within the game unfolds.
Scheduled to officially visit Los Angeles this weekend are a handful of the prospects atop the Trojan’s wish list, including Chula Vista (CA) Eastlake athlete Tony Jefferson, San Diego (CA) Mission Bay athlete Dillon Baxter, Chino (CA) Don Lugo defensive tackle George Uko, Corona (CA) Corona defensive back Demetrius Wright and Hillside (IL) Proviso West wide receiver Kyle Prater.
The list of official visitors does not include the countless number of unofficial guests to the game this weekend, creating quite the atmosphere for the uncharacteristically late kickoff.
The most intriguing guest this weekend is undoubtedly Tony Jefferson, whose recruitment has been a rollercoaster ride to put it mildly. Originally considered a lean to USC, Jefferson changed his opinion of the Trojans following the Rising Stars Camp, which was then followed by a commitment to UCLA. Jefferson has taken one official visit to Michigan, with the Bruins, Oklahoma Sooners and Wolverines at the top of his list, although he still remains committed to UCLA.
USC is not completely out of the picture here, as this weekend will give the coaching staff and opportunity to help clarify any confusion on Jefferson’s behalf, and vice versa.
San Diego (CA) Mission Bay athlete Dillon Baxter has put up some unbelievable numbers in his senior year, and the do it all athlete will officially visit USC this weekend as well. Baxter, who has been a longtime commitment, will get his chance to help sway some of the undecided prospects. Baxter also officially visited the University of Michigan with Jefferson, although his commitment remains firm.
Arriving from Hillside, Illinois for the first time since his unofficial visit over the summer is wide receiver Kyle Prater, of who much has been written lately. Prater officially visited Notre Dame last weekend for the team’s upset loss to Connecticut, and will now return to Los Angeles to remind himself of why he committed to USC in the first place. A December graduate, Prater will need to evaluate his options soon following the trip, with the Fighting Irish offering the Trojans their toughest test.
Chino (CA) Don Lugo defensive tackle George Uko has had the Trojans high on his list for some time now, and while the Trojans may have been considered the favorites at one point, the UCLA Bruins are pushing hard for a commitment with Brian Price most likely leaving campus at the end of the season. Uko visiting USC after UCLA is always a plus, and you know the coaches will put the full court press on him this weekend.
Corona (CA) Corona defensive back Demetrius Wright has been pretty upfront about his top schools throughout the entire recruiting process, with the USC Trojans holding a lead for some time now. While this weekend can work to help seal the deal with Wright, don’t expect a commitment to be made. Wright has an early January decision date planned out.. While many consider USC the clear favorite, Wright did mention that Arizona State and Tennessee have entered the picture recently.
Scheduled to officially visit this weekend as recently as Tuesday morning was West Chester (OH) Lakota West linebacker Jordan Hicks, although it looks as if Hicks will try to reschedule a visit, possibly moving it forward to next weekend when the Trojans take on the Arizona Wildcats. Hicks, who’s likely headed to Florida or Ohio State at this point, has recently started developing a better relationship with USC linebackers’ coach Ken Norton Jr. Norton has done a marvelous job recruiting linebackers during his tenure at USC, including some last minute surprises from out-of-state prospects.
Rumor also had Temple (TX) Temple tailback Lache Seastrunk officially visiting Los Angeles for the weekend, although that will no longer take place. We are hearing positive reports on Seastrunk, who has been very quiet in regards to his recruitment. You can look at Seastrunk’s situation and compare it favorably to that of Trojan cornerback T.J. Bryant. Both had little to no communication at all with the media during their senior seasons, and both had a high level of interest in the Trojans all along.
