USC Recruiting Roundup: A rare quiet week for the Trojans

On3 imageby:Erik McKinney06/15/20

ErikTMcKinney

USC hasn't had many weeks without a commitment since mid-March, but this past week was one of them. The Trojans have landed 13 commitments over the past 14 weeks, so the lull isn't exactly concerning, especially since later this week could bring more action.

Walk-on additions

The Trojans did get commitments from two players who could be counted as 2021 commitments, as offensive tackle Joe Bryson and longsnapper Nathan Weneta announced they are headed to USC as walk-on additions to the 2020 roster. Both will likely need to sit out this season as transfers, but both could have shots to see the field in 2021. Weneta will look to fill a void caused by the departure of long snapper Damon Johnson, while Bryson will rehab this season and perhaps take a shot at filling the left tackle position that will likely be vacated when Alijah Vera-Tucker declares early for the 2021 NFL Draft.

Quarterback questions?

USC has two quarterbacks committed in the 2021 class, in four-star signal-callers Jake Garcia (La Habra, Calif./La Habra) and Miller Moss (Santa Ana, Calif./Mater Dei). With Moss' impending move from Mission Hills (Calif.) Alemany to Mater Dei, both quarterbacks will have spent time at three different high schools during their prep careers.

USC is looking to sign two quarterbacks in this 2021 class, as the Trojans could have just one scholarship quarterback on the roster following the departure of Matt Fink after this season. But signing two big-time quarterbacks in the same class isn't easy, and the Trojans will need to work hard to keep both committed.

Miami is a school that has long been linked to Garcia, and the Hurricanes aren't giving up the chase. Miami recruits, fans and former players have been working hard on social media to flip Garcia. Some of the latest efforts have come from former Miami quarterbacks Brad Kaaya and Gino Torretta.

https://twitter.com/kaaya323/status/1272605909412388866?s=20
https://twitter.com/GinoTorretta/status/1272588693925224448?s=20

USC responded by making Garcia a USC edit, which he posted as well.

https://twitter.com/JakeGarcia14/status/1272517741908393984?s=20

Clearly, this will be an interesting situation to monitor. Miami does not have a quarterback committed in this class and just grabbed a commitment from big-time wide receiver Romello Brinson (Miami/Northwestern), who has been active in recruiting Garcia.

Trojans lose a legacy

Three-star cornerback Dyson McCutcheon (La Puente, Calif./Bishop Amat) announced his commitment to Washington over the weekend. The 5-foot-10, 165-pound cornerback is the son of former USC standout cornerback Daylon McCutcheon. He held an offer from USC, but it never felt as though he was a major or realistic target for the Trojans.

Ducks building a big-time class

USC has a shot at signing the top recruiting class in the Pac-12 for the first time since the 2018 class, but Oregon isn't going away quietly. Late last week, the Ducks grabbed a commitment from one of the nation's top wide receivers in Troy Franklin (Menlo Park, Calif./Menlo-Atherton). The four-star wideout is California's No. 3 overall prospect and the No. 2 wide receiver in the country. Oregon has a great shot at this point of signing three of California's best wide receivers--Franklin and Kyron Ware-Hudson (Santa Ana, Calif./ Mater Dei) are commits already and Xavier Worthy (Fresno, Calif./Central East) is a strong lean--while USC's puts together a good class of receivers without a California prospect among them.

Oregon is also poised to make noise later this week when four-star cornerback Jaylin Davis (Santa Ana, Calif./Mater Dei) makes his announcement. California's No. 13 overall prospect is down to Arizona State, Ohio State, Oregon and USC, though the Ducks appear to be the overwhelming favorite.

There is going to be plenty of back-and-forth on the recruiting trail between the Oregon and USC staffs--and Arizona State and USC, and Washington and USC--which should make USC recruiting under this new staff really fun to watch. Oregon head coach Mario Cristobal has helped turn Oregon recruiting into a machine at this point, but USC is putting all the right pieces together to get back on top of the conference. We've seen the Trojans build plenty of momentum on the trail, but putting a complete stop to what Oregon has been building over the last few years obviously isn't something that will happen overnight.

More commitments coming?

USC running back commit Brandon Campbell (Katy, Texas/Katy) has been a go-to follow for USC fans looking forward to the next Trojan commitment. He's delivered plenty of warning shots predicting upcoming commitments and he was at it again late last week.

https://twitter.com/2021BC/status/1270718775650709506?s=20

Four-star defensive end Aaron Armitage (Blairstown, NJ/Blair Academy) has said that Father's Day could be a potential commitment day, though there is nothing officially set. The Trojans are doing well with him, as Florida, LSU and Stanford are a few other schools in the mix.

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