http://rivals100.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=508507
February 1, 2006
TROJANS MAKE IT THREE IN A ROW
Jeremy Crabtree
Editor
It was only a matter of time.
Nobody has dominated college football recruiting like Pete Carroll and USC the past three seasons, so it was no surprise to see the Trojans close with a last-minute avalanche of blue-chippers and take home Rivals.com's recruiting national championship for the third year in a row.
Hanging on to Vidal Hazelton was a key to USC winning the title.
As late as mid-December, the Trojans were nowhere to be found in the national top 10 and the commitment list included only six players. But Carroll and Co. rallied with impressive commitment after impressive commitment.
Star safety Anthony McCoy started the commitment blitz off when he pledged to the Trojans over offers from Cal, Oklahoma, Washington State and Fresno State. His commitment was then quickly followed up by pledges from four-star linebacker Joshua Tatum and four-star defensive lineman Alex Parsons, both of whom are ranked near the top at their positions.
Then in late December, USC added five-star receiver Vidal Hazelton and fast-rising cornerback Shareece Wright.
January additions of stars like Allen Bradford, a top 10 player in the nation, Butch Lewis, Michael Morgan and Stafon Johnson continued to push the USC class up the charts with a bullet.
Bradford's pledge was huge because many considered him the top player on USC's board in the entire country. Lewis is a two-way lineman who could be a star at defensive tackle. Morgan's pledge came as a shocker the day before signing day when he turned down Texas A&M and Florida State. And Johnson is the No. 2 player in California and a five-star prospect.
Then Kenny Ashley's commitment on signing day ended up being the icing on the cake, allowing USC to leap over Florida for the nation's No. 1 class. The four-star running back from Venice, Calif., had been leaning toward Mississippi State until the USC came in with a last-minute offer that he couldn't refuse.
Finishing at No. 1 is something that Trojans fans say never gets old. It was clear that USC's 2004 and 2005 classes continued to supply the Trojans with the weapons to play for national titles the past two seasons, but this year's group might be one of the best ever assembled.
The Trojans averaged 4.00 stars.
What's also impressive about this USC class is its balance.
Quarterbacks and offensive linemen weren't a priority in this group, but the Trojans nabbed pledges from three running backs, three receivers, two tight ends, three defensive lineman, three linebackers, four defensive backs and two players who can play a number of different positions.
Linear Mode
