Apologies here. I had a pressing matter I absolutely had to deal with the first part of today.
Question of the Day
Who will be USC's highest-drafted player in the 2021 NFL Draft? CBSSports.com and Sports Illustrated both have defensive tackle Jay Tufele going late in the first round, while offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker, defensive tackle Marlon Tuipulotu, wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, safety Talanoa Hufanga and cornerback Olaijah Griffin are some other considerations if they have big seasons in the fall. Who's your pick?
The polls are in ...
On Friday we asked, where will No. 1 overall 2021 prospect Korey Foreman -- the 5-star defensive end from Coronal Centennial High School -- ultimately end up signing?
Of 29 poll responses, an overwhelming majority 25 think Foreman will end up a Trojan, while Clemson and Oregon got 1 vote each and "somewhere in the SEC" received 2 votes.
We've discussed this on Trojan Talk plenty since Foreman de-committed from Clemson last week. If you missed our big one-on-one interview with Foreman following that news, check it out here.
Meanwhile, Rivals analyst Adam Gorney gave his opinion, projecting USC as the leader for Foreman at this point as well.
The Trojans are the obvious choice, but that doesn't mean it's a done deal.
The reasons why USC makes sense are obvious and many.
Foreman's close friend and former HS teammate Drake Jackson is already playing a starring role for the Trojans, and they would have the opportunity to play at least one more season together before Jackson heads off to the NFL Draft. They two are especially close friends, their families are very close and that will certainly be a major consideration for Foreman.
Also, while the main impetus for Foreman backing off his Clemson pledge was that he wanted to take his official visits and the Tigers don't allow commits to take visits elsewhere, don't discount the reality that distance from home could ultimately be a factor in the equation. That's not to say it's a prohibitive factor and he won't still end up at a school far away -- Foreman himself has maintained geography will not dictate his decision -- but from sources we've talked to, having Foreman stay close to home is a major selling point in USC's favor.
The most encouraging recent development, meanwhile, is that Foreman has already built a very strong connection with new Trojans defensive line coach Vic So'oto. The program's rotating door of DL coaches worked against them to this point in his recruitment -- Kenechi Udeze was the one to give Foreman his USC offer initially and had a strong relationship with him -- but So'oto has left quite an impression already and it seems that concern has been mostly quelled.
"I talk to him almost every other day. That man, I think he's probably one of the best D-line coaches. I can put that out there right now," Foreman said. "He's genuine, he's real, he gets straight to the fact, and it's not always about recruiting when we're on the phone."
It still matters greatly what USC does on the field in 2020 and how stable the coaching staff looks at that point -- the stability of Clemson's coaching staff was a huge selling point with Foreman.
All of that said, many wondered if his de-commitment meant there was already a subsequent silent commitment From everyone we've talked to, including those very plugged into his recruitment, that is not the case. He made an early decision, backed off it, and now he wants to let this process play out, take all five of his official visits and fully consider all of his options.
While there are strong reasons for USC to feel very optimistic here, it's wise to keep perspective that there is a long way to go until signing day. One wrinkle to pay close attention to is the recruitment of 5-star DT Maason Smith (Houma, La.).
Foreman and Smith have formed a very tight bond and talk often about the potential of playing together. Foreman has even suggested it's very likely they end up at the same school. We know that USC is recruiting Smith very aggressively -- he, Foreman and So'oto have a group chat going -- and are making him a priority along with Foreman, but Smith has the reigning national champs in his home state and other SEC powers prioritizing him as well. That would seem to be the biggest concern for USC's interests -- that Smith lands elsewhere and puts his energy into convincing Foreman to come with him.
This will no doubt be THE storyline of USC's 2021 recruiting cycle, and Foreman has made it clear he does not envision making any decisions until the very end of the process.
What USC can do in the meantime is keep recruiting him hard -- not just So'oto, but a collective staff approach -- make him feel good about how he would be used in the defense and keep building recruiting momentum with other commits that make it clear things are changing for the Trojans.
Did you read our in-depth feature into USC recruiting?
If you missed it, check out our in-depth look at how USC has regained a recruiting presence -- presently ranked No. 8 in the 2021 Rivals recruiting rankings -- despite the unusual times and obstacles brought on by this pandemic. We talked to several assistant coaches and staffers on the record and other sources off the record to deliver insight and intel inside USC's recruiting efforts, increased social media presence and what those inside the building believe is the biggest factor in the recent momentum.
**Read here**
Top tweets
USC 4-star commit Anthony Beavers got everyone buzzing with this tease ...
USC RB Markese Stepp, an Indiana native, has a message for former teammate Michael Pittman getting drafted by the Indianapolis Colts ...
WRs coach Keary Colbert ...
USC LB John Houston wasn't drafted, but he's got an opportunity to prove himself with the Pittsburgh Steelers ...
Question of the Day
Who will be USC's highest-drafted player in the 2021 NFL Draft? CBSSports.com and Sports Illustrated both have defensive tackle Jay Tufele going late in the first round, while offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker, defensive tackle Marlon Tuipulotu, wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, safety Talanoa Hufanga and cornerback Olaijah Griffin are some other considerations if they have big seasons in the fall. Who's your pick?
The polls are in ...
On Friday we asked, where will No. 1 overall 2021 prospect Korey Foreman -- the 5-star defensive end from Coronal Centennial High School -- ultimately end up signing?
Of 29 poll responses, an overwhelming majority 25 think Foreman will end up a Trojan, while Clemson and Oregon got 1 vote each and "somewhere in the SEC" received 2 votes.
We've discussed this on Trojan Talk plenty since Foreman de-committed from Clemson last week. If you missed our big one-on-one interview with Foreman following that news, check it out here.
Meanwhile, Rivals analyst Adam Gorney gave his opinion, projecting USC as the leader for Foreman at this point as well.
The Trojans are the obvious choice, but that doesn't mean it's a done deal.
The reasons why USC makes sense are obvious and many.
Foreman's close friend and former HS teammate Drake Jackson is already playing a starring role for the Trojans, and they would have the opportunity to play at least one more season together before Jackson heads off to the NFL Draft. They two are especially close friends, their families are very close and that will certainly be a major consideration for Foreman.
Also, while the main impetus for Foreman backing off his Clemson pledge was that he wanted to take his official visits and the Tigers don't allow commits to take visits elsewhere, don't discount the reality that distance from home could ultimately be a factor in the equation. That's not to say it's a prohibitive factor and he won't still end up at a school far away -- Foreman himself has maintained geography will not dictate his decision -- but from sources we've talked to, having Foreman stay close to home is a major selling point in USC's favor.
The most encouraging recent development, meanwhile, is that Foreman has already built a very strong connection with new Trojans defensive line coach Vic So'oto. The program's rotating door of DL coaches worked against them to this point in his recruitment -- Kenechi Udeze was the one to give Foreman his USC offer initially and had a strong relationship with him -- but So'oto has left quite an impression already and it seems that concern has been mostly quelled.
"I talk to him almost every other day. That man, I think he's probably one of the best D-line coaches. I can put that out there right now," Foreman said. "He's genuine, he's real, he gets straight to the fact, and it's not always about recruiting when we're on the phone."
It still matters greatly what USC does on the field in 2020 and how stable the coaching staff looks at that point -- the stability of Clemson's coaching staff was a huge selling point with Foreman.
All of that said, many wondered if his de-commitment meant there was already a subsequent silent commitment From everyone we've talked to, including those very plugged into his recruitment, that is not the case. He made an early decision, backed off it, and now he wants to let this process play out, take all five of his official visits and fully consider all of his options.
While there are strong reasons for USC to feel very optimistic here, it's wise to keep perspective that there is a long way to go until signing day. One wrinkle to pay close attention to is the recruitment of 5-star DT Maason Smith (Houma, La.).
Foreman and Smith have formed a very tight bond and talk often about the potential of playing together. Foreman has even suggested it's very likely they end up at the same school. We know that USC is recruiting Smith very aggressively -- he, Foreman and So'oto have a group chat going -- and are making him a priority along with Foreman, but Smith has the reigning national champs in his home state and other SEC powers prioritizing him as well. That would seem to be the biggest concern for USC's interests -- that Smith lands elsewhere and puts his energy into convincing Foreman to come with him.
This will no doubt be THE storyline of USC's 2021 recruiting cycle, and Foreman has made it clear he does not envision making any decisions until the very end of the process.
What USC can do in the meantime is keep recruiting him hard -- not just So'oto, but a collective staff approach -- make him feel good about how he would be used in the defense and keep building recruiting momentum with other commits that make it clear things are changing for the Trojans.
Did you read our in-depth feature into USC recruiting?
If you missed it, check out our in-depth look at how USC has regained a recruiting presence -- presently ranked No. 8 in the 2021 Rivals recruiting rankings -- despite the unusual times and obstacles brought on by this pandemic. We talked to several assistant coaches and staffers on the record and other sources off the record to deliver insight and intel inside USC's recruiting efforts, increased social media presence and what those inside the building believe is the biggest factor in the recent momentum.
**Read here**
Top tweets
USC 4-star commit Anthony Beavers got everyone buzzing with this tease ...
USC RB Markese Stepp, an Indiana native, has a message for former teammate Michael Pittman getting drafted by the Indianapolis Colts ...
WRs coach Keary Colbert ...
USC LB John Houston wasn't drafted, but he's got an opportunity to prove himself with the Pittsburgh Steelers ...
