And like some kind of bizarro world revenge for having a committed Trojan spending time in enemy territory, I silently and painfully watched a slow exodus of players streaming from USC.

First there was Seantrel Henderson, a fabulous talent whose physical prowess may not overcome a woeful lack of integrity (and a very strange father to boot).

Then Malik Jackson was next. A nice player whose career at USC appeared destined to hold down the bench, as he was mired in a numbers game that included players far more talented than he.

Finally, there went DJ Shoemate, a special player who was being counted on to supply rest for fullback Stanley Havilli, and whose star was just beginning to shine for the Trojans.

Though Henderson stands a chance to be great simply on physical talent alone, and to be sure, USC desperately needs offensive linemen, it is hard to miss someone who had never stepped foot on the playing field for the Trojans.

As for Jackson, he simply wasn’t good enough to make a difference for the Trojans. Seeing the writing on the wall, he left for what I am sure he believes are greener pastures.

Good luck, Malik.

However, the defection of Shoemate will be more difficult to overcome.

Shoemate had shown flashes of brilliance and he will be missed. The Trojans now have to accelerate incoming freshman Soma Vainuku’s timetable in the backup fullback role.

I have also read, with some amusement, the predictions of some of my fellow pundits demise of the Trojans.

Not so fast, haters.

Amid the doom and gloom, a shining light for Trojan fans has come from the opposite side of the country, in the form of four-star (as rated by Scout.com) linebacker Kent Turene from Boyd H. Anderson high school in Florida.

Supremely talented and filling a position of need for the Trojans, Turene’s verbal to USC means much more than finding a special player at a position that desperately needs to be re-stocked.

No, the pledge of Turene, who had more than than two dozen offers from major programs from across the country, gives the Trojans a national high profile recruit and once again signals that USC doesn’t plan to let their recent woes keep them down.

As for Turene, he had nothing but great things to say about the Trojans.

According to a recent article by Scout.com, Turene said, “I have been talking to the coaches for a very long time now. I have just been doing all of my research and found out that USC was the right school for me. I got a great feeling from the coaches.”

The feeling is mutual, Kent.

Turene, 6′3″ and 225 pounds, had 120 tackles, 10 sacks, and a couple of fumbles recovered to his credit as junior last season in high school.

Oh, and Turene plans on graduating early and enrolling in January which means that his scholarship will not count against the reduced amount available to USC. This, of course, being due to the NCAA laying the hammer down on the program for perceived violations connected to the Reggie Bush scandal.

All in all, this is a very fortuitous verbal pledge for the Trojans who desperately needed some good news.

So, Trojan haters, lets put away the shovels you planned on using to heap dirt on USC’s grave

USC is far from dead.

Kent Turene says so.

Now coach Baxter’s efforts have paid off.

Andre Heidari, from Stockdale high school in Bakersfield, Ca., gave his verbal pledge to the Trojans on Saturday and with it USC’s kicking saga has come full circle.

Last year, Matt Darr, the highly regarded punter/place kicker from, yes, Bakersfield, Ca., had given his verbal pledge to the Trojans only to change his mind and sign with Fresno State, whose coach, John Baxter (yes, that John Baxter) had been amongst the most highly regarded special teams coaches in the nation.

A few weeks later, Baxter accepted Trojan coach Lane Kiffin’s offer to come to USC and heal what had been long time sore spot in the shoddy special teams play.

Trojan fans chuckled at the irony of it all, first having Darr jilt the Trojans only to have the coach young Matt wanted to play for leave him at the alter by coming south to USC.

Now a strong-legged kicker from the same area has given his verbal promise to restore what had recently been a suspect kicking game into a strong point a la the David Buehler era.

And why did Heidari decide to ply his trade for the Trojans?

It was because he wanted to kick for John Baxter.

Andre Heidari is a 5′11″, 185 lb. kicker who is known for a strong leg.

As reported by Scout.com, Heidari, much like Buehler, has been known to carry a prodigious touchback ratio on kickoffs.

How does a 92 percent touchback rate as a junior in 2009 grab you?

Although scholarships are at a premium for USC now that the NCAA has stripped an average of 10 per year from the Trojans as punishment for the Reggie Bush fiasco, coaches Kiffin and Baxter apparently had no reservations about offering Heidari one.

He readily accepted.

It should also be pointed out, as stated in the Orange County Register, that if Heidari enrolls early in January, he won’t count against the limited scholarships available for distribution in 2011.

Unless this is a redo of the Darr episode, the Trojans should be in pretty good shape in the placekicking department starting in 2011.

And Matt Darr can go on kicking himself (pun intended) for the fate he resigned himself to when he spurned the Trojans for a coach that is no longer there.

Of course, this is to be expected from a program that now has only 15 scholarships to offer for the 2011 season, instead of what normally would be 25.

However, despite the assurances of Trojan head coach, Lane Kiffin, and recruiting coordinator, Ed Orgeron, who insist that nothing has changed in terms of recruiting strategy, the facts don’t quite mesh with the bravado.

Prior to news of the sanctions, the Trojans had been their normally active self, averaging scholarship offers to prep players somewhere in the neighborhood of four to eight players per week.

In the roughly nine or so days since the sanctions were announced against the Trojans, only one player, cornerback Dondi Kirby from Pennsylvania, has received a scholarship offer from USC.

To be fair, this may be a case of there simply not being many attractive players for the Trojans to offer at this particular time of year.

And while this may be true, it should be noted that many players the Trojans had previously offered have come off the table as they have verbally pledged their services to other programs.

In fact, just this week, linebacker James Vaughters, defensive end Jabrian Niles, wide receiver Charone Peake, and running back Mike Bellamy, players the Trojans have offered, all have committed to someone else.

Couple this with other recepients of USC scholarship offers such as defensive tackles Michael Bennett, Kris Harley and DJ Pettway, offensive tackles Matt Hegarty and Jordan Prestwood, tight end Ben Koyack, and running back Herschel Sims all having recently committed elsewhere and the question is, are the Trojans running out of players to offer or are they holding back offers simply because they don’t have any to give?

Perhaps it’s a combination of the two.

Whatever the case, it is fairly obvious that the Trojans’ strategy has changed since the penalties were imposed.

Regardless of comments made by the coaching staff to the contrary, the facts suggest that USC will shift tactics as they go forward with the reduced scholarships they have to work with.

Logically, the Trojans must now scrutinize the prospects they offer much more closely, offering only those they are sure will have an impact on the program.

And hopefully those players will have an immediate impact for the Trojans’ sake, because they will need them to see the field as soon as possible.

Make no mistake about it, the recruiting brain trust will also have a fine line to walk as more and more players come off the board.

The sooner they offer players left over, the better their chances are of landing those players.

Yet these players may not be worthy of an offer.

Whether or not the players can contribute to the Trojans and help them get over the debilitating loss of scholarships over the next three years remains to be seen.

What is very apparent is that Kiffin and Orgeron will have to do a masterful job if the Trojans plan on remaining relevant in college football.

And if they can pull this off, they should be charter members in the college football recruiting hall of fame.

Only a day after the NCAA lowered the boom on USC, the vultures are attempting to circle the carcass.

ESPN’s Joe Schad is reporting that USC mega-recruit, running back Dillon Baxter, has notified the Trojans’ compliance office that five schools have illegally contacted him, apparently attempting to woo him to their programs.

Alabama, Florida, Fresno State, Oregon, and Washington are the teams identified as making overtures to Baxter, the 2009 five-star (as rated by Scout.com) quarterback/running back who set a California state record by scoring an eye-popping 79 touchdowns, including 50 on the ground.

Baxter, whose spring practice with the Trojans routinely featured spectacular runs that were celebrated far and wide on “Youtube,” is generally considered a “can’t miss” prospect by most who see him, so it’s not surprising that he would be coveted by other programs.

What is surprising, or perhaps I am gullible, is that so many programs who should know better took a shot at contacting a student-athlete whom they had no chance of getting.

Before I go any further, it should be noted that this is a preliminary report and when everything comes out, perhaps this contact was not illegal at all.

If so, then the question becomes one of decorum.

Is there a “waiting period” before another college football program attempts to steal from a weakened foe?

Can one call Dear Abby to see if any college gridiron etiquette has been violated?

For the five programs identified by Baxter, apparently that grace period lasted all of 24 hours.

If that.

In a sad commentary on the state of college athletic ethics, USC hadn’t even yet picked itself off the floor after the NCAA hay-maker before opposing programs began to swoop in hoping to pick clean the Trojans of a high profile prospect.

To Dillon Baxter’s credit, it appears that he wasn’t having any of that, and by reporting these programs to his compliance office, Baxter said in no uncertain terms that he plans on remaining a Trojan.

Take that you blood suckers.

Before any other programs start looking to speed dial Seantrel Henderson, Robert Woods, or any of the other highly regarded incoming USC freshmen trying to sweet talk them into a back door transfer, they may want to revisit what happened with Dillon Baxter.

It may save them the embarrassment of what at worst could be illegal contact and at best an emphatic “no” from the player in question.

Where this goes from here is anyone’s guess but it seems as though there is a bit of karma at play here, especially if this contact was indeed illegal.

And while it won’t soothe the open wounds of a reeling USC football program, maybe it will give them something else to think about for awhile.

Lord knows they could use that right about now.

In the piece, I listed all of the qualities that young Mr. Kessler possessed, including a rocket for an arm and a tough running style that produced a dozen touchdowns last year.

Make no mistake about it, Cody Kessler is one impressive quarterback.

However, the Trojans had just recently received another verbal commitment from Mater Dei’s Max Wittek, another four-star quarterback (as rated by Scout.com).

Like Kessler, Wittek is a very impressive young QB, and his verbal helped bring teammate and wide receiver Victor Blackwell into the Trojan fold. This would eventually lead to five-star cornerback DeAnthony Thomas giving his verbal pledge to USC as well.

Because of Wittek’s already deep ties to the Trojans and the players he has brought along, not to mention Wittek’s talent as a quarterback, I suggested that the smart money would be on Cody Kessler pledging to the Washington Huskies, whom he was also considering.

Okay, no one ever accused me of being smart.

Last week, Cody Kessler announced his decision regarding who he would play for. Lo and behold, he chose the Trojans.

Despite Kessler making me look really stupid, you have to love the fact that this kid is not shy of competition and believe me, unless Wittek changes his mind, he will get all he can handle from young Max.

With “competition” always being the Trojans’ mantra, you know that these are the kind of kids that the departed Pete Carroll would love, and no doubt Lane Kiffin is digging it as well.

But the saga of Cody Kessler is just one facet of the Trojans recruiting efforts in the last week.

In the same article that highlighted Kessler, I also wrote about Aaron Green, a very talented five-star (again rated by Scout.com) running back who had suggested that he was no longer interested in the Trojans after they had failed to produce a timely scholarship offer.

I even had the temerity to mock Green, offering him advice something to the effect of it was time for him to just move on and not pine for an offer from the Trojans that wasn’t ever to come.

Except that the offer did come.

In a splendid bit of timing to make me look really silly, the Trojans have offered Aaron Green and the young running back can now choose to do what he will with the Trojan offer I said was destined never to be.

That will teach me to play it fast and loose with my smug assertions.

Okay, now that the embarrassment of my feeble prognostication efforts are behind me, there is other news to report on the Trojans recent recruiting efforts.

In addition to the offer to Green, the Trojans have also offered six other players, including two JC prospects.

Lane Kiffin and company appear to be in overdrive right now in terms of offering players and here is the latest round of these prospective Trojans:

Jesse Williams

Wiiliams is a huge (6′4 1/2″, 340 lbs.) defensive tackle from Arizona Western junior college. Interestingly, Williams hails from Brisbane, Australia, not necessarily a hotbed for American rules football.

Despite the talent and size of this huge d-tackle, it doesn’t look as though the Trojans have much of a shot as Williams has narrowed his choice to five schools and USC in not among them.

Brennan Scarlett

This 6′4″, 245 lb. defensive end from Portland, OR holds offers from most of the major programs in the country. Rated a four-star player by Scout.com, Scarlett blends speed and power into a powerful package that is complimented by a never ending motor.

At this point, Brennan Scarlett lists no favorites among his suitors but it is interesting to note that he has camped with USC, which can’t hurt.

Malcolm Mitchell

You would think the Trojans have enough wide receivers, but when you have a chance at an “under the radar” player like Malcolm Mitchell, you make room if he accepts.

Mitchell, who goes 6′1″, 190 lbs., is a rare blend of power (he says he can bench press 265 lbs.) and speed (4.4 forty). But that’s not all. Last year, Mitchell scored touchdowns six different ways, which means he is very versatile as well.

Right now, Mitchell holds several scholarship offers from most of the major programs and lists them all as “medium” in terms of his interest.

Kent Turene

Turene is an intriguing player who plays a position (outside linebacker) that the Trojans have a real need for. In addition to displaying great ball hawking skill, Turene also has the size and speed to be a force on the outside.

Though only rated a three-star by Scout.com at this point, expect Turene to rise quickly, especially if he improves on the ten sacks he recorded last year as a junior.

Turene, who is from Lauderdale Lakes, FL, has dozens of scholarship offers and he lists them all as “medium” interest wise.

Jacob Fahrenkrug

Another player at a position of need (offensive tackle) for the Trojans, Jacob Fahrenkrug is a massive young man. Standing 6′4″ and weighing 315 lbs, Fahrenkrug also is mobile and can “pull” if necessary.

Hailing from a good junior college program, North Dakota State, Fahrenkrug holds many offers and lists them all as “medium” on his interest list.

Lemar Dawson

Lemar Dawson is a fast-rising, four-star middle linebacker from Danville, KY, that everyone would love to have. Big (6′2″, 230 lbs.) and fast (4.6 forty), Dawson is just now coming into his own as a linebacker as evidenced by his eye-popping 160 tackles last year as a junior.

Coveted by many programs, expect Dawson, beleive it or not, to sign with his hometown college, Kentucky.

Okay, thats enough for one week.

More offers are on the way and when they come, I will bring the news as it becomes available.

But don’t look for me to make anymore predictions regarding either Trojans offers or prep players accepting.

I’ve embarrassed myself enough already . . .

USC already has six pledges from highly regarded prep players including the star of the six, cornerback/running back DeAnthony Thomas.

With this kind of head start on the 2010 prep recruiting season, the class that Kiffin is putting together stands a chance to be truly special.

So please don’t construe this piece as any kind of indictment of coach Kiffin or the Trojan recruiting brain trust.

Having said that, there are still a couple of omissions to what is the beginning of a brilliant prep recruiting class for the Trojans.

For example, one player who is very highly regarded and who seems a natural fit for the Trojans is Ian Seau.

Young Seau, whose uncle is the legendary former Trojan Junior Seau, is a 6′4,” 245 pound monster of a defensive end who is ranked a four-star player by Scout.com.

Seau has the body and motor that will make him a future star and he lists the Trojans, of course, as “high” on his interest list.

Yet Ian Seau still awaits a scholarship offer from the Trojans.

Why the delay, Lane?

Meanwhile, another defensive end is just begging for an offer, and like Ian Seau, he is also a four-star prep athlete.

Todd Barr, who hails from Lakewood high school in Southern California, and who was a teammate of highly regarded 2009 USC quarterback recruit Jesse Scroggins, also has the Trojans “high” on his interest list.

All Todd Barr did last year was record 32 tackles for loss, 12 sacks and forced five fumbles.

And yet, even with close to two dozen scholarship offers in his pocket, Barr pines for one from his dream school, USC.

Why the delay, Lane?

Finally, with the Trojans in desperate need of linebackers, even with the recent commitment of Tre Madden, there is a fast riser, who, like Ian Seau and Todd Barr, has much love for the Trojans and awaits an offer from USC.

Jalen Jefferson, an outside linebacker who has the body (6′3″) to add more bulk to his current 205 pounds, has the kind of motor that coaches love.

Like Barr and Seau, Jefferson also lists the Trojans as “high” on his list of potential suitors.

And with the Trojans needing linebackers, the questions begs to be answered…

Why the delay, Lane?

However, this doesn’t mean that the Trojans are inactive on the recruiting trail.

Four more offers have been extended to some outstanding prep players and half of them reside here in the southland.

Lets take a look at these four potential future Trojans:

Stephan Nembot

This fast rising offensive tackle/defensive end from Van Nuys, Ca. is your prototypical “diamond in the rough.”

With a body (6′8″) that is just begging for more than the 245 pounds that he currently bears, Nembot is opening eyes throughout the recruiting world.

Now holding scholarship offers from the majority of Pac-10 schools, Nembot lists them all as “medium” in terms of his interest.

Bobby Hart

Hart, who hails from Ft. Lauderdale, Fl., has what the Trojans covet, and that is size.

Standing 6′5″ and weighing 295 lbs., Hart is a prototypical offensive lineman.

Though not fleet of foot (5.6 forty), Hart nonetheless has great drive and power and if utilized at the guard position, won’t be counted on for down field blocking anyway.

Hart, who is ranked a four-star player by Scout.com, has USC, like all others, rated as “medium” on his interest list.

Devon Moreland

The next two players that are being profiled, unfortunately for Trojan fans, appear to be heading to their crosstown rivals UCLA.

Devon Moreland, a fast rising player at a position of need, linebacker, is 6′3″, 215 lbs. and has a ton of potential.

Though coveted by many programs, Moreland, as suggested, lists UCLA as “high” on his interest list.

Paulay Asiata

Asiata, who hails from Hawaii, also would fit a need of the Trojans, namely offensive tackle, has great size (6′5″, 295 lbs.) and the power to be a dominating “big ugly” in the trenches.

However, Asiata also appears to be headed to UCLA who he lists as “high” on his dance card.

There you have it.

Some questions, some offers, and a whole bunch of me trying not to sound like I am questioning coach Kiffin and company, whose recruiting prowess I stand in awe of.

Nonetheless, I hope that the Trojans don’t wait too much longer to pull the trigger on offers to Seau, Barr, and Jefferson.

It would be a damn shame to lose any of those guys to another program who extended an offer that came with the ability to sway the player in question to their way of thinking.

Of course, there may be promises of offers that this humble reporter isn’t aware of.

For the Trojans’ sake, there better damn well be.

Just three days after five-star (as rated by Scout.com) cornerback/running back DeAnthony Thomas gave USC his verbal pledge, Tre Madden, a 6’1,” 217 pound linebacker from prep power Mission Viejo high school has done the same.

Madden, rated a three-star by Scout, will wind up with a much higher rating by the end of the high school season as he matures and learns the intricacies of his position.

Last year as a junior, Madden accounted for 115 tackles and earned second team “all- underclassman” honors by GoldenStatePrep.com.

The Trojans need linebackers and Tre Madden is going to be a very good one.

With another year to hone his technique, Madden, who already shows an uncanny nose for the ball, will be counted on to contribute immediately—even if it is on special teams.

And the Trojans may not be done yet.

Despite rumors to the contrary, Greg Townsend, the very athletic four-star defensive end (as rated by Scout.com), may also pull the trigger soon for the Trojans.

Townsend has said recently that he will “take his time” in making a decision as to which team he will verbally commit. However, when a rash of players start giving commitments to a school, it often prompts other players to do the same.

Plus, Townsend lists the Trojans as “high” on his interest list.

If Townsend does indeed give the Trojans his pledge, look for USC to also give him a look at middle linebacker where Townsend’s size (6’4,” 240 pounds) would seem to be ideal even if he is a bit tall.

Now from the “Department of Laughs.”

Five-star running back Aaron Green recently went on record as saying he is no longer interested in the Trojans and won’t sign with them.

That’s fine except that the Trojans haven’t made an offer to Green and by all indications weren’t planning to.

Of the entire five-star recruits (as rated by Scout.com) available, the only one that the Trojans didn’t offer was Aaron Green.

Now with the feeling apparently mutual, Mr. Green can go on to other things instead of pining for an offer that was destined never to come.

Meanwhile, the Trojans have offered two more players, both of which can help them at positions that are lacking depth.

Marcus Martin , a huge (6’4.5,” 340 lbs.) offensive lineman from Crenshaw high school in the Los Angeles area has caught the eye of the Trojans who recently offered him a scholarship.

Martin, who helped open up huge holes for recent Trojan commit, DeAnthony Thomas, says the connection with Thomas will have no bearing on his decision but was quick to say that “USC was always a dream school” of his, according to Scout.com.

The Trojans need O-linemen, and a pledge from big Marcus Martin would go a long way to shore up an area that that USC is lacking in.

Also offered recently by the Trojans is Jason Gibson, another highly regarded linebacker.

Gibson, who is rated a four-star player, is big (6’2,” 210 lbs.), athletic and strong enough to play defensive end for his high school team (powerhouse Serra high school in Gardena, Ca.) but will be shifted to outside linebacker by whichever team is lucky enough to land him.

Right now, it appears that Cal is USC’s main competition for Gibson’s services.

That is it for now as far as Trojan recruiting news goes.

I had intended to wait a bit to file another USC recruiting report after last week’s big news of Victor Blackwell and DeAnthony Thomas committing to the Trojans.

However, Tre Madden forced me to guide my weary fingers back to the keyboard where I will gladly force myself to spread the news of another major Trojan verbal commitment.

Ah, the sacrifices I make for the good of Trojan nation…

First, the big news.

Victor Blackwell, the multi-talented wide receiver from Mater Dei high school, home of 2010 Trojan verbal Max Wittek, has decided to join his quarterback teammate at the college level by giving his verbal pledge to USC.

Blackwell, a four-star (as rated by Scout.com) stud of a receiver, who goes 6′2,” and a rock solid 195 pounds, was offered by programs such as Notre Dame and Cal to go along with several others.

In Blackwell, the Trojans get a big, strong and extremely fast wideout, who compliments all that with great hands and athleticism.

Blackwell made it no secret that he longed to be a Trojan and when he was finally offered, he wasted no time in giving his verbal committment.

Of course, 2010 Trojan pledge, quarterback Max Wittek, was thrilled to hear the news that he would be paired with his favorite receiver at Mater Dei, a perennial prep powerhouse, at the college level.

But it goes even further.

There are also reports that both Wittek and Blackwell think they can play a part in bringing another player that the Trojans covet as well.

DeAnthony Thomas, the supremely talented five-star (as rated by Scout.com) cornerback, has the Trojans listed as “high” in terms of his interest and just to make it even sweeter for Trojan fans, he is very good friends with both Wittek and Blackwell.

Both Wittek and Blackwell have already suggested that they will be working Thomas to get him to verbal with the Trojans post haste.

Now for the “intrigue.”

As this piece suggests, Wittek, the highly sought after, extremely talented 2010 Trojan pledge, is a quarterback.

Bear in mind, Jesse Scroggins, the four-star quarterback from Lakewood High School in California, is coming in the fall.

For the Trojans to offer Wittek is no surprise. The kid is special.

When Wittek accepted the Trojan offer, this too came as no surprise.

After all, Mater Dei has been supplying quarterbacks for USC (Matt Leinart, Matt Barkley) on a regular basis for the last few years.

So it was generally assumed that USC had its quarterback needs covered for the next few years.

Not quite.

Recently the Trojans surprised everyone, including the recipient of the offer, by extending a scholarship offer to another quarterback.

Bakersfield, Calif. (Centennial high school), quarterback Cody Kessler was recently given an opportunity to become a Trojan and it not only took him by surprise, it has forced him to reconsider all of his plans in terms of recruiting.

Centennial has been a recent high school powerhouse in the state, and Kessler is a huge reason why.

Kessler passed for almost 2,200 yards last year with 14 touchdowns and six interceptions.

Along with that, Kessler possesses excellent size (6′2″, 225 pounds) to go with good speed (4.8 40-yard dash) to craft a running style that accounted for 12 rushing touchdowns.

To top it all off, the kid is athletic as well.

Playing basketball, Kessler averaged 29.5 points in high school, along with 11 rebounds, and five assists a game.

Quite a resume.

So where does this leave Wittek?

Squarely a Trojan, apparently.

The signing of Blackwell signals nothing other than the fact that Wittek is neither offended, nor afraid of a little competition from Kessler.

Not only was Blackwell offered by the Trojans after Kessler received his offer, but Wittek was a huge reason why Blackwell was so eager to get his offer.

And a huge reason why Blackwell accepted.

So a big week for Trojan recruiting heads into the weekend with possible big news looming on the horizon.

Should Thomas choose the Trojans, they will have an extraordinary jump on the 2010 recruiting season.

But even if they don’t, the signing of Blackwell should be paying dividends for years to come.

That Blackwell is a wide receiver also means that USC is literally stocked with excellent wide-outs for years in the future.

In addition to the trio of 2009 wide receivers, Kyle Prater, Robert Woods, and Markeith Ambles, the Trojans have verbal commitments from Blackwell and George Farmer, the excellent receiver from Serra High School is also thought to be a heavy Trojan “lean.”

And don’t forget about Jordan Payton, the 2012 receiver from powerhouse Oaks Christian High School.

All he did as a sophomore was break a 1,000 yards receiving to go along with 18 touchdowns in a fairly tough league.

Okay, that’s it for this piece but that is not all that went on in Trojan recruiting.

Other prep players were offered and some came off the board but that is a story to be told on another day.

In the meantime, let’s see if the Trojans offer another quarterback or something…

BREAKING NEWS!! According to Scout.com, DeAnthony Thomas has just given his verbal committment to the Trojans.

In DeAnthony Thomas, the Trojans get, without a doubt, the best prep lockdown corner in the nation.

Thomas, who is 5′11,” 185 pounds and is exceedingly fast (4.4 forty), is also an exceptional running back who can be a homerun hitter as a return man.

Lane Kiffin, Ed Orgeron and company are crafting a fantastic recruiting class for 2010 and with the addition of Thomas, this gives the Trojans five early pledges, all rated four-star or higher by Scout.com with Thomas holding the highest rating (five-star) of them all.

With the addition of Blackwell and Thomas, Trojan fans have plenty to smile about these days.

According to its press release, the qualifications for consideration for the award are, for linemen, setting up no further than 10 yards right or left on either side of the ball, while linebackers must line up no deeper than five yards deep from the line of scrimmage.

Included on the list of premier qualified players are center Kris O’Dowd, defensive tackle Jurrell Casey, and linebacker Chris Galippo of the Trojans.

Interestingly, all of these players have question marks surrounding them as they head into the 2010 college football season.

For Kris O’Dowd, the most significant question is, can he stay healthy?

When O’Dowd is right, there is no doubt that he is one of the very best centers in the entire nation.

However, O’Dowd hasn’t shown he can stay healthy for an entire season.

Of particular concern for O’Dowd is his pesky right kneecap, which he has dislocated twice, the last time occurring at the beginning of last season.

If O’Dowd can stay on the field of play for the entire 2010 season, he will merit consideration for the Lombardi, but that is a big if.

Meanwhile, Jurrell Casey, who really came into his own in 2009, will face increased competition for his defensive tackle spot.

Hebron Fangupo, the massive JC transfer who broke his leg in 2009, is back and determined to unseat Casey.

Before he got hurt, Fangupo had been working his way into the Trojan rotation with increasing regularity.

Then there is DaJohn Harris.

Harris, who had been buried on Pete Carroll’s depth chart, has been a revelation this spring.

Finding new life under the Lane Kiffin regime, Harris has had a brilliant camp, including returning a turnover (that he caused) for a touchdown.

It now appears that Harris will become part of a potent rotation on the defensive line.

For Casey, the question might be whether or not he can play enough downs to impact a positive nod from the Lombardi people.

Finally, we look at the curious case of linebacker Chris Galippo.

In 2009, Galippo, a five-star prep recruit, finally got his chance at middle linebacker after patiently waiting for Rey Maualuga to take his considerable game to the NFL.

Although Galippo and the Trojans defense started off well, by the end of the season, the beleaguered defense had worn out, and the linebackers were identified as one of the reasons why.

Enter the new Kiffin regime and Lane’s father Monte.

Promising that no position was safe from competition, Lane Kiffin opened up every position and said that he would not be afraid to make serious changes.

It now appears that Galippo is one of those changes.

Last year’s outside linebacker, Devon Kennard, who had shifted from defensive end, was thrust into a spirited competition with Galippo for his middle linebacker spot.

By the end of spring practice, Galippo was being tried at outside linebacker, the position that Kennard vacated.

Will this position change carry into fall practice and then into the regular season?

Tough to say, but the possibility exists that Galippo might become part of a rotation at outside linebacker rather than firmly entrenched as a regular in the middle.

For these three Trojans nominated for the Lombardi, the honor itself is in that nomination.

Of course, all three will tell you that they would trade in any award for a national championship or a successful season by Trojan standards, which is basically the same thing.

If all three are still under consideration for the Lombardi by the end of the season, it will mean that the Trojans did indeed have a great season, because that will also mean that both sides of the ball did well.

But for right now, the Trojan trio had better just concentrate on holding on to their jobs and staying healthy for the 2010 season.

I would bet that the legendary coach whom the award is named after would say the same thing.

Wanting to get the process behind him, fast-rising quarterback Max Wittek from Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, Calif., gave his verbal commitment to Lane Kiffin and the Trojans on Sunday.

Wittek, labeled a “four star” recruit by Scout.com, has seen his scholarship offers rise dramatically following an impressive junior year when he threw for 2,158 yards and 15 touchdowns.

In accepting the Trojans’ offer, Max Wittek spurned such prominent programs as Florida, Georgia, Nebraska, and Notre Dame, along with cross-town UCLA.

The 6’3″, 205-pound gunslinger has a cannon for an arm and just needs seasoning to turn into a premier signal caller.

Mater Dei has historically been a quarterback pipeline for the Trojans, delivering former Heisman winner Matt Leinart and current USC starting quarterback Matt Barkley.

Now Max Wittek will take his turn in the crimson and gold and Lane Kiffin and company can turn their attention elsewhere knowing that the future is well taken care of at the position.

However, not all the news on the Trojan recruiting front has been positive, with a couple of prep players that they have offered deciding to give their verbal commitments elsewhere.

Cedric Reed, the four-star defensive end from Cleveland, Texas, gave his verbal to the Longhorns as expected.

In addition to Reed, DJ Pettway, a defensive tackle from Pensacola, Fla., whom the Trojans had recently offered, decided instead to cast his lot with the defending national champion Alabama Crimson Tide. This too came as no surprise.

Meanwhile, Ed Orgeron and Co. remain active on the recruiting front, offering to three more prep players, all of whom reside outside of California.

So while Trojan fans celebrate the verbal commitment of Max Wittek, let’s take a look at these three potential Trojans:

Tim Jernigan

The decision to offer this five-star (as rated by Scout.com) defensive tackle came as no shocker, but what is a surprise is that it took the Trojans so long to do it. A 6’2,” 275-pound beast that simply destroys offensive linemen, Jernigan has everything you look for in a defensive interior linemen.

Jernigan, who holds offers from all the major programs in Florida as well as Alabama in addition to the Trojans, lists them all as “medium” on his interest list.

Donavon Clark

The Trojans have been casting their nets far and wide for offensive linemen and Donavon Clark is the latest to draw the Trojans interest.

Clark, a 6’4,” 300-pounder who is very versatile, is a sleeper who is rated as a three-star but who is rising fast.

As he enters his senior year, expect Clark to draw more interest from the traditional powers, but with the Trojans getting in on the ground floor, it can only serve USC well.

At this point, Clark holds offers, in addition to the Trojans, from North Carolina State and West Virginia among others, and they all are rated as medium in Clark’s date book.

James Maiden

As stated before, the Trojans are looking everywhere for offensive linemen and they think they found a sleeper in James Maiden.

Rated as only a single star recruit at this time, Maiden has the size (6’4” and 265 pounds) and the ability to grow into a true star at the tackle position.

Joining the Trojans in offering Maiden are such programs as LSU and Ole Miss and James Maiden rates them all as medium on his list of suitors.

That will do it for the Trojans in terms of recruiting news but the verbal from Max Wittek is huge from USC’s perspective.

Wittek was the quarterback that the Trojans most wanted (with the exception of Braxton Miller who is expected to sign with hometown Ohio State) and now that they have his verbal, the Trojans can turn their attention elsewhere.

If Wittek continues the Mater Dei Monarch tradition of supplying polished, talented signal callers to the Trojans, USC fans everywhere will be very happy.

And with Jesse Scroggins already in the fold, the quarterback position for the Trojans looks to be in good hands for years to come.