USC Football: WR Darreus Rogers Has Been Academically Cleared by the NCAA

Wide receiver and 4-star recruit Darreus Rogers has been academically cleared to play football at USC by the NCAA Clearinghouse, according to his twitter account.

Im a Trojan just got cleared lets go

— Darreus Rogers (@D_Rog5) September 6, 2012

Rogers, a product out of Carson High School, signed with the Trojans on Signing Day over Arizona State, after being committed since last summer. He’s been awaiting word on his academic clearance ever since, which prohibited the 6-foot-2 wideout from participating at USC’s fall camp.

The NCAA cleared Marquis Simmons and Brian Baucham for academics nearly two weeks ago, while Isiah Wiley was deemed inelgibile and decided to transfer to Belhaven University of the NAIA, located in Jackson, Mississippi.

To gain clearance with the NCAA, Rogers had to take additional classes to meet the requirements, and his clearance forces the hand of USC, given scholarship limitations as part of the school’s NCAA sanctions. After the reinstatement of Simi Vehitike and the return of walk-on status for Will Andrew, Lane Kiffin’s roster is maxed out at 75 scholarship players.

It’s unknown how Rogers would fit into the Trojans’ plans given the restrictions, but he may now become an option to grayshirt and be added to next year’s roster.

Rogers is the only player in the Trojans’ Class of 2012 who has yet to arrive at USC, and if he were somehow play immediately, he would be at the bottom of the depth chart, below Victor Blackwell.