USC Signing Day 2014 Tracker, Live Blog and Open Thread

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Live Blog

11:30 am: Sark and Tee Martin pulled one out of their hats. And Adoree’ Jackson’s hats. The five-star athlete selected USC over Florida, UCLA and LSU in a rather usual fashion. Jackson pulled out a gatorade bottle, two CIF rings, a Serra hat and cleats before withdrawing a USC cap to wear. Without question it’s the biggest get of the day for USC and even with Juju Smith still available, it ensures that the Trojans will have a fantastic needs-oriented class despite reduced numbers. Jackson was adamant that he wanted to get USC back on top, saying that Reggie Bush was his favorite player. With Jackson now in tow, the Trojans are perfect 18-for-18 on Signing Day, with Smith being the final piece to the puzzle. He decides at 1:00 p.m., with USC signees and Uce crew members Damien Mama and Viane Talamaivao on hand.

9:55 am: As expected following the signing of Lamont Simmons, linebacker Fred Warner signed with BYU, the school he was committed to.

9:05 am: It’s been a quick and drama-free morning for the Trojans, and almost too quick for our staff here at Reign of Troy’s war room meetup at an undisclosed location in the South Bay. But with breakfast burritos in the system, it’s full steam ahead. That starts with the signing of the nation’s top offensive guard, Damien Mama. The Bosco stalwart announced his intentions to sign with USC around 8:18 a.m., with ESPNU not showing his announcement until 8:36 a.m.. Mama is the fifth member of the USC class and the fourth to be signed. Viane Talamaivaio is currently the only committed player that has yet to turn in his letter of intent. Here’s the current list of signed players, that were committed:

• Lamont Simmons
• John Plattenburg
• Bryce Dixon
• Uchenna Nwosu
• Olajuwon Tucker
• Ajene Harris
• Malik Dorton
• Chris Brown
• Jonathan Lockett
• Rahshead Johnson

5:45 am: We’re off and running on Signing Day and one the biggest questions going into the day looks to have already been answered. According to 247Sports, defensive back Lamont Simmons has signed with USC. Simmons picked the Trojans in an announcement ceremony in his hometown of Jacksonville, filling in what could be the last scholarship available, if Adoree’ Jackson, Damien Mama and JuJu Smith sign with USC. He’s the first signee of the day and it marks the seventh straight year that the Trojans have signed a recruit out of the state of Florida.

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USC heads into National Signing Day 2014 with an abundance of hope for Steve Sarkisian’s first recruiting class as the Trojans’ head coach.

The class, which currently sits at 15 strong, could be bolstered by the potential signings of Adoree’ Jackson, Juju Smith and Damien Mama, Los Angeles’s top three recruits in the national rankings.

Pundits have the Trojans in the mix for all three, and a sweep would surely generate some buzz around USC, though it’s far from certain.

In addition to the decisions of the big LA trio, today could be defined by how Sarkisian’s able to wrap the class’s final spot(s). Defensive back Lamont Simmons, linebackers Fred Warner and Jabril Frazier, and wide receiver Charles Nelson have all been pegged as potential suitors for the last scholarship or two.

Signing Day festivities begin on ESPNU live at 5:00 a.m Pacific. We’ll have full coverage of Signing Day here at Reign of Troy, as we track all of the Trojans’ signings and live blog, in addition to generate conversation below in our comment section.

Stick a waffle in your toaster, grab a cup of coffee and make yourself at home. Welcome to Signing Day.

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Signed Early Enrollees (5):

Signed on Signing Day (14):

Available Scholarships: 0/19

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The Big Board:

OL Damien Mama: Commits to USCChoices: USC, Alabama, BYUAnnouncement: 8:15 a.m. on ESPNU

LB Fred Warner: Signs with BYUChoices: USC, BYU, WashingtonAnnouncement: 10:00 a.m.

ATH Adoree’ Jackson: Signs with USCChoices: USC, UCLA, Florida, LSUAnnouncement: 11:00 a.m. on ESPNU

ATH John ‘Juju’ Smith: Commits to USCChoices: USC, UCLA, Norte Dame, OregonAnnouncement: 1:00 p.m. on ESPNU

DB Lamont Simmons: Signs with USCChoices: USC, Auburn, Penn StateAnnouncement: TBA