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USC Football Recruiting Roundup: Jack Jones Excludes Trojans and More News

By Alicia de Artola

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The week leading into the opening of spring camp brought a flurry of activity when it comes to USC football recruiting.

One of the more notable and surprising happenings Monday saw 4-star wide receiver Jack Jones from Long Beach Poly eliminate USC from his top five schools.

Jones is among the top 25 players in the state of California, according to the 247Sports composite rankings, and features as one of the many talent receivers coming out of the 2016 class.

Though USC’s pipeline to Poly has fallen off in recent years, landing of Iman Marshall in the 2015 seemed to have reopened the door for the Trojans.

The 5-11, 170 pound receiver attended USC’s Junior Day at the beginning of February but that apparently did not do the trick for the Trojans, who find themselves on the outside looking in with regards to his recruitment.

Missing Kelly’s Top Top Ten

Jones was not the only recruit who shut out USC on Monday.

Caleb Kelly, a 5-star outside linebacker, announced his top ten via Twitter, with the Trojans missing the list. Pac-12 rivals UCLA, Oregon and Washington remain in the running for the highly-sought after recruit.

Hailing from Fresno, Kelly is the top-rated player in the state and the No. 14 player in the county, according to the 247Sports composite rankings.

USC added a loaded class of linebackers in 2015, with Osa Masina, Porter Gustin, John Houston and Cameron Smith joining the fold. With that in mind, the suddenly crowded picture at linebacker for the Trojans may have played a part in Kelly’s decision to exclude USC.

Martin Lands an Offer

Mater Dei offensive lineman Frank Martin picked up an offer from USC Thursday and now looks a favorite to commit to the Trojans.

The 6-5, 301 pound tackle has offers from 23 other schools, but the hometown team has long been considered his future destination even though the Trojans took their time to hand him their own offer. The 247Sports Crystal Ball for Martin is unanimous in predictions for USC.

Martin, a 4-star player, is the No. 16 recruit in California and the No. 13 offensive tackle in the 2016 class.

Trio of Running Backs Grab Attention

USC offered a trio of out of state running backs on Friday: Elijah Holyfield of Atlanta, GA, Robert Washington of Huntersville, NC and Amir Rasul of Miami, FL.

Holyfield is the No. 14 running back in the class of 2016 and boasts offers from Auburn, Notre Dame, and Michigan among a host of others.

If the 4-star’s name sounds familiar that’s because he is, in fact, the son of former heavy weight champion Evander Holyfield.

Though it would take a strong push to steal him out of SEC country, it is not outside of the realm of possibility.

Washington is a4-star player and the No. 16 running back for 2016. He also has offers from Alabama, UCLA, Michigan and Nebraska, though North Carolina has the advantage as the hometown team.

Still, Adam Maya of Rivals reports that the Trojans may be able to find a place in his top six.

Rasul is a 3-star commit to Miami with offers from Florida State, Notre Dame and Georgia. The speedster is the No. 65 running back in the class.

Other USC Offers:

  • Wyatt Davis, 4-star offensive tackle (Bellflower, CA)
  • Jonah Williams, 4-star offensive tackle (Folsom, CA)
  • Cary Angeline, 4-star tight end (Exton, PA)
  • Naseir Upshur, 4-star tight end (Philadelphia, PA)
  • Tren’Davian Dickson, 4-star wide receiver (Navasota, TX)
  • Justin Madubuike, 4-star defensive end (McKinney, TX)
  • Jeffrey McCulloch, 4-star outside linebacker (Houston, TX)
  • LaMar Winston, 3-star outside linebacker (Portland, OR)
  • Nigel Knott, 4-star cornerback (Madison, MS)
  • Jaylon Jones, 4-star cornerback (Allen, TX)

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