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In yet another twist in the 2013 recruiting class, word has come out that Eddie Vanderdoes might not end up playing for Notre Dame, as reported by the Sacramento Bee’s Joe Davidson.

Vanderdoes signed with the Irish on Signing Day, but according to Davidson, Note Dame’s listing of Vanderdoes on their media release of signees before his announcement didn’t go over well with the Vanderdoes family, and could be a source of frustration. Though, as Davidson is quick to point out, “[internet] speculation about Vanderdoes ranged from character concerns to an academic fall out”, which both the family and coaches close to the defensive lineman deny.

As of now, Vanderdoes’s future is up in the air, and the college football world will have to wait and see how it all plays out, which basically repeats the month of January.

The initial thought is that a Vanderdoes release would play right into the hand of Jim Mora and UCLA. The Bruins were runners-up for Vanderdoes, along with USC and Alabama, and injury concerns have mounted tremendously on defense in Westwood. Defensive end Datone Jones is now playing with the Green Bay Packers, and Owamagbe Odighizuwa has struggled with injuries this offseason, with conflicting reports about the severity.

Last week, the LA Times reported that the junior had a season-ending hip injury. Today, CBS Sports is reporting that Mora says the injury isn’t that serious. Whether or not Odighizuwa is 100 percent healthy or not come August, the Bruins still have a need on the defensive line and Vanderdoes’s past interest in UCLA may link them to the Auburn, Calif. native.

However, the Vanderdoes case isn’t strictly confined to UCLA being an obvious suitor if Notre Dame isn’t the landing spot. The Trojans were very much in the mix going into February, and when it was last discussed, the relationship between he and defensive line coach Ed Orgeron was good.

Yet, regardless of any degree of interest Vanderdoes has in USC, the Trojans will have a horse in the race, given the similarities to the ongoing drama with the Matthew Thomas story.

Thomas, a fellow five-star recruit, wants to play at USC or Georgia and is seeking a release from Florida State, who have held firm that they won’t release him in hopes of avoiding what they consider to be the setting of a precedence and the opening of Pandora’s box.

But if Vanderdoes officially looks for a release from Notre Dame, could the Irish beat Jimbo Fisher to the punch by granting it? Should Vanderdoes get released, Florida State’s hands could be severely tied with Thomas, perhaps coaxing them to release him.

It’s still far too early to see how any of this plays out, but could we actually be looking at an absolutely bizarre scenario in which USC could somehow benefit from Notre Dame allowing a player to walk and go to UCLA?

Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

We’ve been fielding your questions for our Mailbag Monday feature, so let’s celebrate the start of the work week by getting right into the burning topics on USC Football, as editor Michael Castillo answers your questions.

Chevyn from Facebook asks: Is USC going to be able to land Matthew Thomas?

Michael: At this point, it looks like Florida State is going to hold firm and not release Thomas over fears of setting precedence. Though, there is a precedence of five-stars leaving before enrolling, with there being three notable cases of five-stars seeking releases of late. Seantrel Henderson was outright released by USC in 2010, as was Delvon Simmons from North Carolina in 2011. Chris Martin, who signed with Cal in 2010, wasn’t granted a release from Jeff Tedford and had to go through the typical NCAA transfer process, which saw him sit out a year before having eligibility at Florida. Right now, it looks like Thomas is going wind up going the way of Martin and get forced to sit out a year. Should that happen, expect a 60-40 chance that Thomas lands in Georgia over USC. He has family in the state of Georgia and it could be family compromise to play for the Bulldogs. But with as fluid as this story has been, it’s still anyone’s guess where he plays in 2013, 2014 or even 2015 for that matter.

Jon from Facebook asks: Of the new 13 new kids, how many are expected to redshirt?

Michael: Barring medical redshirts, the immediate one that comes to mind is Nico Falah. Not only does he likely need the extra year to fill out physically, but there isn’t a place on the depth chart for him to contribute to immediately. The same could be said for Khaliel Rodgers in terms of playing time, but expect him to compete at center and get some time there in camp, even with Marcus Martin, Max Tuerk and Cyrus Hobbi getting reps. Also, if Max Browne and Ty Isaac outright lose position battles in camp, it might beneficial for Lane Kiffin to redshirt them to save roster space for 2014 and beyond, especially Browne.

@retired728 from Twitter asks: How critical is the depth at DT?

Michael: I think it’s an overstated concern that is getting too much talk, to be perfectly honest. Leonard Williams, Antwaun Woods and George Uko return, Kenny Bigelow joins the fray, Cody Temple returns from an injury, as does J.R. Tavai. There’s going to be shuffling on the line, and even though there’s now three defensive tackle positions in the 5-2 scheme, Clancy Pendergast has some flexibility to move round guys if he needs to.

Brandon from Facebook asks: Is USC going to have another receiver shine to offset the pressure that Lee brings and help spread the field around more to open the offense up a bit?

Michael: They’re going to need to if they want to avoid being one-dimensional. Nelson Agholor is the obvious choice to replace Robert Woods, but don’t discount Darreus Rogers. He’s a prototypical split end that could very well be a Keary Colbert or Windrell Hayes-type possession receiver for the Trojans, which would compliment Marqise Lee nicely. Then there’s Steven Mitchell, who very much resembles Agholor, only smaller and perhaps more agile. He is probably your ideal slot receiver, though the Trojans typically utilize tight ends in the slot, as opposed to receivers.

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Melina Vastola-USA TODAY Sports

Last week, news came out that Miami, Fla. linebacker and Florida State signee Matthew Thomas was looking for a way out of FSU, having formally announced that he would be seeking a release. This week, Florida State is speaking back, as Jimbo Fisher and the Seminoles athletic department are not ready to allow Thomas to walk on his own accord, per a report from Tallahassee.com.

During a break at the ACC spring meetings here Tuesday morning, FSU athletic director Randy Spetman told the Democrat that the school was surprised by Thomas’ request and has no intention of releasing him from his LOI.

With a player as highly touted at Thomas, it’s understandable that Florida State would want to have the ability to do everything in their ability to try to reconcile in order keep him on their roster. That said, Spetman’s remark about Thomas’s request being a surprise is a surprise in itself,  considering that the linebacker told the media about his desire to play at USC and not Florida State, just one week after signing day, which was three months ago.

After his initial remark, Spetman went on to speak on the fear of setting a precedent with Thomas, which he claimed would set a trend in college football. An unrelated BCS coach told the Sporting News the same exact thing.

“We would be more than happy to release someone if there is a compelling reason,” Spetman told the ACC media.

In terms of precedence, Seantrel Henderson’s release from USC in 2010 appears to be a basic set of precedence for a five-star recruit to be released in the summer before their freshman year. Though for Spetman, Henderson’s desire to avoid NCAA sanctions at USC probably would fulfill his ‘compelling reason’ clause, which is likely how FSU would rationalize Henderson’s move not setting a trend.

Either way, it looks like Thomas will have to seek out the NCAA if he wants to stick to the plan of leaving Florida State, which likely would require him to sit out a year at some point, whether it be 2013 or 2014, depending on what happens and if he ever talks the field at the Doak.