USC signed its first un-committed recruit on National Signing Day when LB Quinton Powell faxed in his Letter of Intent to the Trojans.

Powell, a Daytona Beach, FL native had previously been committed to Florida, though he de-committed from them late in the game and added USC to the mix. Recruited by Southern specialists Tee Martin and Ed Orgeron, Powell was so enamored with his official visit to USC that he took in January that he cancelled all other trips he had planned after.

His decision was expected to come down between USC and Florida, but with less than a week to go before Signing Day, Florida pulled his offer entirely. This move suggested Powell would ultimately end up a Trojan, though he did tweet his new interests included Miami, Oregon and South Carolina.

With his signing, the Trojans prove once again they can lure top talent out of Florida, as they did last year with Leonard Williams and Nelson Agholor.

Aside from Michael Hutchings, Powell is the only other linebacker USC has signed for 2013. His build and skill set make his a linebacker similar to current Trojans Dion Bailey and Hayes Pullard–lean and fast, with the ability to play on the outside and defend the pass.

During his announcement, the ESPN analysts asked him how he felt about all the recent de-commitments coming out of USC, to which he said,”Every time I heard about it I really just shrug it off.” He went on to say that those players made the best decision for them, while he made the best decision for himself.

Powell is the third athlete to sign with USC on Wednesday, for a total of nine signed, including early enrollees.

For more National Signing Day coverage, visit SaturdayBlitz.com.

For USC, this day marks the beginning of the 2013 campaign, when they can finally look ahead to what talent is to be cultivated from the crop of athletes that intend to suit up in cardinal and gold. While some have been pretty set in their commitment to Troy for months now, others will be last minute decisions, and for others still, a relative surprise.

Its those last minute decisions that will make National Signing Day interesting. When the ink is dry and the faxes sent, these two uncommitted athletes will make their move to become Men of Troy:

LB Quinton Powell:

Powell had a really positive experience during his official visit to USC, so much so that he cancelled all his other visits he had planned after it. Trojan WR coach Tee Martin is recruiting him, and as we have discussed previously, Martin has a proven track record of pulling top talent out of SEC territory and bringing them out West. His decision was going to come down to USC and Florida, but with Florida passing on him over the weekend, it would appear he could be a lock for the Trojans now. His new Top 4 includes Miami, South Carolina and Oregon in addition to USC his recent Twitter activity–namely the USC athletes that he has begun following over the past few days–suggest a strong Trojan lead. He would be a huge get for the Trojan Class of 2013; as it stands now, Michael Hutchings is the only linebacker in it.

DT Eddie Vanderdoes:

Vanderdoes has raved about each official visit he took to USC, UCLA, Notre Dame and Alabama, so it stands to reason that his decision really is up in the air. However, USC has always been a front-runner and according to his dad, that official visit in particular really blew he and his wife away. The academic presentation the Trojans put forth was phenomenal according to him, and a school with strong academic clout is important to the family. That said, UCLA and Notre Dame also have that, too. On the field though, USC’s addition of Clancy Pendergast could make the difference for Vanderdoes, as he would get the best of both worlds in a 3-4 and 4-3 system. He makes his decision at 5 p.m. PST on Wednesday and cardinal and gold could be the color scheme of choice.

Just two days from now, it’ll all be coming to an end, as Lane Kiffin’s Class of 2013 will finally be finalized on Wednesday’s National Signing Day. While Kiffin and company await the faxes, we’ve compiled the times as to when you should keep your eyes open to Twitter, TV or the internet. Here’s the schedule, so plan your trips to the break room accordingly.

7:00 pm (Tues.) – Kylie Fitts

The most notable de-commitment in USC’s class, Fitts is still considering the Trojans, along with UCLA and Notre Dame. Lane Kiffin opted to defer his scholarship in favor of Leon McQuay III as a citing of Fitts’ long-time admirable for USC football being strong enough to accept a parlay, but it might not pay off in the end. Fitts has raved about his trips to UCLA and wore blue to the USC-UCLA basketball game this past week. For the Trojans, the hope is that his unofficial visit to USC on Sunday afternoon –the last visit of any sort for Fitts– was enough for Kiffin to best Jim Mora.

6:15 am – Matthew Thomas

The Miami linebacker is considering his hometown Canes, in addition to Florida State, USC and Alabama. He appears to be favoring his in-state schools, though his official to USC on January 18th was reported to be a success.

8:00am – Jalen Ramsey

Ramsey has been committed to the Trojans since July, though for months, USC has been fighting off teams chomping at the bit for his services, including the Florida Gators and the Florida State Seminoles. The current vibe sees it as an FSU/USC split, though he’ll be signing his letter of intent alongside high school teammate and future Gator Max Staver.

8:20 am – Torrodney Prevot

Big news over the weekend was that Notre Dame was dropped by Prevot, meaning it will come down to USC and Texas A&M. Prevot has been committed to USC since the summer but has been to College Station multiple times. The Aggies have 32 commitments but only two are at defensive end, while the Trojans have just one, and that’s Jason Hatcher.

9:15 am – Quinton Powell on ESPNU

Florida is no longer in the running for Powell, as the four-star linebacker tweeted on Saturday that his final four is USC, Oregon, Miami and South Carolina. Unlike Thomas, Powell seems to be a heavy lean towards the Trojans, which would give USC two four-star linebackers in Powell and Michael Hutchings.

12:30 pm – A’Shawn Robinson

The Trojans were just put out of the running over the weekend, as Robinson de-committed from Texas. He’s technically not publicly committed to Alabama, but with Texas and USC seemingly out of the picture, it’s almost a certainty he’ll put on a Crimson Tide cap on Wednesday, according to reports.

5:00 pm – Eddie Vanderdoes on MaxPreps.com

Depending who you believe, Vanderdoes is a lock to go to USC, UCLA, Notre Dame or Alabama, though he’s still considering Tosh Lupoi’s Huskies up in Seattle. Vanderdoes visited Alabama this past weekend and raved about it on Twitter, a sentiment he had last week after a trip to Notre Dame. Sources close to Vanderdoes indicate that academics and a family feel is the deciding factor, though many analysts have tabbed location as the be-all and end-all for Vanderdoes, giving him a UCLA lean. Either way, going into his presser, it appears that there isn’t an overwhelming favorite.

NOTE: All times are Pacific.