Morning Byte: USC Recruiting News, a National Title and Other Links

From Samoa to USC (Gerard Martinez | USCFootball.com)

"Growing up a USC fan and following the likes of Troy Polamalu, Lofa Tatupu and Rey Maualuga, Maloata called USC Friday night to end his recruitment. “When they offered him, he was really emotional about it,” said Centennial head coach Matt Logan. “It took him a minute to gather himself. At first, I asked him, ‘If any school was to offer you, what would be your dream school?’ His answer was USC."

Casey Tucker gets offered by Michigan State (Joe Soriano | FanSided 150)

"Casey Tucker is one of the most talented prospects in the nation, and he decommitted from the USC Trojans on the 21st of April after being committed to the school since July of last year. The day he was offered by USC, Tucker named the storied program his leaders and committed to Lane Kiffin and the Trojans within a week after the offer. Now, the Michigan State Spartans have decided to send an offer to the recently uncommitted prospect, in the hopes that they can make some ground in his recruitment. Tucker is not expected to take any unofficial visits, but he is expected to take all of his official visits."

USC Football Recruiting 2013: Updates on Commits, Visits and Offers (Rick McMahan | Bleacher Report)

"This week, USC received a verbal commitment from East Los Angeles College defensive lineman Michael Wyche. While the player may be somewhat under the radar, he has the potential to be something special for the Trojans. USC needs interior defensive linemen, and in Wyche, the Trojans get a mobile yet huge (6’4″, 310 pounds) tackle who can easily play the nose in certain alignments."

Why do so many standout USC QBs make mediocre (at best) pros? (Mike Freeman | CBS Sports)

"USC’s NFL quarterback struggles are relevant because they pertain to one of the most intriguing stories of this upcoming and future seasons. If the Philadelphia Eagles can crack the Da Trojan Code, then Barkley could break the streak of bad USC quarterbacking in the NFL. Barkley actually has a solid shot at playing time since Mike Vick is constantly injured and Barkley is playing for a coach with a quarterback friendly system. “Without a doubt I have confidence I can come in right away and make an impact, or just help the team in whatever way I can,” Barkley told 97.5 The Fanatic recently. History says differently. Recently USC quarterbacks haven’t just failed to make an immediate impact, they have failed to make almost any impact despite tremendous success in college."

USC QB Coach on Matt Barkley: ‘He’s a Complete Quarterback, a Football Junkie’ (Pete G. | 97.3 ESPN South Jersey)

"USC QB coach Clay Helton had a chance to work with Matt Barkley daily since joining the program in 2010. In fact, his success with Barkley could be the reason why the Trojans hired Helton as offensive coordinator in February. Helton called “The SPortsbash” on Wedensday to talk with Mike Gill about his experiences with Barkley. “He’s a football junkie. There hasn’t been a guy I’ve been around that works harder than Matt has,” Helton said."

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