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USC Football Recruiting: Trojans’ History of Commitment Binges

By Michael Castillo

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Steve Sarkisian and his staff have had a big week for USC football recruiting. The Trojans have hauled in three recruits in three successive days with Nathan Smith, Frank Martin and Melquise Stovall committing to the 2016 class.

Though he’s been more of a closer in his time with USC, Sark isn’t new to bunch commitments. When at Washington in 2012, he and the staff had a day in which they got commitments from eight recruits.

This week hasn’t quite been at that level, but it’s a sizable haul for the Trojans nonetheless, and a rather uncommon feat at that.

Since 2004 and excluding Signing Day itself and All-American games, only seven times have a group of three or more USC commitments within a week have gone on to sign with the Trojans.

The most recent instance was just last year, when Jacob Daniel, Noah Jefferson and Cameron Smith all committed in the middle of May. Though to be fair, they needed eight days to complete the trio, as Daniel committed on May 13 and Smith committed a week later, on the 21st.

Big USC football recruiting weeks since 2004:

  • January 14-18, 2004: Keith Rivers, Alatini Malu and Thomas Herring
  • December 8-15, 2004: Kevin Ellison, Will Harris, Kevin Thomas and Averell Spicer
  • January 27-29, 2006: Stafon Johnson, Travon Patterson, Vincent Joseph and Michael Morgan
  • June 14-19, 2006: Michael Reardon, Marc Tyler and Marshall Jones
  • December 10-16, 2010: George Farmer, Isiah Wiley, J.R. Tavai, David Garness, DeVante Wilson and Dallas Kelley
  • December 11-16, 2013: Jonathan Lockett, Claude Pelon, Don Hill and Chris Brown
  • May 13-21, 2014: Jacob Daniel, Noah Jefferson and Cameron Smith

What makes this week perhaps the most intriguing is that it comes in April. Even though the evaluation period began Wednesday, the most common trend in the Trojans’ batch commitments of the past have been in the days prior to signing periods, like the middle of December for mid-year enrollees.

Now, the elephant in the room is that it’s 10 months from Signing Day and a lot can change. Need proof? Look at the 2013 recruiting class under Lane Kiffin.

SEE ALSO: Commitments in USC’s 2016 recruiting class

In July 2013, USC received eight commitments, including five in a six-day period from the 12th through the 18th.

Of those eight commitments, five ultimately de-committed: Eddie Vanderdoes, Jalen Ramsey, Max Redfield, Jason Hatcher and Torrodney Prevot.

Anything can happen, though if you’re a USC fan, you have to at least feel better about Sarkisian’s track record. He hasn’t lost many recruits since being hired as the Trojans’ head coach a year and a half ago.

Plus, a guy like Frank Martin, who went to Mater Dei and has dreamed of playing with the Trojans, is exactly the kind of recruit you want to get early. He’s an anchor who can turn into a key recruiter when events like The Opening roll around in July.

USC’s 2016 recruiting class currently has six commitments and 17 remaining scholarships.

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