Michael Drennen picks Kentucky over USC on Signing Day 2020

Four-star running back Michael Drennen II made his Signing Day announcement on Wednesday, picking Kentucky over USC.

USC’s last big hope for a high-quality addition on Signing Day 2020 passed with the commitment announcement of four-star running back Michael Drennen II. The Dublin, Ohio product will go to Kentucky.

Drennen made his choice at his Signing Day ceremony at Dublin Coffman High School.

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Hopes of landing Drennen were high when he delayed his signing to February a week after taking an official visit to USC in December. However, the recruitment went the way of the Wildcats, who had been favored to land his signature since the fall.

The Trojans were looking to sign a running back in the 2020 class, but Drennen and other passed on joining USC’s Air Raid attack. Drennen in particular would have been a strong fit as a 5-foot-11, 196-pound all-purpose playmaker.

He ranks No. 246 in the 247Sports composite, standing sixth among all-purpose backs in the country.

USC isn’t in desperate need of running backs in 2020. They return Vavae Malepeai, Stephen Carr, Markese Stepp and Kenan Christon for the upcoming season, along with former walk-on Quincy Jountti. However, Malepeai, Carr and Jountti will graduate after the 2020 season. Stepp will be eligible to leave for the NFL as well.

Losing out of Drennen will put the pressure on the class of 2021 to include a new batch of running backs to fill the gaps. Technically the Trojans could still land a big fish in five-star running back Zachary Evans, who was released from his initial letter of intent to Georgia, but his rumored visit to USC over the weekend never materialized. That now seems a longshot.

Another element to missing on Drennen concerns the 2020 class as a whole. It appears the Trojans will finish with just 13 signees, adding only three-star tight end Jack Yary on Signing Day. After missing on more than a few top prospects, USC will end the recruiting period with a class ranked outside of the Top 50.