What is the greatest USC football recruiting class of all-time?

USC football’s No. 2 recruiting class: 2005

Grade: 9/10 Class Ranking: 1st nationally | 1st in Pac-12 Class Composition:

5 ★★★★★ 7 ★★★★ 6 ★★★ 1 N/R

The 2005 class provided the spine of one of USC’s top teams of the modern era in 2008, including a legendary line up of defensive starts.

Exceeded expectations:

The five-star trio of Mark Sanchez, Brian Cushing and Rey Maualuga were unequivocal successes, providing the bedrock for the stellar 2008 Trojan team.

The latter two were both All-Americans while Maualuga won the Bednarik Award.

Three-star tackle Charles Brown was an All-American and Morris Trophy winner in two years as a starter.

Another three-star, Kevin Ellison started for three seasons at safety and was a two-time All-Pac-12 first-teamer.

Contributors:

The majority of four-star players in the 2015 class turned into productive Trojans and many of them were important contributors for the 2008 defense, one of the greatest at USC ever.

Defensive lineman Kyle Moore led USC in tackles in 2008, cornerbacks Cary Harris and Kevin Thomas were solid players, safety Will Harris became a starter and linebacker Kaluka Maiava was a Special Teams Player of the Year, starter and Rose Bowl MVP.

Disappointments:

Patrick Turner finished with 138 career catches and started for two seasons, so his time as a Trojan was reasonably productive. However, as a five-star, the No. 2 player in the class of 2005 and the highest-rated USC receiver commit in history, his ok-but-not-great career was a clear disappointment.

Luthur Brown was also a five-star prospect and is the poster boy for injury trouble. He dealt with back injuries for most of his career, requiring surgery as a freshman, but managed to contribute as a backup linebacker and special teams player.

Four-star nose tackle Averell Spicer was never anything more than a backup while Walker Lee Ashley didn’t have the grades to enroll at first and then left the program after one season.

It’s tough to call a three-star kicker a disappointment, but Troy Van Blarcom’s academic issues saw him leave the Trojans after two years as a kickoff specialist.