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

USC football’s No. 11 recruiting class: 2006

Grade: 6/10 Class Ranking: 1st nationally | 1st in Pac-12 Class Composition:

6 ★★★★★ 11 ★★★★ 8 ★★★

USC’s 2006 recruiting class was an exceptional collection of talent, but with a particularly high strikeout rate, it provided the foundation for disappointment in 2009 and beyond.

Exceeded expectations:

Taylor Mays is one of just three ever three-time All-Americans at USC, so his five-star rating was well repaid coming out of high school.

Unfortunately, he was the only truly elite player to emerge from USC’s 2006 class.

Three-star fullback Stanley Havili did develop into one of the most dangerous weapons USC has had at that position. Additionally, three-star kicker David Buehler became an All-Pac-10 first-teamer.

Contributors:

The five-star running back trio of Allen Bradford, C.J. Gable and Stafon Johnson are tough to gauge because none of them starred as individuals at USC. Bradford heads the group with 1585 career yards rushing, but none of the three ever logged a 1,000-yard rushing season.

Having said that, all three finished their Trojan career with an average above five yards per carry. The combination of injury and a crowded running back group limited their ability to produce big individual numbers.

Among the four-star commits, USC got production out of tight end Anthony McCoy, offensive lineman Butch Lewis, defensive lineman Alex Parsons, linebacker Michael Morgan and cornerback Shareece Wright, all of whom became regular starters while the latter two were captains.

Three-star quarterback Garrett Green became a utility player for the Trojans, earning All-Pac-10 second-team honors as a special teams player.

Disappointments:

Vidal Hazelton was a five-star receiver who just never lived up to his billing. He had a bright spot in 2007 as USC’s second-leading receiver but transferred the next year due to injuries and lack of playing time.

Another five-star, Antwine Perez played seven games as a freshman safety but transferred away after just one year thanks in part to the early success of Mays.

Four-star David Ausberry managed 64 catches and just 11 career starts over a four-year career that was largely injury-free. Fellow four-star Derek Simmons was shuttled back and forth from the offensive line to defensive line and

There were a slew of other four-stars who accomplished far less as Trojans, including running back Emmanuel Moody, linebacker Joshua Tatum, receiver Jamere Holland and cornerback Vincent Joseph, all of whom transferred away from the program.