USC Trojans news roundup: Sam Darnold's resurgence, women's basketball gets big recruit, more

Former USC QB Sam Darnold taking the NFL by storm in Minnesota

In his first season with the Minnesota Vikings of the NFL, former USC quarterback Sam Darnold is off to a blazing start. In fact, an argument could be made that he's been the best quarterback in the NFL.

Taken with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2018 draft, Darnold has bounced around the league playing for three teams before landing in Minnesota this past offseason. Thus, many have labeled the former Trojan a "bust".

He's starting to change that narrative now by leading the Vikings to a 3-0 start. That's a surprise given that he was supposed to be the team's backup to rookie J.J. McCarthy, who led Michigan to the National Championship last season.

In his first three games in Minnesota, Darnold has thrown for 657 yards and a league-high eight touchdowns while completing 67.9% of his pass attempts. He is also the first quarterback in Vikings history to win his first three games of the season and throw multiple touchdown passes in each of them.

USC fans are thrilled to see Darnold, who led the team to a 20-4 overall record in two seasons as the starting QB (2016-17), thrive in the NFL after years of being viewed as one of the biggest draft failures of the past decade. Next, he and the Vikings take on division rival Green Bay on the road. That will be a big test for the most surprising QB in the NFL thus far.

No. 3 recruit in America commits to USC women's basketball program

One of the top women's high school basketball recruits in America announced earlier this week that she is committed to USC. Jazzy Davidson, a 6-foot-1 small forward from Oregon made her decision known via social media.

Rated by 247Sports.com as a five-star player, Davidson is the No. 3 overall player in America. She holds offers from the likes of UCONN, LSU, Oregon, Oregon State, South Carolina, Stanford, and UCLA.

247Sports director of scouting Brandon Clay provided the following evaluation on Davidson:

"Davidson is a smooth perimeter option capable of playing multiple roles on the hardwood. A left-hand dominant prospect, Davidson has showcased her versatility in the toughest environments available at the prep level and still shined brightly. As a member of the USA Basketball 18-and-Under team, Davidson demonstrates an ability to penetrate off the dribble consistently, driving to the rim effectively. While Davidson may not exhibit an elite specialty at this juncture, she excels in various aspects of the game. In the long term, her development will benefit from physical maturation to match her considerable length."

USC women's soccer in top 25 poll once again

This week, the USC women's soccer team checks in at No. 22 in the latest United Soccer Coaches poll. That's up three spots from last week's ranking.

This week, the Trojans will host Minnesota on Thursday and Wisconsin on Sunday in the first two home matches of the season. So far, USC is 7-1-1 on the season thanks to a 3-game winning streak that has seen the Trojans give up no goals during that span.

Former USC running back Reggie Bush sues USC, PAC-12, NCAA

Tuesday, it was announced that former USC running back Reggie Bush has filed a lawsuit against USC, the PAC-12, and the NCAA. He is reportedly seeking compensation for the use of his name, image, and likeness (N.I.L.) from his USC career which ran from 2003-05.

“This case is not just about seeking justice for Reggie Bush; it’s about setting a precedent for the fair treatment of all college athletes,” attorney Evan Selik of the law firm McCathern Law said in a statement. “Our goal is to rectify this injustice and pave the way for a system where athletes are rightfully recognized, compensated and treated fairly for their contributions.”

Of course, during Bush's college career, N.I.L. payments were not legal. However, the former Heisman Trophy winner is trying to gain compensation for his contributions to the game and the NCAA under that umbrella. This is certainly a case that will shape the landscape of the NCAA because if Bush wins, it will open the door for an untold number of former NCAA athletes to follow in his footsteps and try to be compensated for the use of their N.I.L.