So, tell us where you’ve heard this before: USC just landed the commitment of a top-flight, stud running back in the class of 2013. If you answered, “Hey stupid, you already told us that Tuesday,” well, you’d be partially correct.
That’s because after getting a verbal commitment from Ty Isaac, the top running back in high school football earlier this week, Lane Kiffin and Co. hit pay dirt again, landing another stud for his future backfield on Thursday night. That player is Justin Davis from Stockton, CA, and like Isaac, Davis could see the field immediately stepping onto the field at the Los Angeles Coliseum.
On Thursday night Davis made his decision official, telling USCFootball.com:
“I knew I was going to make my decision in May after seeing Cal and Washington. I felt like USC was the best fit for me all along, but I just didn’t want to make a blind decision.”
So there you have it. In addition to having Curtis McNeal in the present, USC has their backfield pretty much set through 2015 as well. Not a bad week to be Lane Kiffin, huh?
Actually, let’s take that back for a second: It’s not a bad year to be Kiffin. That’s because in addition to entering this season with the prohibitive title favorites, the Trojans appear to be stocked well into the future as well. They signed a Top 10 class for 2012 in February, and appear to be on their way to a potential Top 5 group in 2013.
And while we’ll get to the specifics on Davis in a second, the real story here isn’t on a 17-year-old running back, since as we know, 17-year-old running backs (or linebackers, or math students for that matter) don’t always pan out the way as planned. The real story instead is what Kiffin and his staff are doing in the early 2013 cycle, where they’ve already signed a boatload of talent. Along with Davis and Isaac, they also have the No. 1 pro-style in the country (Max Browne) on board as well as the No. 1 defensive end in the country, Maryland’s Kenny Bigelow as well. Every player that has committed to the school for 2013 is either a five-star, or high four-star, meaning that while USC might not have a lot of scholarships to give out (15, because of NCAA sanctions), they are certainly making the most of the ones they have.
As for the specifics, on Davis, well, as he said himself, it came down to a few other West Coast schools beyond USC for his services. Many thought that Washington could be in the mix thanks to the presence of ace recruiter Tosh Lupoi, and given that Cal’s Berkley campus is less than two hours from Davis’ home, it seemed like they could be a fit as well. In the end though, the bright lights of Troy proved to be too much for Rivals.com’s No. 5 overall running back in the class of 2013. Apparently the presence of Isaac didn’t scare Davis much either, since the pair openly talked about playing together during the recruiting process.
And once on campus, the two are on campus, Davis’ biggest competition for carries may be from his freshman classmate. As we mentioned with Isaac on Tuesday, McNeal is pretty much the only Trojan on scholarship right now with any experience in the backfield, and by the time the class of 2013 arrives, he’ll be gone for the pros. In addition to McNeal, Tre Maddon is hurt and out for the 2012 season, leaving the unproven D.J. Morgan, and true freshman Nelson Agholor- who might be best served on the outside, rather than between the tackles- to share carries.
Meaning that there will be touches to be had entering the fall of 2013, and Isaac and Davis may get the bulk of them.
As for Davis specifically, well, given his stats, it’s easy to see why USC- and the rest of college football- were so high on him after finishing last season with 2,380 yards and 36 touchdowns as a junior. Davis (6’1, 195 lbs.) isn’t quite blessed with the size that Isaac is (already listed at 6’2, 225 lbs.) but should have the necessary bulk needed to thrive in Kiffin’s pro-style offense.
Regardless, it’s good to be Davis, and it’s good to be a Trojan.
Is it too early to pencil them into the preseason, 2015 Top 5?
For all his opinion, insight and analysis on college football, be sure to follow Aaron on Twitter @Aaron_Torres.
