USC football: Recruiting and signing day update
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Updated 2:33 p.m.: USC got a huge boost when offensive lineman Seantrel Henderson announced that he would attend USC.
Henderson, from Minnesota, is listed at 6-feet-8, 335 pounds.
Up until Henderson’s announcement, Giovanni Di Poalo was the only offensive lineman in the class.
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Updated: 1:33 p.m.: Dietrich Riley, a safety and running back from La Cañada St. Francis who was profiled in The Times this week, just announced that he will attend ... UCLA.
Riley chose the Bruins over the Trojans, Notre Dame and LSU.
Riley was a ‘silent’ commit to USC in December, but the departure of Pete Carroll influenced his decision to look to Westwood.
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Updated 12:20 p.m.: USC’s recruiting class is getting heavy with tight ends.
Christian Thomas of Highland High just announced he will be joining the Trojans, choosing USC over Miami, Oregon and Oregon State.
Thomas joins tight ends Xavier Grimble of Las Vegas and Randall Telfer of Rancho Cucamonga in Coach Lane Kiffin‘s first class.
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Updated 10:30 a.m.: Dan Woike of USCfootball.com reports that George Uko, a 6-4, 300-pound defensive lineman from Chino Don Lugo, has signed with the Trojans.
The website also lists Lakewood High safety Dion Baileyas a signee.
USC confirmed the signings of Uko, tight end Markeith Ambles, offensive linemanGiovanni Di Poalo, tight endXavier Grimble, quarterbackJesse Scroggins, defensive backNickell Robey, tight endRandall Telfer and receiver Robert Woods.
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Updated 9:35 a.m.: No huge surprises yet in USC’s recruiting class.
Along with the players noted earlier, USCfootball.com is reporting that Coach Lane Kiffin and his staff have received signed letters of intent from:
Anthony Brown (5-10, 185), a cornerback from Fontana Kaiser High.
Xavier Grimble (6-5, 250), a tight end from Las Vegas.
Jesse Scroggins (6-3, 195), a quarterback from Lakewood High.
Randall Telfer (6-4, 235), a tight end from Rancho Cucamonga High.
Robert Woods (6-1, 180), a receiver from Gardena Serra High.
Demetrius Wright (6-1, 190), a cornerback from Corona High.
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Glen Stanley, a linebacker from Eastern Arizona Community College, announced that he would attend USC, according to this story by Kevin Carden of SCPlaybook.com.
“I remember growing up and Penn State was Linebacker University, and now I think USC has taken over that tradition,” Stanley told the website.
Stanley, 6-4, 240 pounds, should help augment a position group that was thin last season.
Hayes Pullard of Crenshaw High announced on Tuesday night that he had committed to USC.
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Updated 8:47 a.m.: Wide receiver Markeith Ambles from Georgia and offensive lineman Giovanni Di Paolo of Ventura St. Bonaventure High are among the players who have faxed their letters of intent to USC, according to WeAreSC.com.
Ambles, 6-foot-2, 182 pounds, joins a class that includes receivers Kyle Prater of Illinois, who is already enrolled at USC, and Gardena Serra’s Robert Woods, who is expected to sign.
Di Paolo, 6-4, 260, had committed to USC but reportedly was also considering UCLA before signing with the Trojans.
--- USC Coach Lane Kiffin had only a few weeks to hold on to and build on a small but highly regarded recruiting class after he was hired as Pete Carroll‘s successor last month.
Receiver Kyle Prater and multipurpose standout Dillon Baxter already are enrolled in classes and will participate in spring practice.
Starting Wednesday morning, Kiffin, recruiting coordinator Ed Orgeron and USC fans will begin to find out how the rest of the class shapes up as high school players fax in signed national letters of intent.
The Trojans had received verbal commitments from players such as Lakewood High quarterback Jesse Scroggins, Gardena Serra receiver Robert Woods and others. And they were still in the hunt for some of the nation’s top-rated prospects, including 6-foot-8, 335-pound Seantrel Henderson, an offensive lineman from Minnesota.
We’ll have updates here throughout Wednesday.
-- Gary Klein