USC Gets High Marks in Its Recruiting Class : Football: Trojans sign top running back, kicker and defensive lineman. Bruins get Eisenhower’s Thompkins.

John Robinson’s first full recruiting season since he took over as USC’s football coach last year apparently left him so drained that he declined comment on the class of 29 players he signed Wednesday.

“He’s just too tired to talk to everyone,” a school spokeswoman said. “He wants to rest.”

When he replaced Larry Smith early last year, Robinson had only a month to sign 12 players to scholarships, and his top prospect, running back Saladin McCullough of Pasadena Muir High, still has not qualified academically. The Trojans finished last season with an 8-5 record and a victory over Utah in the Freedom Bowl.

This time, Robinson had a year to reacquaint himself with local high school and junior college coaches.

In hopes of getting immediate help at several positions, Robinson signed 10 junior college players, more than any other school in the Pacific 10 Conference.

But it is three Southern California high school players--running back Rodney Sermons of La Puente Bishop Amat, kicker Adam Abrams of La Jolla The Bishop’s and defensive tackle Darrell Russell of St. Augustine in San Diego--who are expected to have the biggest impact.

Sermons, who rushed for more than 1,000 yards in each of the last two seasons while leading Bishop Amat to a 26-1 record, should help in the backfield. The Trojans also need a kicker, and Abrams, a consensus All-American, had field goals of 50 and 52 yards, and converted all 30 extra-point attempts last season. Russell, 6 feet 4 and 288 pounds, is a quick defensive lineman who had 15 sacks as a senior.

Robinson also announced that sophomore Brad Otton, who passed for 2,307 yards last season at Division I-AA Weber State, is transferring to USC and will be immediately eligible.

At UCLA, Coach Terry Donahue took advantage of the Bruins’ appearance in the Rose Bowl to recruit well in Southern California. Of the 17 players who signed national letters of intent with the Bruins, 10 are from local high schools.

Included in that group is Glenn Thompkins, The Times’ player of the year. Thompkins played quarterback and defensive back at Rialto Eisenhower, leading the Eagles to a 14-0 record and the Southern Section Division I championship last season. Because he is only 5-9 and 165, Thompkins is expected to play either wide receiver or defensive back.

UCLA recruited several skill-position players but signed only two linemen, Terry Williams of Placentia El Dorado High and Vavae Tata of Honolulu St. Louis.

“We did particularly well in the areas of wide receiver and tight end on offense, and linebacker and defensive back on defense,” Donahue said.

Arizona State also recruited well in Southern California, with 11 of its 24 recruits coming from local high schools, including 6-7 quarterback Steve Campbell of Norco.