RECRUITING / JEFF FELLENZER : Robinson Hits Road to Fulfill a Promise

Soon after last year’s football recruiting was completed at USC, and after assessing the talent he had inherited from Larry Smith as he embarked on his second tour of duty at the school, Coach John Robinson told his staff: “We need to have a top-five recruiting class next year.”

The hard work began at the top. Robinson hit the road for a week in May, highly unusual for a head coach, so he could evaluate some of the top junior prospects in the state. Among the players he watched practice were defensive linemen Darrell Russell of San Diego St. Augustine and George Perry of San Bernardino, running back Rodney Sermons of La Puente Bishop Amat and wide receiver Larry Parker of Bakersfield.

Robinson continued to actively recruit during the season. One day after practice in November, he flew on a private jet to San Diego to watch Russell play in a game that night.

Robinson set his sights on the best players he and his staff could find, and also hoped to re-establish the Trojans’ national recruiting presence. Now, a year later, Robinson’s recruiting class is receiving widespread acclaim as one of the best in the country. And among his most significant signees are none other than Russell, Perry, Sermons and Parker.

One publication ranked USC’s class No. 1 nationally, another had it No. 2, most others put it in the top five. Ranking the recruiting classes is fun for fans, but not to be taken too seriously. Kind of like the weekly wire-service rankings.

Variables such as injuries, eligibility problems and position switches can affect the success of a recruiting class, not to mention the physical development of some players, plus intangibles such as work ethic, “coachability” and just plain luck, factors impossible to measure in February.

Last year at this time, for example, USC followers were touting the fall arrival of star running back Saladin McCullough of Pasadena Muir. But an invalid Scholastic Aptitude Test score kept McCullough from making it to USC.

This year’s Trojan recruiting class includes several players who have not yet qualified academically, but whom USC coaches and academic counselors believe were “good risks” to sign conditionally. Those players are top running back prospects Delon Washington of Dallas and Marlin Carey of San Diego Mt. Carmel, defensive back Ken Haslip of Pasadena Muir and defensive lineman Antoine Simpson of La Porte, Tex.

Hoping for some immediate help, USC signed 10 community college players out of its class of 29, and added sophomore quarterback Bob Otten (6-6, 215), a transfer from Weber State. Best of the bunch appears to be wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson (6-4, 205) of West L.A. College, cornerback Mario Bradley (6-2, 195) of Cerritos and inside linebacker Errick Herrin (6-2, 220) of Mt. San Jacinto. All have enrolled at USC, along with Otten.

USC coaches have told Johnson that they expect him and Parker to compete for the starting split end position, opposite returning flanker Ken Grace. In addition, Johnson and Bradley could eventually be moved to free safety.

“What usually happens with that many JC players,” said a rival Pac-10 assistant coach, “is that two or three turn out to be better than you thought, two or three turn out to be not as good, and two or three are about what you figured.”

Most important for Robinson and his staff, however, was that the Trojans were able to beat both UCLA and/or Notre Dame head-to-head for several superb high school prospects, including: Russell, whom USC coaches think might wind up as an offensive tackle; Sermons; Parker, who was described by USC receivers coach Mike Sanford as “a bigger, faster Johnnie Morton”; kicker Adam Abrams (5-9, 170) of La Jolla; safety Grant Pearsall (6-1, 185) of Villa Park; tight end Rome Douglas (6-7, 245) of Claremont, and defensive lineman Marc Matock (6-5, 235) of Salinas, Calif.