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Anthony Brown, RB/CB out of Kaiser, Commits to USC

From SCPlaybook.com:

The 5-foot-11, 180-pound athlete showed his competitiveness at the USC Skills Camp, when he switched from playing tailback to defensive back, and was the top performer on the defensive side of the ball.

“It started at the Skills Camp where I did pretty good,” Brown said. “BC told me to come back to the Rising Stars Camp and I came with the same mindset. I just went out there and performed really well.”

At the Rising Stars Camp, Brown shined against some of the top wide receivers in the country and earned a scholarship offer from Pete Carroll with his play and work ethic.

“USC recruits the best and for me to get offered from them is an honor, so I just took it and ran with it,” Brown said.

After taking a few weeks to think things over with his family, Brown decided the USC offer was just too good to pass up and let the coaches know on Thursday that he wanted to be a Trojan.

“I emailed Brennan (Carroll) and told him that I had made up my mind. He told me to call him, so I did and told him that I was in.

Very solid pick-up.  It's interesting because previous to the Rising Stars camp, Anthony looked nothing more than a high-major running back.  Since his switch to cornerback at the camp, he looks like an entirely different prospect.  I definitely think he's flying under the radar on the defensive side of the ball.

As mentioned in the article above, the coaches currently have him pegged as an athlete with him competing for special teams early on and then possibly RB or CB; I believe his future lies at the corner position with his speed and physicality. He can definitely jam receivers off the line and he has solid recovery speed.

Another aspect to consider in this commitment is the recruitment of Anthony's teammate Josh Shirley who is a hybrid DE/LB prospect.  It will be interesting to see how Anthony's commitment will influence Josh.  I personally don't think it'll be that much, but still something worth noting.

Video: Chris Galippo on the Freshmen, Joe McKnight at CB, and the Status of His Back

Chris's got the quiet-leader demeanor about him.

USC Basketball: Gelaun Wheelwright (2011) & Curtis Washington (2010) Commit to USC

From LATimes.com:

New USC basketball Coach Kevin O'Neill deserves to get a high-five from his assistants because Corona Centennial junior point guard Gelaun Wheelwright announced Wednesday he has committed to the Trojans.

Wheelwright is the first new recruit since O'Neill was hired to replaced Tim Floyd.

Gelaun is considered one of the top guards in Southern California for the class of 2011.  Here's a breakdown of his game from ESPN.com:

Wheelwright has the talent to be an elite level player, but his effort fluctuates between games. He's an undersized 2-guard at this stage, but due to his high level passing ability the point guard position should be his ticket at the next level. He's at his best in transition where he can nail the pull-up jump shot or deliver a nifty assist. His ball handling (sloppy at times) and decision-making (can be turnover prone) need to get better, but he still has two more years of high school basketball. His jump shot is impeccable, especially in a catch and shoot situation as he nailed a number of 3's at this event (J Serra Classic). If Wheelwright can learn to manage a game from the point guard position, particularly in the half court set, his stock will continue to rise.

The basketball team also got another commitment from a lesser known big-man out of Kentucky in Curtis Washington:

“Nobody knew who Curtis was until he went to the East-West Roundball Classic (in April),” his father said.  “He went there, did well and people started wondering who he was.  Rick Bolus saw him, liked him and invited him to his Big Man Camp this past June.”

According to his father, Washington did well at Bolus’ camp, earning the Best Big Man Award at the Post Camp.  He then stayed on for the regular camp and did well again, earning Camp MVP.  Washington then dropped 24 points in the Top-30 All-Star game at the end of that camp and the buzz continued to pick up.

“We were waiting for the July portion because we knew that the coaches could be there,” Jim said.  “It was at the It Takes 5 Camp where the USC coach (O’Neill) saw him.  He watched him play all three games.  They didn’t play well at all, but he was really hustling up and down the court.  His defense was good, he was blocking shots and grabbing rebounds.”

Washington said that it wasn’t long after they got home that his son’s high school coach got them in touch with O’Neill.  After speaking with Curtis that night, the Washingtons spoke with O’Neill the next day and a Trojan scholarship was offered.

Although I'm not a fan Coach O'Neill, he's off to a good start.

Update: Everson Griffen & Jordan Campbell Arrest Report is False

From ESPN.com:

A spokesperson from the Nantucket Police Department said Thursday there were no criminal charges filed against USC defensive end Everson Griffen or linebacker Jordan Campbell, nor were the pair arrested, as reported elsewhere, for "breach of peace."

The pair were cited for being at loud at a July 4th party

As suspected yesterday, this is petty stuff.  Hope this near-arrest puts the rest of the players on alert.

Everson Griffen & Jordan Campbell Arrested in Nantucket

From NantucketIndependent.com:

11:21 p.m. Five men were arrested at 2 Morgan Square on charges of breach of the peace. They were: Jordan A. Moore, 21, of Corona, Calif.; Everson D. Griffen, 21, of Los Angeles, Calif.; Tyler Tannock, 20, of Barrington, R.I.; Samuel Chrupcala, 18, of Barrington, R.I. and Chad Egan, 21, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Breach of the peace?  I'm guessing "breach of the peace" in Nantucket, MA is raising your voice beyond conversational levels.  Being huge and sticking out of the crowd probably doesn't help either.  The two will probably be fined and that will be the end of it - no big deal.

It's nervous time for those worrying about arrests with the coaches on vacation and the players enjoying summer, but you can't complain since it comes with the territory of being on top and living life under the microscope.  Recent Rivals article has Florida with 24 arrests and Georgia with 30 in the past 4 years. Think the correlation between the teams' success and arrests are coincidental?  I'm just hoping all the inevitable arrests will be like the one above and not at the level of an Eric Wright.  That one still hurts to this day; kid would have been an 1st team All-American at SC.

Update: There were never any arrest made.  The report above is false.

USC Leads for Richard Ash, Defensive Tackle Out of Pahokee, FL

From SoFlaFootball.com:

“Coach Franklin said Coach Carroll wanted to talk to me,” said Ash. “So I called Coach Carroll the next day, he was just saying I worked on my grades and they got better so he was going to go ahead and offer me.”

The offer from the Trojans has been on the mind of Ash for several months, as he and Coach Franklin have built up a strong relationship since the two first started talking.

“I’m happy, I’ve been waiting a long time for this,” said Ash. “Coach Franklin said ‘I told you I would get you.’”

After the Florida Gators, Ash’s top school for several months, where does USC rank with the new offer?

“I put them at my top. They’re a big time program, a lot of people getting drafted from their school the past couple years.”

...“Some of my teammates are talking about committing before the Northwestern game (August 28). I think I will too.”

When's the last time SC led for a Pahokee player?  This is great news.  If we can get Richard at DT and George Uko at NT, I think we are set for the class.  Those are two excellent interior D-Linemen.

Another thing to consider is the potential package deal with Richard's teammate Chris Dunkley who has an offer from SC.  I've been a fan of Dunkley since late last season and he would be very nice get with his gamebreaking talent.

Xavier and Jalen Grimble Pushing Each Other to Next Level

From LasVegasSun.com:

Xavier Grimble was a starter as a sophomore on Gorman’s state championship team in 2007, and he caught 13 passes for 308 yards and two touchdowns last fall.

He was a first-team All-Sunset Region selection and had offers from the likes of Florida and Oklahoma before committing with USC.

Playing possibly their last season together next fall, the cousins say they will cherish each day together. Their careers have featured many high points, but a state championship this season would carry extra significance.

“We have been playing football together since we were knee-high, so winning a state championship would be like a dream,” Xavier Grimble said. “It’s fun and nice to see (Jalen) grow and mature.”

Article adds to the belief that the two are essentially a package deal.

Video: Allen "Lord" Bradford Talks About His Hip, Breaking Matt Barkley's Collarbone in High School, Younger Brother, and the Future

AB's always been one of my favorite players on the team.  It's been frustrating watching Allen get snuffed on PT, but I'm definitely excited to see what he can do this year.  I'm not sure how the coaches will fit him into the offense, but like Allen talks about in the video, this is the year.  This HAS to be the year...

LenDale White Down to 229 Pounds

From Tennessean.com:

LenDale White has come too far to blow it now — he promises.

Since the end of last season, the Titans running back has remained on a strict diet and been loyal to the team's offseason conditioning program. The results have shown up in his shrinking waistline, as well as on the scale — he weighed in at 229 pounds last week.

But with minicamps now a thing of the past and training camp not set to begin until July 31, there's plenty of time for him to balloon, of course. Heaping barbecue plates will certainly be calling his name at Fourth of July cookouts …

"It's not going to happen,'' White said, shaking his head at the suggestion. "I am not going to let it all go to waste, not the way I feel. My body feels good — my knees, my ankles, everything feels great out there. And I am trying to keep it that same exact way. So whatever I have to do, I am going to maintain. And when I check into camp (my weight) won't be nothing over 230.''

LenDale will always be a fat boy, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.  You know LW is dropping the pounds to get a fat contract next year.  His signing bonus will be chicken wings.

Incoming Freshmen Jersey Numbers

From the Official Blog:

No. 1 - WR Devon Flournoy (shared with CB T.J. Bryant; previously worn by WR Patrick Turner)
No. 4 - DB Torin Harris (shared with TB Joe McKnight; previously worn by S Kevin Ellison)
No. 7 - QB Matt Barkley (worn during Spring Practice 2009)
No. 7 - DB T.J. McDonald (previously worn by CB Cary Harris)
No. 9 - DB Byron Moore (shared with WR David Ausberry)
No. 10 - LB Jarvis Jones (shared with FB D.J. Shoemate; previously worn by LB Brian Cushing)
No. 16 - DE James Boyd (shared with QB Mitch Mustain)
No. 25 - DB Patrick Hall
No. 29 - DB Jawanza Starling (former freshman-year number of S Taylor Mays)
No. 36 - FB Simione Vehikite (shared with DB Josh Pinkard)
No. 42 - DE Devon Kennard 
No. 43 - LB Frankie Telfort (previously worn by LB Kaluka Maiava)
No. 48 - K Jacob Harfman
No. 53 - LB Marquis Simmons (shared with OL Jeff Byers)
No. 59 - C John Martinez (shared with LB Dan Deckas)
No. 77 - OL Kevin Graf
No. 81 - DE Kevin Greene (shared with WR Spencer Vigoren)
No. 92 - DL Hebron Fangupo

I guess they don't reserve the #1 jersey for elite receivers anymore?

Video: Matt Leinart on Tradition of USC Football

Matt talking about his experiences and the tradition at USC.

LSUFreek: Mark Richt & Matthew Stafford Makin' It Rain

Mark Richt's face is priceless.