From Cincinnati.com:
Vidal, who visited UC over the weekend, confirmed Sunday night that he has decided to go to UC for his final year of eligibility after sitting out next season.
"I had a lot of fun out there," Hazelton said. "I got a chance to meet everybody. That's the right place for me, and that's where I'm going."
Two years ago, Hazelton was one of the Southern Cal's top receivers, but he was hindered by injuries last season and decided to transfer so that he could be closer to his grandfather, who lives in Georgia and has been diagnosed with cancer.
"That's the main reason I'm leaving Southern California," he said last week.
What a difference a year makes. Vidal headed into the '08-'09 season as a favorite to start alongside Patrick Turner; now he'll sit out a year at Cincy with only 1-year of eligibility remaining.
We all saw his potential in '07 at Notre Dame, Oregon, etc. The kid was never able to piece together his talent. He caught a handful of passes against Virginia and then disappeared with a high ankle sprain. Not too soon after, he requested to redshirt citing his need to sort out his personal life with his grandfather being diagnosed with cancer as the biggest weight on his mind.
Even after burning his redshirt over a few meaningless plays, it sounds like he left SC on good terms:
"It's tough to come back from, especially for a receiver who's got to do a lot of cutting," said Hazelton, who will have one year of eligibility remaining. "USC is a great place. It's filled up with athletes. If somebody's not 100 percent they've got to pass them up. I would have done the same thing if I was the coaches at USC."
Wish nothing but the best for Vidal. To be honest, back in his Hargrave days when he was rated the #1 WR in the nation, I thought he was overrated. I changed my mind when he got to USC, after seeing his field awareness and great body control. The kid will never be a burner, but he has all the makings of being a solid all-around receiver.
