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USC Commitment: 2012 Elite Offensive Tackle Arik Armstead Commits to USC

Sophomore Highlights 

Arik is the younger brother of current Trojan starting DE Armond Armstead.  This is a huge commitment since offensive linemen is the top priority for the next 2 years and Arik is an early candidate to be the top offensive tackle in his class. Coaches got to keep stockpiling linemen especially with the reduced number of scholarships available.

Much like Seantrel Henderson, Arik plays basketball at a high-level in addition to football (usually a sign of great feet) and already has NFL size.  The other big selling point is he comes from a family that teaches discipline and hard-work. Back when Armond was being recruited, he was a relatively unknown 3-star that worked his way into national spotlight; he was already doing college-level drills as a high-schooler which helped him shine early on at SC.  I have no doubt Arik will be on the same path as a senior in HS.

Armond Armstead Out 6 to 8 Weeks With Broken Foot; Patrick Hall Likely Out for Season With Torn ACL

From the Official Site:

Defensive end Armond Armstead broke the fifth metatarsal (outer most bone) in his left foot during practice on Thursday morning and will require surgery. Armstead, a sophomore who has played on the first-unit defensive line during training camp, is expected to be out for six weeks.

Tough break.  This is a big loss since Armond is our only real big run stopping DE.  I guess on the bright side, reports say he should only be out 6-8 weeks, which means he should be back for possibly the Cal game.

Patrick Hall is most likely out for the season with a torn ACL.  He injured his knee in Wednesday's practice doing individual drills; initially it was thought to be a minor tweak but later revealed to be an ACL tear. Definitely bad news, but from an immediate impact standpoint, it really has little effect since Patrick hasn't officially participated competitively in practices due to academic issues and guys like Jawanza Starling have stepped it up.

Video: Armond Armstead Interview

Armond talks about his switch to defensive end.

Armond Armstead Shifts to Defensive End; Derek Simmons Moves Over to Defensive Tackle From O-Line

From WeAreSC.com:

With his current height and weight making him a rather large defensive tackle, the move seemed unlikely, although the Sacramento (CA) native is optimistic about what will transpire.

With the defensive tackle position all he has known from his first year on campus, “Mondo” is beginning to come around to the move.

“I actually kind of like it,” he said of the switch, obviously aware of the fact that there aren’t too many 295lbs defensive ends in college football. “It opens things up for me, I get to come from the outside and use my athleticism more.”

I don't know how I really feel about this move.  I guess this is one of those situations where you just have to trust the coaches judgment.  I thought Armond had the perfect size and skills to be a dominant DT; I'm not sure how that will translate over at SDE.  I can see the logic in the move because I wouldn't feel comfortable with Everson (or a freshman) on the strongside.  Armond brings discipline which is needed at his new spot because it requires a greater awareness of coverage responsibilities.

I guess this frees things up for Christian Tupou to make the switch to DT and Jurrell Casey/Hebron Fangupo (and Spicer to lesser extent) to compete for the starting NT spot. I'm also assuming Everson Griffen will play weakside with Armond and shift to strongside with Malik on the opposite end when the defense needs speed from the edges.  That's my guess.

Also, Armond wasn't the only player to switch spots:

Armond Armstead Getting Ready for SC

Kid's going to beast it at SC.  Maybe in a few years we'll talk about Armond and Nick Perry like we did with Sed and LoJack - the similarities are definitely there.  Keep in mind that Nick had 36 sacks his senior year - 36 sacks!  Gotta be excited for these two.

Final Rivals100 Prospect Ranking: Seven SC Commits on the List

From Rivals.com:

11.  Matt Kalil, OL (Servite, Anaheim, CA) - 5*

15.  Tyron Smith, OL (Rancho Verde, Moreno Valley, CA) - 5*

31.  Blake Ayles, TE (Lutheran, Orange, CA) - 4*

40.  Wes Horton, DE (Notre Dame, Sherman Oaks, CA) - 4*

42.  Armond Armstead, DT (Pleasant Grove, Elk Grove, CA) - 4*

79.  Brice Butler, WR (Norcross, Norcross, GA) - 4*

96.  D.J. Shoemate, WR (Servite, Anaheim, CA) - 4*

D.J. Shoemate took the biggest hit, going from a top 30 5-star all the way down to #96 and a 4-star rating.  Personally, I'm not surprised with the move because I've never thought too highly of D.J..  I think he's going to be a solid player in college simply because he's coachable and comes from a great program in Servite, but he just doesn't have the "IT" factor to become a superstar IMO.  I know some recruiting experts, like Garry Paskwietz of WeAreSC.com, thought he was one of the best RB/players in CA this past season and is going to be a tremendous recruit, but I just don't see it the same way.  Garry obviously knows a lot more than I do, but he's also been wrong his fair share.   Also, there is no way D.J. ever becomes a starting RB for SC, barring some ridiculous string of injuries; I see him as a receiver or safety at the next level.  But with that said, I still think #96 is too low of a ranking; I think he should be somewhere in the 50-70 range.  Also on the topic of overrated players, I'll be surprised if Wes Horton ever pans out, I think he's way too upright as a DE and should be at the bottom of the top 100 at best. 

On the flip side, I really like Blake Ayles and think he should be a 5-star prospect, which he essentially is since he's ranked at #31.  He probably won't make an impact right away because of our TE depth, but he should be a very good one in the future.  Also, I've praised Armond Armstead numerous times on this blog back when he was a 3-star prospect.  I also think Joe Adams will be a very good CB assuming he doesn't break out as a receiver first. 

New Rivals 100 Ranking - Seven Trojans Make the List

From Rivals.com:

6.  Matt Kalil (Anaheim, CA) - OL

11.  Tyron Smith (Moreno Valley, CA) - OL

22.  D.J. Shoemate (Anaheim, CA) - ATH

47.  Blake Ayles (Orange, CA) - TE

71.  Armond Armstead (Elk Grove, CA) - OG/DT

92.  Joe Adams (Little Rock, AR) - WR/CB

95.  Brice Butler (Norcross, GA) - WR

Looks like another top 5 class.  Amazing how T.J. Bryant dropped off the top 100 list when earlier in the season they were hyping him as the best CB prospects ever to come out of Tallahassee. 

The Updated Rivals100

Rivals.com released their new Rivals100 today and there are 6 Trojans on the list:

6.  Matt Kalil, OL

• Kalil is a franchise left tackle that can’t be beat on the pass rush.

11.  Tyron Smith, OL

• Smith is a two-time NIKE Camp MVP and an amazing right tackle prospect.

22.  D.J. Shoemate, ATH

• Shoemate looked back to old self at the USC Rising Senior Camp.

42.  Blake Ayles, TE

• Ayles is the nation’s most well-rounded tight end. Averaged 14 yards a catch in 2006.

68.  Armond Armstead, DT

• Armstead, who also is an AAU basketball star, had 79 tackles as a junior and dominated at USC’s summer camp.

76.  Brice Butler, WR

• Sticky hands led to nine touchdowns as a junior.

I personally like this list better than Scout.com's.  For example, I'm high on players like Armond Armstead (3-star on Scout; 4-star on Rivals) and Tyron Smith (4-star on Scout; 5-star on Rivals) and not so high on players like Matt Meyer (4-star on Rivals; 5-star on Scout).  Then again, I'm not a recruiting expert so what do I know?

Armond Armstead Commits to USC

Quotes from the announcement from WeAreSC.com and SacBee.com:

“It was the coaching staff, their (USC) style of play, and the school itself that put them over the top. The location was definitely a plus for me, and my parents can come and see my games. Even if USC was far away, they are on national television every week, so they could still see me play."

...“The first thing I noticed about the camp was the intensity,” said Armstead. “I feel like if I go to USC, the coaches will make me the best player I can be. They’ve been honest and up front since the start, and I took notice of that."

...“USC wants to move me around the defensive line,” he said. “Coach Carroll and coach Holt want me to play defensive end and tackle, which is fine. I would say I prefer defensive end a little more, only because its harder to get double teamed and I can really use my athleticism.”

..."USC has been my first choice, and I've told all the coaches I would go there," he said. "The only way I'm changing my mind is if USC stops contacting me and recruiting me."

With the verbal from Armond, we are now up to 12 commits for the 2008 class.  Next on the possible commitment list is Brice Butler who is announcing later this week.

Quick Update: Armond Armstead Announcing Tonight

SC are heavy favorites to land the 4-star DT.  Armond has been one of my favorite players flying under the radar.  He has great size and showed an excellent motor at the Rising Stars camp.  Will update later tonight.