Note: All rankings are based on the 247Sports Composite rankings.
Steve Sarkisian couldn’t ask for much more after finishing this class with a bang on National Signing Day for the second consecutive year. This class finished second in the country, only slightly behind top-rated Alabama. The major focus was on the defensive side of the ball, especially today. Five-star cornerback Iman Marshall (the highest-rated cornerback in the country), five-star defensive lineman Rasheem Green, four-star linebacker John Houston, and three-star defensive tackle Kevin Scott all committed to USC today. In addition, three-star wide receiver Deontay Burnett committed to USC as a blueshirt, which means that he will be eligible to play in 2015, but his scholarship will be counted toward the 2016 class.
Let’s start with the fourth overall prospect in the country, Iman Marshall. For the second consecutive year, USC landed the highest-rated cornerback prospect in the country. Adoree’ Jackson lived up to expectations as a true freshman, as he was named the Pac-12 Defensive Freshman of the Year. Iman Marshall has a very good chance to start with Jackson next season, forming one of the best cornerback duos in the country. Senior cornerback Kevon Seymour, who started last season, will also be in the mix. Four-star safety Marvell Tell and four-star cornerback Ykili Ross both signed their letters of intent today as well. The Trojans have a myriad of talent throughout the secondary and that unit will be fun to watch next season.
After losing arguably the best defensive lineman in the country to the NFL Draft in Leonard Williams, USC found his replacement today in five-star Rasheem Green. He completed a solid defensive line class that included four-star defensive tackle Jacob Daniel, four-star defensive end Noah Jefferson, three-star defensive tackle Kevin Scott, and three-star defensive end Christian Rector.
USC completed an extremely impressive linebacker class today with the commitment of four-star John Houston. Five-star linebacker Osa Masina, four-star linebacker Porter Gustin, and four-star linebacker Cameron Smith will be joining Houston in this class. Good luck finding a school that brought in a better class of linebackers this year.
California is obviously a pipeline state for USC, but is it time to list Junipero Serra High School as a pipeline school for the Trojans? Rasheem Green, John Houston, and Deontay Burnett all decided to come to USC together from Serra. Many USC standouts, including Marqise Lee and Adoree’ Jackson, came from Serra in the past.
Sarkisian put the Trojans in great shape for next season and the future with this tremendous class. If he can develop these young players properly, USC will be national championship contenders in the near future.
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