Ashley signs with USC

Saying it was one of the toughest decisions he ever had to make, Los Angeles (Calif.) Venice running back Kenny Ashley told us moments ago that he has decided to sign with USC over a previous commitment to Mississippi State.

"Man, my head is spinning right now and I jus have a headache from all this," Ashley said. "This was so tough for me and I went back and forth for the last 48 hours. Last night, I thought for sure it was Mississippi State but a lot of that was because I didn't think USC had sent me the letter of intent.

"Then I found out this morning they had sent it to me at school and it had been here for a day already. That's when I knew they really did want me. It was still tough because I love everything about Mississippi State and those coaches have been with me for months now. I had so many people telling me different things but when I got by myself and thought about it, I just decided I needed to follow my heart and my heart was at SC.

"You have to understand, I've always wanted to go to SC. That has been my dream forever and I think if I would have chosen Mississippi State, I would have been happy but I would have always wondered, 'what if.' I would have been asking myself a lot of questions and now I can just stay close to home and help take care of my mom and my two little brothers.

"I know there is a lot of competition at SC and they have a lot of running backs coming in but I think I showed at the CaliFlorida Bowl that I can compete with anyone. I'm not afraid of competition and I can't wait to get out to SC and show that I'm one of the best players in the country."