Justin Flowe released a top four late last week and there was at least one surprise in there as USC did not make the cut for the five-star linebacker from Upland, Calif.
Clemson, Georgia, Miami and Oregon were the four Flowe selected and he has a good understanding of all those programs - some more than others. But keeping the hometown Trojans off the list did come as a shock.
Flowe has visited USC numerous times and a source said anything could still happen in the five-star’s recruitment and that no avenue has been completely shut out. If coach Clay Helton is fired and a big-time coach is hired at USC, the Trojans might be able to get back in the game if Flowe has enough time to consider them.
In the spring, the five-star linebacker visited Georgia and he had an excellent time there and there was some chatter he even considered a commitment to the Bulldogs before leaving campus, but decided to hold off and let his recruitment play out.
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Oregon has been doing an exceptional job aggressively recruiting Southern California prospects as coach Mario Cristobal said at Pac-12 Media Days that he’s not going to apologize for going after anybody, anywhere that would make his team better.
Miami seems like the dark horse in Flowe’s recruitment, although if he takes an official visit there during the season then the Hurricanes could be right in the thick of things.
Clemson has definitely taken a step forward for the Upland star, especially after he visited for its cookout recently. He will have friends on campus, he will play for titles and the Clemson staff has developed numerous NFL players. The distance from home could be a sticking point, but possibly one that could be overcome.
FARRELL'S TAKE
We ask Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell whether he thinks Clemson is clearly the team to beat for Flowe after his top-four release or if USC is going to play spoiler here, especially if a new, high-profile staff comes in.
“Right now Clemson is in the driver’s seat and it has a huge advantage because of all the time they can continue to recruit Flowe while USC likely transitions. The Trojans could still make a big-name hire and change everything, but it might not be enough to overcome the edge Clemson reportedly has. I originally thought Flowe would be part of the USC class in the end, but the fact that they didn’t even make his final (or top) four is surprising. It will be hard to beat Clemson and the others.”
