Class of 12 standout makes the call
Jordan Payton (6-2, 195, 4.49) from Westlake Village (Calif.) Oaks Christian is one of the best wide receiver prospects for the class of 2012. He already has big time offers from the Pac 10 and the SEC, but he accepted an offer from his dream team earlier today.
"I'm pumped up," Payton said about his committal to USC. "I've loved USC since I was a little kid and that's where I want to be. I'm glad I got it over with.
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"I have been dreaming of playing in the Coliseum ever since I was little kid," Payton said. "For me to get this opportunity, it's a life changing experience.
"I grew up down the street from there so it was a local team that was always winning," Payton said. "It just seemed so great when I was a little kid. USC were like Gods when I was six years old and so it is just great to be able to commit to USC as a sophomore.
Though it is a long way away until Payton steps on USC's campus. He knows that other schools aren't going to stop recruiting him and he seems to be okay with that but he seems pretty solidly in the USC camp.
"USC is the school," Payton said. "You go to sleep at night and dream that this is the school that I dreamt of so USC is the school that I'm going to be at and it is the school that I'm going to stay at.
"Even though I have two years to go, I'll for sure stay at USC," Payton said. "I'm going to stay committed to SC."
Payton will be very busy this summer working on his skills with the 1925 All-Stars. This team took part in a passing league tournament in Las Vegas this past weekend and took third. This team will also take part in a passing league tournament at USC and UCLA.
Payton and his Oaks Christian teammates will play in the tough Marmonte League, the toughest league in Ventura County and they aren't taking the move lightly. They are working incredibly hard.
"We throw every day and Trevor Gretzky is getting better every day," Payton said. "He's (Gretsky) looking great.
"We're coming into the new league fired up," Payton said. "We're not coming in there intimidated, we're coming in there with the thought we want to win this whole thing. We're working hard every day as a team to get better.
"It's a very tough league," Payton said. "But you'll see a pretty good Oaks Christian team. We're low key right now, but you will come in and see us compete with everybody else."
The Trojans get one of the best underclassman in the Golden State. Payton earned first-team all-CIF, first-team all-county, first-team all-area, first-team all-league and second-team all-decade by the Ventura County Star, the area's largest daily newspaper.
As a sophomore, Payton had 45 receptions for 1,088 yards and 18 touchdowns while averaging 24.2 yards per catch.
USC wins this early recruiting battle over other offers from Arizona State, Washington and LSU.