Dillon talks about commitment
Steve Dillon made another trip to USC this weekend to see the Trojans play and to get a better feel for the program but this visit was also a little different because it would be his last before making a commitment.
Dillon, a three-star strong-side defensive end from Palmdale, Calif., said he woke up Sunday morning and decided he felt it was time to make his pledge. After talking it over with his family, the 6-foot-3, 245-pound prospect called USC's coaching staff and committed.
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"It wasn't a surprise," Dillon said. "What took me so long was I was still considering the other colleges. My family was pushing me to commit.
"I just figured it was going to be USC because they have the total package. It's a great school, a great team and a great program. The only other team really in the running was Cal.
"I woke up (Sunday) morning and I felt I wanted to be a Trojan. I pretty much had a long conversation with my family and my mom and I decided to give them a call."
Arizona State, Cal, Colorado, Colorado State, Iowa State, New Mexico, Oregon State, UCLA, Utah, Washington and Washington State had also offered Dillon, rated No. 46 at strong-side defensive end nationally by Rivals.com, but once the Trojans offered they were going to be tough to beat.
What also made a big impression on Dillon was when he attended the USC-Cal game and saw the lopsided victory by the Trojans.
USC won, 48-14, dominated the whole way and Dillon got the distinct impression that he wanted to play for a program like the Trojans, still one of the dominant Pac-10 squads.
With USC and Cal as his two favorites, the decision-making process got a little easier after witnessing that outcome in person in mid-October.
"That was a big factor knowing I didn't want to be on a team that's going to get beaten like that," Dillon said.
"They still fought in the second half but they got beaten badly in the first half. That was just bad on their part. It just showed how USC's program really stands."