Rivals250 RB Brandon Campbell is a Trojan

Brandon Campbell only trimmed his offer sheet down to six finalists a week ago before he naturally came to grips on his college decision.

After announcing LSU, Southern Cal, TCU, Penn State, Alabama and Florida as his final schools, the Rivals250 running back committed to the Trojans on Saturday. Even after narrowing his list of options down to six, Campbell named USC as the private leader, which eventually led to the decision sooner rather than later.

"I really like the staff and everything," Campbell told Rivals. "Coach Jinks ... he let me know I'm a priority guy for them. They want me to play my freshman year and they didn't take a running back in 2020 either. They said I'm a top guy in this class and will have two scholarships for backs next year. It feels like the perfect situation. I'm close with the staff and it feels like a good situation and Cali is a perfect place for me."

Ironically enough, Campbell would've been in California this weekend for a visit if the coronavirus did not cancel on-campus college visits through at least mid-April.

Campbell fills a glaring need for Clay Helton's team, which has four returning scholarship running backs entering the 2020 season and did not sign any in the last recruiting cycle to bolster the depth chart. Two of USC's returning backs will be seniors this season.

Continuing to hit the Lone Star State with some consistency, USC signed a pair of three-star offensive linemen out of Texas in 2020. The last running back the Trojans signed out of Texas was four-star Ronald Jones back in 2015. Campbell is USC's first running back commitment for the 2021 class.

"After last week, I went ahead and committed. I told them as a staff that I was getting the video done and I felt like everyone has been anticipating it. They started to guess it and they can feel it a little bit now. The staff has been really excited by it, ready for me to start recruiting the rest of the class, and it's been exciting to see the coaches' reaction."

"The opportunity to come in and have a chance to start, just to have an opportunity, is what I've been dreaming of for my whole life. I trust in my own ability to come in and show out and win a starting spot. What excites me is to get one of the best educations you can get, so not only will I be playing high-level football; I'll be getting a high-level education. USC is one of the hardest schools to get into and I'm excited about the whole situation."

"The more I talked about USC, the more I talked to the staff, the more convinced I am every time. Coach (Mike) Jinks and (Clay) Helton have a great relationship and it continues to get stronger. The more I talk about USC and about the situation, it makes more sense in my head that it's gonna be right for me."

"I feel like USC stayed on top, stayed on cruise control this week. They knew it wasn't a done deal or a finished job. Penn State and LSU they stepped it up to another level and texted me multiple times. Some schools not in my top six were adamant, reaching out, including UCLA. I had group chats with the whole staff. The same with Miami and the whole staff. Oklahoma reached out. Texas reached out. Stan Drayton called and stressed experience and put me on the phone with Bijan (Robinson), but I have confidence in USC and I know they'll continue to do right by me."

"The (scholarship count) is definitely one of the biggest factors, but it's also about the city and California is a great place to do it. It feels similar to Houston because it's a big city and I'm moving from one big city to another hard. It's an easy situation for me to step into and I can get used to it, so I don't think it'll be a hard transition."

Campbell boasts a verified 4.5-second 40 time to go along with a 4.07-second shuttle time and 36.6-inch vertical combined with a 5-foot-10, 190-pound frame. He's a bonafide threat out of the backfield as a runner or a receiver with the capacity to take any touch the distance.

The Houston-area product is preparing to play for his third school in the past two years. He's set to enroll at area powerhouse Katy High School after semesters spent at Katy (Texas) Taylor and Pearland High schools.

Campbell's junior tape at Taylor is absolutely mind-blowing. He showcases short-area quickness, elite agility and home-run abilities. Campbell is a dynamic runner with the ability to make defenders miss in the backfield and the explosiveness to find a hole and breakthrough it. He has excellent cut-back ability. Campbell is patient enough to wait for his blocks to unfold, but can also create for himself with his quick hips and lower-body strength to run through would-be tacklers or around them. He's unafraid to lower his shoulder or throw a stiff-arm either.

As dangerous as Campbell is as a traditional back, what he adds a receiver is unequivocally an added threat to the offense. He's got reliable hands and his blend of speed and quickness allows him to eat after the catch. He's a mismatch left in single coverage and is equally as dangerous in the open field. Campbell can also handle difficult catches in traffic.

Campbell is the ideal back for college football today. He does not have to come off the field, is a willing blocker and can contribute as an early-down runner, a short-yardage back or a piece in the passing game. He'll give USC much-needed depth and some explosiveness at a true position of need. Campbell should emerge as a three-down threat for the Trojans, but could also be a fantastic change-of-pace back capable of filling multiple roles in a backfield-by-committee.