1/21/2015 football Edit

Roundtable: Best shot at late magic

Rivals.com

Publisher

Rasheem Green

Despite a fourth-place finish in the Pac-12 South division standings last season, Steve Sarkisian appears primed to make yet another thunderous statement. A year after landing highly coveted local prospects Adoree' Jackson, John Smith and Damien Mama on National Signing Day, the Trojans seem to in line to once again send shock waves through the recruiting world. And much like in 2013, it won't come as a surprise -- USC has a chance to close out with five of the top 37 prospects in the Rivals100, including four five-stars. No. 1-rated cornerback Iman Marshall has long been thought to be a USC lean; No. 1-rated inside linebacker Porter Gustin has been to campus four times; Gardena (Calif.) Serra teammates John Houston and Rasheem Green have been staples at USC the last few years; and Osa Masina is expected to pick the Trojans on Friday. USC's 12 commits in the Rivals250 are second only to Alabama's 17, and Sarkisian only figures to add to that impressive total.

-- Blair Angulo, West Region

USC

Team Ranking: No. 4

Osa Masina

USC is still alive with plenty of high-profile prospects, not the least of which are five-stars Porter Gustin (linebacker) and Iman Marshall (cornerback). Landing one of the two would be significant. Capturing both would be a full-fledged haul, and USC just may be able to pull it off. Four-star linebacker Osa Masina, who was impressive during All-Star season, is also high on the Trojans and could bolster an already strong recruiting class down the stretch. The Trojans are more likely to grab all three targets than they are to strike out completely.

-- Rob Cassidy, Southeast Region

USC

Team Ranking: No. 4

John Houston

Last year, USC landed Adoree' Jackson, John Smith, Damien Mama and Lamont Simmons on Signing Day and I fully expect the same type of fireworks this year. USC is the favorite to land five-stars John Houston and Rasheem Green out of Gardena (Calif.) Junipero Serra and many expect Iman Marshall, the nation's top cornerback, to end up choosing the Trojans. Landing five-star Porter Gustin and Rivals100 Osa Masina could really push USC's class over the top.

-- Adam Friedman, Mid-Atlantic Region

USC

Team Ranking: No. 4

Porter Gustin

There is no question that USC has a phenomenal chance to close stronger than any other team in the country. The Trojans have no five-stars yet in the 2015 class? So what? All their big fish are announcing closer to Signing Day and that means USC fans should get ready for a big finish. Start at the top with five-star cornerback Iman Marshall, who is taking trips all over the country but USC remains one of the top schools. The Trojans look very strong for five-star teammates John Houston and Rasheem Green. Then it's also in the serious running for linebackers Porter Gustin (five-star) and high four-star Osa Masina. USC currently sits third in the Rivals.com team rankings with no five-stars. A big move up could certainly happen on Signing Day.

-- Adam Gorney, West Region

Auburn

Team Ranking: No. 11

Trenton Thompson

This past weekend's official visitor list at Auburn was very impressive. Three of the four biggest names left on the board are Byron Cowart, Martez Ivey and CeCe Jefferson and all three visited the Tigers over the weekend, as did a pair of five-star Georgia commits - Terry Godwin and Trenton Thompson. That group was joined by Rivals100 prospects Terry Beckner Jr. and Ryan Davis as well as a host of prospects already committed to them. Auburn does not have to land all those players to finish strong - even just a couple will make them hard to beat for having the strongest finish.

-- Josh Helmholdt, Midwdest Region

Florida

Team Ranking: No. 98

Martez Ivey

It has been pretty tough sledding for the Florida Gators. It was another off year on the field and the talk of Will Muschamp losing his job did not help, either. Florida is currently way down the recruiting rankings. They have eight commits; none are of the four or five star variety. It is obvious new head coach Jim McElwain plans to change that with several big visitors slotted for January. The Gators can take a full class and are big players for five star prospects Martez Ivey, Cece Jefferson, and Byron Cowart. It is definitely going to take some work but the Gators have set themselves up for a strong close and a surge up the recruiting rankings.

-- Jason Howell, Mid-South Region

Auburn

Team Ranking: No. 11

Tim Irvin

Auburn had one of the most impressive official visit weekends you will ever see with the names they brought in this past weekend. The early buzz is that the Tigers are now in a good position with several big names, including the nation's No. 1 overall player, Byron Cowart. Even if the Tigers can't close with Cowart, they've already stolen Tim Irvin away from Texas and have the nation's No. 1 offensive tackle, Martez Ivey, very interested as well. Other names to watch include five-star defensive end Cece Jefferson and four-stars Kendrick Norton and Jeffery Holland. With the way things are going, it would be tough for Auburn not to close strong, even if the Tigers only land half the names on their wish list.

-- Woody Wommack, Southeast Region