Smith makes his decision

In a move we've been anticipating for awhile now, Moreno Valley (Calif.) Rancho Verde offensive lineman Tyron Smith has decided to end the recruiting process and will commit to USC first thing Friday morning.

Smith, 6-6, 265 pounds is the top lineman in the West region on either side of the ball this year and a strong argument can be made for him being the top prospect in the state. As we've said numerous times, as good as Smith is now, his upside is off the charts because he's still relatively new to playing the game and he's able to physically dominate players now without the benefit of any real technique.

"I've decided on USC and I'm going to tell Coach Carroll first thing in the morning when I get to campus tomorrow," Smith said. "I've been leaning to USC for some time but I wanted to get my decision out of the way because recruiting was kind of becoming a distraction to me.

"I was getting so many phone calls and text messages and I'm not much of a talker to begin with. Plus I just want to focus on my senior season, both football wise and academically and I knew I wouldn't find a better fit for me than USC.

"I really love the coaches there and they get me fired up every time I talk to them. They really get after it there and that's my style too. Whenever I'm on campus, they treat me like I'm part of the team already and it seems like a big family there. I was just comfortable there and the fact that it's so close to home was just another added bonus."

USC actually had to play some catch up on this one as UCLA was actually Smith's leader back when we talked to him at the NIKE combine in Long Beach in January.

"USC just recruited me harder and made me feel like they really wanted me," Smith said. "They were always inviting me to the campus and I was able to develop a much better connection with the coaches there than at any other school."

Smith has the ability to play tackle or guard in college but said he's most comfortable playing tackle.

"They said they'll leave it up to me but they like me at left tackle and that's what I like as well," Smith added. "It doesn't matter though, I'll play anywhere they want me, I'm just excited right now to be a Trojan and I'm sure I'll be even more excited tomorrow when I tell Coach Carroll."

We didn't see a better lineman on the NIKE Camp tour than Smith this year. In fact, he might have been the best lineman we saw two years ago when he was just a rising junior. Smith is far more than just a workout warrior however, he's equally as dominant on the field and when you combine his great frame, athleticism with how hard he works off the field and the mean streak he plays with, you can understand why he's so highly touted.