USC recruiting solid in wake of Sarks absence
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USC coach Steve Sarkisian was forced to take a leave of absence on Sunday and already the Trojans have lost a five-star commit.
Hours after USC athletic director Pat Haden announced Sarkisian would step aside for an unknown amount of time, with vague references to Sarkisian's health, five-star linebacker Daelin Hayes from Ann Arbor (Mich.) Skyline backed off his pledge to the Trojans.
Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Clay Helton will serve as the interim head coach until Sarkisian returns, if that even happens. According to multiple reports, Sarkisian missed Sunday practice and was asked by Haden to take a leave.
Sarkisian, in his second year with the Trojans, has been tied to at least one alcohol-related incident in the past.
Notre Dame is now considered a serious contender for Hayes' commitment and he's expected to visit South Bend this weekend when, lo and behold, USC is in town. The five-star was also at Notre Dame for its season-opening blowout over Texas.
Still, while Hayes has parted ways with the Trojans, USC's recruiting class might not be in for a major overhaul.
Numerous commits, including four-star offensive lineman Frank Martin, four-star receiver Trevon Sidney, four-star safety CJ Pollard and three-stars Matt Fink and Liam Jimmons among others said their commitments are still firm.
"I have to admit I'm disappointed," Martin said. "I built a relationship with coach Sark before (offensive line coach Bob) Connelly and it's concerning but I'm still 100 percent committed."
Four-star receiver Michael Pittman, who flipped from UCLA earlier this recruiting cycle, said if Helton takes over then he's 100 percent committed as well.
There doesn't seem to be much movement in the 2017 class, either. The Trojans are off to a strong start with the current crop of high school juniors.
Four-stars Stephen Carr, a top running back, and cornerback Thomas Graham both said their commitments still stand. A source said that their pledges to USC had little to do with Sarkisian anyway so Sunday's news should not influence their final decisions.
"They weren't going there for Sark," the source said.
The third 2017 pledge is four-star WR Amari Rodgers from Knoxville (Tenn.) Catholic, who was in Los Angeles this weekend and was at Thursday night's loss to the Huskies. His father is USC wide receivers coach, Tee Martin, and Rodgers said his commitment still stands. but Tennessee and other SEC powers continue to pursue him.
According to another source, multiple recruits have not been thrilled with the direction of USC this season after a 3-2 start and a surprising Thursday night loss to Washington at the Coliseum.
The source said top prospects were not considering a de-commitment but that a coaching change would not make those recruits look around, either, essentially saying that losing Sarkisian - and starting fresh - would not be the worst outcome.
After this latest incident Sunday, that might be exactly what these prospects get.
The biggest fish remaining is soft USC pledge Mique Juarez, a five-star linebacker from Torrance (Calif.) North, who was looking at other teams even before the Sarkisian news broke on Sunday.
Juarez, the top-rated player in California and No. 5 in the 2016 class, is also serious about UCLA and could take official trips to other top programs around the country this fall.
The uncertain future of Sarkisian with the Trojans could certainly play a factor with the state's best player, but it's unclear since Juarez has not yet commented on the goings-on.
Sarkisian's future as USC coach is clearly uncertain. But for the USC recruiting classes, there is surprising stability in the face of this latest news involving the Trojans' coach.
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