Vanderdoes caps huge day for USC
Eddie Vanderdoes said he knew for a few weeks that he wanted to commit to USC but wanted to take things slowly, talk it over further with his family and then reach his decision.
That happened late Wednesday night when the four-star defensive lineman from Placer, Calif., committed to the Trojans capping a huge day for the Pac-12 powerhouse that also landed commitments from the nation's top offensive guard in four-star Khaliel Rodgers and four-star offensive tackle Nico Falah.
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"The last three or four weeks I've been pretty clear that I was going to USC," Vanderdoes said. "I was 75 or 80 percent and then in the last week I was 90 percent and then I saw all the commits and hanging with them it was a lock.
"I sat down and talked to my family about it the last two days and I decided to pull the trigger. It's an all-around perfect fit not necessarily because the hype of the class but it was just a perfect fit for me."
Vanderdoes, rated No. 26 in the 2013 class by Rivals.com, is among the defensive ends but will move to defensive tackle in the next round of rankings. That's where he played at The Opening this past weekend in Beaverton, Ore., and that's where he projects for college.
At The Opening is where Vanderdoes also had a chance to spend quality time with numerous USC commits in attendance. Hanging out with Max Browne, Michael Hutchings and others further confirmed the idea that USC was the right place for him for many reasons.
"Going over the colleges a few times, because this decision is huge and I wanted to be done, talking about the pluses and minuses, SC had all the positives," Vanderdoes said.
"The academics are really good, the football program is off the charts and the depth chart is a little slim so I can compete right away.
"It helped being around those guys (at The Opening). I wanted to see how I get along with them because I'm going to be with them the next four or five years. I felt comfortable with them and I felt like a Trojan already. They're the kind of guys I want to be around in college."