I tried to tell former USC offensive line recruit and current Florida commit James Wilson that communication was the foundation to any strong relationship. I really did. He shrugged it off as if my point was so obvious it didn’t even need exposition, assured me his word was as strong as oak and then proceeded to flatten my poor heart by switching to the Gators today.
Yesterday. Whatever. Point is: boo.
Wilson is a road grader and a consensus five star linemen with both Scout and Rivals. He’s also from Florida. It’s tough to lure a kid away from his momma (sources say mother Wilson wanted him close to home, and who could blame her?) and the hometown champs, but it’s even tougher when that kid is 6’5″, 305 lbs. of snarling man-sled. Because then he can beat you senseless if you tell him he’s doing the wrong thing, and what was that about strong as oak?
Apparently the cracks started appearing when Wilson was in San Antonio for the Army All-American game, where by all accounts he had a great week of practicing and playing. The place was littered with USC recruits so I know he was surrounded by sensible people. Mayhaps he might have witnessed something unsavory there that unsettled him a bit? Though I’ve no idea why Notre Dame’s crude display of knobbery would have weakened Wilson’s resolve to head west, I will take this time to nonetheless blame the Irish for all my misery.
I can’t really be all that mad at Wilson. During their contemporaneous playing days at Nease High, he blocked for fellow man-sled Tim Tebow, the quarterback/hammer set to lead Florida to wherever the hell Florida’s going. Tebow’s dad’s his pastor, apparently. And that whole want-to-be-close-to-the-family thing, I guess that’s okay. But it still stings lemony-fresh.
This marks the umpteenth time in two years that USC has struck out on sun eclipsing offensive linemen from out of state: Andre Smith (Alabama), Stephen Schilling (Washington), Sam Young (Florida), Anthony Davis (New Jersey), etc. Every single one of these kids, with the slight exception of Young, looked like very good bets to head to Los Angeles. Every single one of them left me clenching my spleen in agony.
It appears the Trojans are aiming for a home run (yes, I hate that metaphor too but I’m feeling lazy and bitter right now) whenever they venture out of state for the big uglies, and in the process they may have lost focus on some in-state gems. Case in point: Matt Summers-Gavin, who many thought would be a sure thing in cardinal and gold after fine showings during the recruiting camp circuit.
Is this going to mean that USC won’t claim its fifth consecutive recruiting title? No, the Trojans’ll do that. But the EA Sports NCAA Football fanatic in me wants them all, and anything less means my childish need for pure and utter domination goes unsated.
82 Sluggo Win 
“Case in point: Matt Summers-Gavin, who many thought would be a sure thing in cardinal and gold after fine showings during the recruiting camp circuit”
Ummm…no. USC coaches stopped recruiting MSG based on his performance in the USC on-campus camp. They saw a kid who had already basically maxed out physically, and was beating HS kids with his great technique, which would not be enough on the D-1 level.
If USC had wanted MSG, they would have offered him in addition to James Wilson.
Other than that, yup this one hurts. Karmic retribution perhaps for Ms. Lewis telling her boy Whitney not to go to Florida State and to stay home at USC. Hopefully for James his decision will work out better than that one.
I’m honored by being in your quotes sidebar… and I LOVE the top photo!!
(Where did you find such a large version of that photo? Can I have it? 🙂
We are working…..
Actually I wanted to see what my new Coach Ed “Bat-Shit Crazy” Orgeron Icon looked like. I shamelessly stole it off of a Rivals Board
thamiam, I’m not as plugged into recruiting as I’d like to be, but from the projected commit lists of some recruiting site staffers my impression of MSG (typing his name thataway makes me want some Vietnamese food) was that he would be a versatile addition to the recruiting class. This was preseason and I kinda sorta left the continent for five months, which might explain some outdated info. I’ve seen MSG footage though and I still think he would’ve been a great pick up.
Brendan, here ya go: http://kellymlee.googlepages.com/INMC125101522_1024x768.jpg
Speaking of your quote sidebar: if your version of “Man in the High Castle” ends with a five-star recruit showing up at Pete Carroll’s house to discuss the flexible nature of subjective reality and then snorting coke off of a stripper’s ass, I’m going to be very disap…. happy.
Does any of that change if that five star recruit is Neil Patrick Harris? Five star on Scout, that is… Rivals doesn’t give NPH the love.
Well, I have to admit, I’ll watch “Harold and Kumar” if I see it on TV, based on how close it is to any NPH scene. And now that I know he’s gay, it’s even funnier.
http://s114.photobucket.com/albums/n262/weedline1983/?
LSW, not sure what that last link was for but good on ya!