USC signs the best of the best

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The philosopher Derek Zoolander once suggested that, ‘Maybe there’s more to life than being really, really, really, ridiculously good looking.’

Don’t tell that to USC fans, who are welcoming a football recruiting class that is, on paper, ridiculously good looking. Again.

Under Pete Carroll, the Trojans have consistently landed some of the nation’s best classes. It’s no surprise that a legendary program with a popular coach can score points with the recruiting services. It is a surprise how they do it with just a handful of players. When a site like Rivals.com or Scout.com ranks the schools, it’s based on a system in which individual signees are worth certain points. All players are graded from one to five stars; the higher, the better.

Having five stars is no guarantee of being a superstar, and having three doesn’t relegate you to the practice squad (even at USC). One of the top performers of the Carroll era, wide receiver Mike Williams, was a three-star recruit. Jeff Schweiger was a five-star, but transferred to San Jose State after not seeing much playing time.

While it’s not a perfect predictor, many teams just wish they could get a couple four-star players. Heading into a typical signing day, USC’s average commit is rated over four stars. They often finish with the entire class average above that preposterous threshold. With a relatively small group of 18 signees, the 2009 Trojans come in at 3.94 on Scout.com and 3.89 on Rivals.com -- both tops in the nation.

If players wore their rankings on their sleeves, USC’s next practice would have more stars running around than the Pentagon. The Trojans stocked up particularly well at quarterback, offensive line, defensive line and in the secondary. They even signed a kicker. A pair of highly regarded linebackers also became Trojans, though USC lost out on another two that were on the top of their wish list. USC didn’t do much at tailback, unless uncommited Bryce Brown decides to sign with the Trojans. Expect that to be a priority next year.

If history repeats itself, USC won’t have much to worry about in 2010. They’ve had the nation’s best average player rating on both services for five of the last six years. They were ‘down’ in 2008, finishing second with Rivals and third with Scout. Over that entire period, the Trojans have collectively averaged 4.10 stars on Scout and 3.99 and Rivals.

When it comes to recruiting, there’s USC -- and there’s everybody else.

-- Adam Rose