USC homer explains how USC's recruiting class wasn't Kiffin's fault

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Ramsey and his family had actually been secretly committed to Florida State for about a month leading up, though they routinely told USC’s staff otherwise. Why the change of heart? Had Ramsey come to USC, the spotlight was on him to step up and be a pivotal playmaker early due to the departure of Nickell Robey and depleted secondary. With his talent and projected worth at the college level, this was nothing short of what was to be expected. According to our source within the SC program, the coaching staff believes that the pressure of headlining the Trojans’ pass defense was too much for Ramsey, and he chose to attend Florida State, where he wouldn’t be thrown into the fire with as much haste.

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Then there was the case of defensive end Jason Hatcher, who de-committed, then recommitted, then de-committed again within two weeks. According to our source within the USC program, Hatcher did not de-commit, as much as USC dropped his scholarship offer, due to a number of character issues came up that the Trojans were not willing to risk. Not only that, but with Clancy Pendergast taking over the USC defense, we were told that Hatcher’s skill set wasn’t flush with new system at hand.

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A similar situation happened with wide receiver Eldridge Massington, one of USC’s earliest de-commits. The Texas product tore his ACL last fall, and at the time, USC honored their offer to him. According to our source within the USC program, what the Trojans couldn’t honor though, was Massington not being honest with the coaching staff about how he tore his ACL. Massington told the coaches that he tore it practicing with his high school team, but per our source, he tore it while participating in 7-on-7 drills while taking a visit to Tennessee, a visit he was told not to take in the first place, which led to his offer being pulled. Like Hatcher, Massington was advised to say he de-committed so as not to hurt himself with other college football programs. Massington wound up choosing to go to UCLA

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On the Sunday before National Signing Day, “Kylie Fitts was a Trojan,” a source close to the situation tells Reign of Troy. So what changed his mind? Fitt’s high school coach, the uncle of UCLA cheerleader, got in his head and made him feel guilty about still wanting to go to USC, articulated a source close to Fitts’s recruitment.

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For defensive linemen Torrodney Prevot and Eddie Vanderdoes, multiple sources have reiterated that changes in defensive schemes and concerns of depth may have led Prevot and Vanderdoes to sign with Oregon and Notre Dame.

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