How USC coaches are handling recruiting amid upheaval

As helium arrived connected Monday evening for his archetypal interrogation arsenic the USC shot team’s interim caput coach, Donte Williams was informed that helium had a fewer minutes earlier his new, play spot connected the vigor program.

Williams excused himself, stepped a fewer feet distant and utilized the tiny model of accidental to telephone a recruit.

“That’s one-third of the job. So you whitethorn not person time, you find time,” Williams said Thursday. “Recruiting, everyone thinks it’s each day, 24-7. But I deliberation recruiting is 25-7. You person to astir marque an hr successful the day.”

As with immoderate coaching change, USC’s recruiting tin beryllium described arsenic successful a authorities of purgatory, astatine best. No large enlistee is going to pledge to a assemblage without a caput coach, and Williams and the USC coaching unit aren’t precisely successful a spot to judge specified commitments earlier Clay Helton’s successor is successful place.

But determination inactive remains the contented of the existent members of USC’s 2022 recruiting class. Ten seniors had already committed to USC earlier Helton was fired connected Monday, including five-star prospects Domani Jackson of Mater Dei and Mykel Williams of Georgia.

Given the uncertainty astir USC, immoderate schools odor humor successful the water. Trojans backmost perpetrate Devin Brown, a imaginable who USC identified earlier successful the rhythm than astir schools, picked up caller offers from Ole Miss and UCLA successful the days pursuing Helton’s firing.

So Williams and the coaching unit are trying to nonstop a wide connection to some commits and different prospects astir wherefore they should inactive support USC successful caput arsenic they spell astir this process.

“The operation is inactive successful place. Hopefully, they inactive springiness america a accidental arsenic USC,” Williams said. “No substance what, USC is inactive USC. Still a large world school. Still a large city. Still large alums. We’re going to marque definite we support the bid connected the tracks and support this happening rolling.”

Williams said it hasn’t been hard to get the remainder of the coaching unit to proceed their efforts successful recruiting, describing his peers arsenic professionals who recognize however the concern works. And helium hopes that USC’s in-season recruiting efforts outpace those of different teams who mightiness beryllium much focused connected crippled planning.

For his part, Williams said helium tries to telephone East Coast recruits archetypal happening successful the greeting aft helium wakes up astatine 5 a.m. section time, past reaches retired to West Coast kids successful the evening aft practice.

There person been immoderate humble returns, too, arsenic connected Thursday five-star receiver Kevin Coleman from St. Louis announced helium would beryllium taking his past authoritative sojourn to USC successful November.

“I mean, we person a batch of large players connected our squad that aft this play volition leave. If those guys leave, you person to beryllium capable to regenerate them,” Williams said. “My biggest connection to recruits is we’re not astir changing thing here, we’re astir enhancing everything.”

BRIEFLY

USC antiaircraft ends Korey Foreman (foot) and Nick Figueroa (AC sprain) are some expected to play against Washington State connected Saturday, Williams said during his greeting property league connected Thursday.