**NOTE** The following is a guest post by Pierre Tasci
Almost like clockwork, every year USC pulls a coup out of nowhere and snatches a big time recruit that no one saw coming. Call the Trojans the Kobe Bryant of college football, always coming through at the 11th hour.
This year, the big pick up was defensive linemen Leonard Williams, a tough, physical type out of Florida. The large turnover currently going on in University Park all across the defensive line lends itself well to Williams getting some early playing time. Most of all, the possibility of an immediate impact makes Williams a huge pick up in the Trojan’s eyes.
This signing truly comes as a surprise considering how long USC remained on the
backburner of Williams top three. For the majority of the process it was widely supposed that Williams was choosing between Florida and Auburn with USC as a second thought. Yet, the Trojan coaches managed to do what all great closers do best, finish strong. Stealing his last official visit and taking advantage of the ever more important last in-home visit, the coaches yanked Williams out of the grips of the SEC.
Williams might prove to be the most important recruit in a highly efficient and talented recruiting class for the Trojans. That is saying plenty when you really study the potential in this class from top to bottom. With their backs against the wall, Lane Kiffin put together a class of future starters.
Yet even when compared against a talented group Williams still has the potential, body, and nasty attitude to surpass them all.
The best facet of his game that the Trojan’s should be most excited about is the
physicality with which he approaches the game. Making the transition from high school to college is tough because of the tougher competition from within your school and across your conference. It is rare to find a student athlete as mentally tough as Williams, a trait necessary for anyone expecting to try and vie for the field.
The scary part, William’s isn’t even close to his peak. The Trojan’s recruited him as a defensive end but with room on his frame for a lot more muscle, he could eventually make a transition to defensive tackle. This story screams of Ndamukung Suh and the huge transformation he went through at Nebraska. This isn’t meant to put pressure on a guy who hasn’t even stepped on campus, but the potential is definitely there.
In a year where sanctions have forced USC to only go after diamonds, the brightest gem of them all might just end up being Leonard Williams.
