LOS ANGELES -- It's no surprise that the USC coaches are looking to load up along the offensive line with the class of 2012. The Trojans are still fighting an uphill battle up front, as bringing in just three players in a two-year stretch put the group in a huge hole. Adding six players to the offensive line last season was a solid first step, but with three weeks until signing day, Lane Kiffin know they have to do more to fix the numbers issue on the offensive line.
Last weekend, USC hosted a phenomenal group of offensive linemen. Trojans commits Jordan Simmons (Encino, Calif./Crespi) and Max Tuerk (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif./Santa Margarita) were joined by Wisconsin commit Kyle Dodson (Cleveland Heights, Ohio./Cleveland Heights), Oregon State commit Isaac Seumalo (Corvallis, Ore./Corvallis) and Andrus Peat (Tempe, Ariz./Corona Del Sol). While Dodson and Peat are intriguing, Seumalo could be the one to watch as signing day draws nearer.
His father, Joe Seumalo, just finished his sixth season at Oregon State and has developed a reputation as one of the best defensive line coaches in the country. The Beavers already boast a second Seumalo -- senior defensive tackle Andrew Seumalo -- and have been in good shape to land a third. Isaac committed to Oregon State this past summer in perhaps the most slam-dunk recruiting race in the country. Despite being recognized as one of the best offensive linemen in the country, Seumalo didn't hear from many schools, as his eventual enrollment at Oregon State was believed to be a formality.
Leave it to Kiffin, Ed Orgeron and the USC staff to take nothing for granted when it comes to recruiting. Arguably no group of coaches works as hard on the recruiting trail as the Trojans, and their pursuit of Seumalo is paying off. The top-ranked player in the state of Oregon and No. 2 ranked offensive guard in the country will now choose between the Trojans and Beavers.
While Oregon State still has to be considered the favorite for Seumalo, his official visit to USC threw a wrench in what was thought to be an easy coast to signing day.
"It was fun," Seumalo said of the USC visit. "I had a good time hanging out with the players and some of the other recruits. I wanted to take it all in -- experience it all -- and get a really good feel for the whole thing in general."
The visit had something of a whirlwind start. Seumalo had never been to USC before, had never met many of the Trojans coaches and was transitioning from Corvallis to Los Angeles. Seumalo said the experience was a lot to take in at first, but he eventually found a comfort level. He was hosted by offensive guard John Martinez and said he enjoyed spending time with USC's Polynesian players. Seumalo also hit it off with Kiffin and offensive line coach James Cregg.
But what stands out the most to Seumalo about USC is the end result of all the work -- the degree that Trojans walk away with.
"I already kind of knew about the power of a USC degree, but it was emphasized during the trip," Seumalo said. "I learned about the connections you can make and what it really means to have that USC degree."
Seumalo said he enjoyed the USC campus and the chance to see where the freshmen football players are housed. He also had an opportunity to spend plenty of time with Cregg, who isn't recruiting Seumalo for any particular position.
"Coach Cregg said the best guys will play," Seumalo said. "They want the five best guys, so if it's at tackle, it's tackle. If it's guard or center, then I'd play there. Wherever the team wants me, I'll play there. As long as I'm contributing to the team."
He is still considered a verbal commitment to Oregon State, but USC has given him more than a little to think about.
"I was thinking about that the whole trip," said Seumalo of his suddenly up-for-grabs choice. "The visit makes the decision tougher, and it's going to be hard to turn away either school. I'm going to think about it as long as it takes to clearly figure out what I want to do."
Oregon State still holds a distinct advantage, as every family dinner could double as a recruiting visit, but Seumalo said his dad has been very good to him when it comes to a college choice.
"My dad is a father first, and he knows it's my decision," Seumalo said. "But he is also reiterating that I made a commitment to Oregon State, and if I'm going to pick a different school, I should have really good reasons for it."
With signing day three weeks away and down to his two final schools, Seumalo said he is going to spend plenty of time thinking over this decision, but he also wants to have his mind made up as quickly as possible in order to sign with his choice on Feb. 1.
Erik McKinney is the recruiting editor for WeAreSC.com and has covered the Trojans since 2004. He can be reached at [email protected].