USC stormed back during the final hours of recruiting to overtake Florida for the recruiting national championship. Despite losing Scout.com's No. 1 offensive lineman, Andre Smith, to Alabama, and Scout.com's No. 1 defensive lineman, Gerald McCoy, to Oklahoma, the Trojans maneuvered expertly, putting together an incredible finish in the final hours of Letter-of-Intent Day .
Pete Carroll signed Scout.com Top 100 wide receiver Jamere Holland from Taft High School in Woodland Hills and quarterback/safety Garrett Green from Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks.
Earlier in the day, USC recruiters convinced highly-regarded running back Kenny Ashley, from Venice High School, to decommit from Mississippi State and Long Beach Poly safety/linebacker Alfred Rowe changed his mind in favor of the Trojans over Oregon State.
An unprecedented total of thirteen of Scout.com's National Top 100 team are headed to play for USC. And their recruiting may not be over yet.
Scout.com's No. 3 running back Keiland Williams, who has been committed to LSU, remains unsigned and is strongly considering USC. A team which already has commitments from sterling runners such as Stafon Johnson, Emmanuel Moody, Stanley Havili and Ashley, could finish even stronger.
Complicating matters, USC's final signing list also remains in question because because Scout.com's No. 1 wide receiver, Vidal Hazelton, from Hargrave Military Academy (Va.), has not received permission from his parents to play for the Trojans. His USC Letter-of-Intent does not contain his father's signature and for that reason is invalid. Sources close to the family feel Hazelton will end up at USC, but the uncertainty of that situation, coupled with Williams' delayed signing, makes Scout.com's final choice for this year's national recruiting champion contingent on future events.
For now, USC deserves the nod as Scout.com's national recruiting champ. Stay tuned for further reports from our staff which may affect this network's final choice: USC or Florida.