Loud and Crazy Confession

"I did it (committed to USC) right after the game," Khaled Holmes said. "It was really loud and crazy in the locker room and I told coach (defensive coordinator) Nick Holt and (tight ends) coach Brennan Carroll first. Then after coach Pete Carroll finished doing his interviews I got some private time with him to let him know. I hadn't planned making a decision, but I just got that feeling..."

Khaled Holmes, the 6-foot-5, 290-pound four-star offensive lineman from Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, Calif., finally pulled the trigger and made the decision that many were expecting him to make for months. Holmes committed to USC on Dec. 1 shortly after the Trojans clinched a Rose Bowl berth with a victory over UCLA.

"I did it right after the game," Holmes said. "It was really loud and crazy in the locker room and I told coach (defensive coordinator)Nick Holt and (tight ends) coach Brennan Carroll first. Then after coach Pete Carroll finished doing his interviews I got some private time with him to let him know."

When we spoke with Holmes in September he said there was a "90 percent" chance that he'd choose USC, but he claims he never felt 100 percent sure until yesterday. "They've been No. 1 for a while, but I truly didn't know I was going to commit to them. I hadn't planned making a decision, but I just got that feeling the time was right.

"I was there all day with my brother and some friends and it just started feeling more and more right. I have a great relationship with all the coaches at USC and have known them all for a while."

He says he chose the Trojans over California and Stanford and had over 20 total scholarship offers. "I'm definitely going to take an official visit to USC, but I haven't set that yet. That's the only trip I plan to take. I'm 100 percent solid now."

Khaled is the younger brother of former USC tight end Alex Holmes and says that the perspective of being a USC fan and USC recruit was quite eye-opening. "It's totally different being a recruit from being a fan," he said. "When I was younger it was just overwhelming and I never really appreciated how awesome the Coliseum is or all the history and tradition of the program."

So how does Holmes feel about the Trojans potentially playing at the Rose Bowl next year? "I obviously want them to stay at the Coliseum, but if they play at the Rose Bowl next year it'll be okay," he said. "I think it would probably be unsettling for a lot of people to see USC play at the Rose Bowl, but as a player you just want to play and I don't think it's a big issue for me."

Holmes, ranked as the No. 15 offensive guard in the country by Scout.com, is also excited about USC winning their sixth consecutive Pac-10 title and playing in the Rose Bowl in January.

"I know USC had really high expectations this year and it's really hard to be a top team year after year, but they were really only a few plays away from playing for the national championship again. I think it's a testament to their program when winning the Pac-10 title and getting into the Rose Bowl is considered a down year."

He reports a 3.5 core GPA and a 1970 SAT.