National Signing Day

18th Century poet Alexander Pope once penned a poem dubbed, "An Essay on Man." Within the poem he alludes to the resiliency of the human spirit to have hope in dark times with the phrase, "hope springs eternal." That, in one phrase, exactly characterizes the feeling of 130 head coaches in college football trying to land "that one guy." That one guy who will turn around the entire program.Some teams landed the player that will lead them to the Promised Land, some teams are singing the blues about "the one that got away." Some teams had to be creative with a limited number of scholarships, while others had the flexibility to take in twice as many recruits. Who, then was able to win this intricate game of cat-and-mouse? 

For those of you who know me, you are all well aware of where my college football allegiance lies. I grew up sneaking away from schoolwork to read the USC media guide the day it arrived, much to the dismay of my mother. From the moment Pat Haden hired Steve Sarkisian, I was excited. When public outcry came in support of Chris Petersen, I was quick to point out the recruiting prowess of Sarkisian and his staff, and the lack of recruiting experience for Petersen. According to ESPN, Washington finished 26 spots lower in recruiting in 2014 compared to 2013, while USC  finished 14th for the second consecutive year (USC was not even ranked in the top forty the day after Sarkisian took over). This finish vindicated my reasoning. If Sarkisian can coach half as well as he can recruit, USC will be competing for a National Championship very soon (and judging that Washington improved from 0-12 the year before Sarkisian to 9-4 the year he left, I'd say he is a darn good coach). 

But what made this class so special? Why was it perhaps even more impressive than Alabama's class? This class was special for the simple reason that USC, when going head-to-head with UCLA, dominated the recruiting battle. On signing day there were 4 recruits strongly considering USC and UCLA. 3 of them picked USC. The 4th one picked Oklahoma. How on earth did Sarkisian manage to land 3 of the top prospects in the land against a team that shellacked the Trojans just 2 months prior? Precedent certainly played a key, but you have to applaud Sarkisian and his staff for the three crippling blows to the Bruins. Last winter Lane Kiffin was unable to get a better crop of recruits than Jim Mora's Bruins. Steve Sarkisian not only landed a better class, he did so in 2 short months after being hired.

To end this column I am going to add one more thing. Steve Sarkisian is a recruiting genius. If you do not believe me yet, here is some more evidence. The Trojan track team offered Randall Cunningham II (NFL QB Randall Cunningham's son, and for hardcore 'SC fans, Sam "Bam" Cunningham's nephew) a scholarship to run track. Per some strange NCAA red tape, Cunningham is allowed to walk onto the football team for the first two years on campus without counting against the Trojan's scholarship limit. However, if he appears in a game within that two-year period, the NCAA will count him against USC's scholarship limit, which USC cannot afford due to the silly penalties levied against them in 2010 (and no, this is not the pouting of a subjective, sour Trojan fan. That is a very objective opinion, and if you would like to discuss the NCAA penalties, I am more than happy to do so). But here is where Sarkisian's genius comes into play. Trojan's Offensive Coordinator Clay Helton was recruiting Cunningham II before Sarkisian was hired. However, once Sarkisian became head coach, Helton stopped pursuing Cunningham as a football recruit, while the track team was recruiting him to join the track team. If Sarkisian stopped Helton's pursuit of Cunningham with those NCAA regulations in mind, Cunningham will not count against USC's scholarship limit even after the sanctions are over. If you are thinking that Sarkisian was not interested in Cunningham, maybe this information will dispel that idea. Cunningham was the 24th ranked Quarterback prospect in the nation, while also having the positional flexibility to play Wide Receiver or Defensive Back. Prior to committing to USC, he was being recruited by the likes of LSU, Arizona State, and Kansas State to play football. It is in this information that I rest my case. Steve Sarkisian is a genius.