Kyle Prater Back to USC per Rivals

[sooner59]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/andy_staples/01/13/kiffin.usc.tennessee/index.html?eref=sihp

[delhalew]

FOOL

[sooneron]

FOOL

An offensive blue chip that suddenly decides he's going to play in a Norm Chow offense? Yeah, that's real foolish.:rolleyes:

[FaninAma]

An offensive blue chip that suddenly decides he's going to play in a Norm Chow offense? Yeah, that's real foolish.:rolleyes:

Depends on how bad the NCAA beyotch slaps them.

[BoomerSooner88]

ESPN Sportscenter reported that Norm Chow hasnt even been contacted by SUC yet....but it will probably happen..

[JLEW1818]

just imagine what Neuheisel is thinking... "WTF"

[delhalew]

An offensive blue chip that suddenly decides he's going to play in a Norm Chow offense? Yeah, that's real foolish.:rolleyes:

Yeah...because that's the whole story. Looks like he's not the only fool.
Careful your eyes might stay that way.

[sooneron]

Depends on how bad the NCAA beyotch slaps them.

The ncaa is a bunch of nutless monkeys. How is their "bitch slapping" usc really going to affect a "supposedly" very good WR? Barkeley will still be there next year. Even if they're not on tv (which will not happen prolly) or going to a bowl game for a year or whatever, he still gets to catch a lot of passes in that offense.

[sooneron]

Yeah...because that's the whole story. Looks like he's not the only fool.
Careful your eyes might stay that way.

uh, mm ok. Way to refute what I said. :rolleyes:

[delhalew]

uh, mm ok. Way to refute what I said. :rolleyes:

I know you're not a fool. So I shouldn't have to spell it out for you.
I think you are correct about the NCAA being pretty toothless when it comes to USC.
However, despite putting together a great staff and recruiting well, I don't think Kiffin has the chops to be a great coach. Not to mention, his arrival will do nothing to lessen NCAA scrutiny.

Also, we don't KNOW Chow is in yet. Prater likes Kiffin. That's why he's in. That's why he is a fool.

[sooneron]

I know you're not a fool. So I shouldn't have to spell it out for you.
I think you are correct about the NCAA being pretty toothless when it comes to USC.
However, despite putting together a great staff and recruiting well, I don't think Kiffin has the chops to be a great coach. Not to mention, his arrival will do nothing to lessen NCAA scrutiny.

Also, we don't KNOW Chow is in yet. Prater likes Kiffin. That's why he's in. That's why he is a fool.

And what I am saying is that, IF Chow is to be the OC in Watts, then it's still a pretty smart choice. It's not like Kiffin will be pulling on the reigns of the talent that they have out there. The condoms have established a pipeline into the nfl with their schemes and talent. Maybe this kid doesn't care about pac 10 titles, but just want to get paid. Of course, Watts may be a good place for that.;)

[delhalew]

I guess its a young mans priorities that I am thinking about.
If this kid is as good as everybody thinks he is, a couple years spent at Illinois would land him a first round spot. Wouldn't you agree?
If sunshine and a range rover is all he cares about, then so be it.

[starclassic tama]

yeah, because USC never has first round picks. probation isn't going to affect these recruits. the NCAA isn't going to ban them from the post-season or TV.

[delhalew]

yeah, because USC never has first round picks. probation isn't going to affect these recruits. the NCAA isn't going to ban them from the post-season or TV.

Who ever said USC didn't get first rounders? The point is some people arw first rounders no matter were they play.

[sooneron]

True, but some glory and gaudy numbers in college don't hurt.

[OK2U]

Good DOK article on coaching changeups/OU recruits:
http://blog.newsok.com/ou/2010/01/13/ous-chances-of-swiping-usc-recruits-dwindle/?custom_click=lead_story_title

Kyle Prater, the nation’s top wide receiver recruit, was scheduled to begin classes this week at USC. He was an early enrollee and had planned to go through spring practice with the Trojans.

But instead of flying to Los Angeles from San Antonio, where he was this past weekend for the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, Prater decided to fly back to his hometown of Hillside, Ill., and rethink his college choice.
Now, Prater has re-booked a flight to Los Angeles and is expected to be in class by Tuesday.

Many schools like Oklahoma were hoping to capitalize on Carroll’s exit, which prompted many USC verbal commitments to announce they were re-opening their recruitment.

But with the hire Tuesday night of Lane Kiffin, that door seems to be all but shut.

In the last few days, the Sooners pounced on at least a trio of highly touted prospects committed to USC, including Prater, tight end Xavier Grimble and offensive tackle Brice Schwab, who were all public in their concerns about Carroll’s departure.

But the hiring of Kiffin has assuaged the concerns of Prater and Grimble, who reportedly are both again solid with USC now.

Last fall, Prater was considering OU until he took his official visit to USC in November. The Sooners were hoping he would give them another look. But his mother told the Chicago Tribune that Prater is going to USC. Prater is familiar with Kiffin. It was Kiffin who tried to recruit Prater to Tennessee.

“He’s leaving this weekend and will start classes Tuesday,” Sonya Prater said. “Coach Carroll is a great guy and we believe Coach Kiffin is a great guy as well. We have a great relationship with him. We believe he can do the same thing he did there a few years ago (as a USC assistant from 2001-06.). Once he (Prater) found out about Kiffin, that was a great thing. He needed that. It was a blow that Coach Carroll left.”

** Regardless, OU’s chances with Prater were slim. The Sooners had a much better opportunity at snagging Grimble. The nation’s No. 1 tight end had actually narrowed his decision down to USC and OU, before committing to USC last fall. Some viewed that as a surprise, since Grimble attends an OU recruiting pipeline, Las Vegas Bishop Gorman High School, which has produced Sooner linebacker Ryan Reynolds, running back DeMarco Murray, defensive end Justin Chaisson and assistant recruiting coordinator David White, who before coming to Norman was the head coach at Gorman.

When Carroll left, the Sooners were hoping to jump back in the mix with Grimble.

“I wouldn’t say that I am de-committed, but I definitely open-minded to other schools,” Grimble told the Las Vegas Sun earlier this week.

But now, according to various reports, Grimble appears to be solid with the Trojans again.

** Currently, OU’s best chance of stealing away a USC commitment may be junior-college offensive tackle Brice Schwab.

Like Prater, Schwab was planning on enrolling early at USC to participate in spring ball. As of now, the 4-star junior-college prospect out of Palomar Community College in San Marcos, Calif., is planning on listening to other suitors, despite the hiring of Kiffin.

“I am going to decommit and return to junior college for a semester and see what happens with the coaching search,” Schwab told ESPN.com before the Kiffin hire. “I want to be a Trojan, but I am going to wait and see what happens.”

One suitor already is OU. Rivals.com reported earlier this week that the Sooners are attempting to get Schwab out to Norman for a visit.

Schwab is the type of prospect still needed from this class: a junior-college offensive lineman who can step into a starting role at tackle right away.

And the opportunity to play immediately is something OU can sell to Schwab.

“I haven’t really followed too much of Oklahoma,” Schwab admitted to Rivals. “As soon as I committed to USC I kind of shut down my recruiting, but I’m definitely going to start doing my homework on these schools.”

You can bet, though, that Kiffin and his impressive staff being put together will be on the phone trying to get Schwab and others to rethink their positions.

** It will be interesting to see how the hire of Kiffin will affect the decisions of a pair of elite uncommitted prospects who are considering both the Trojans and Sooners.

Plano, Texas, defensive end Jackson Jeffcoat, ranked the No. 1 overall prospect nationally by ESPNU, has OU and USC among his six finalists.

St. Paul, Minn., offensive tackle Seantrel Henderson, ranked the No. 1 overall prospect by Rivals, has OU and USC among his eight finalists.

Henderson’s father, however, told the St. Paul Pioneer Press he didn’t believe Carroll’s exit would drop USC from consideration. Jeffcoat has also said that the Trojans continue to remain in the picture despite the coaching change.

What’s interesting is that, unlike Prater, neither player was ever really seriously considering Tennessee. So both may be somewhat unfamiliar with Kiffin, at least compared with someone like Carroll or Bob Stoops.

Jeffcoat is reportedly scheduled to take his official visit to Norman on Jan. 22.

Henderson has made official visits to USC, Ohio State, Notre Dame and Florida. He reportedly is going to take a fifth visit, but is deciding between OU, Miami, Iowa and Minnesota.

** The good news for the Sooners is that even if they don’t get a single one of these prospects, their class is still stellar and will probably finish in the Top 5 nationally. The last time that happened was 2005, when OU lured in several elite prospects like LB Curtis Lofton, DB Reggie Smith, WR Malcolm Kelly, OL Duke Robinson, who are all now in the NFL.

Plus, the Sooners already have 28 verbals, so finding a place for very many more was going to be tricky. OU still, however, needs to land a junior-college offensive tackle. The best chance here other than Schwab is John Cullen, of Fullerton (Calif.) Community College. Cullen is ranked the No. 3 overall juco prospect in the nation.

The five places Cullen took official visits to were OU, Kansas State, Utah, Arizona State and, interestingly, Tennessee, which was believed to be his favorite.

Now that there’s been a coaching change, it will be curious to see if Cullen goes to Tennessee, follows the staff to USC, or takes a hard look at someone else like OU.