The USC Trojans and head coach Lane Kiffin had his work cut out for him on National Signing Day, as the school is restricted to bringing in 15 scholarship players (rather than the usual limit of 25) in each of the next three years due to NCAA sanctions. The Trojans went even lower than that on Wednesday with only 12 signees, but the Trojans made them count, still a highly rated class full of impact players.
"We didn't reach," Kiffin said in his press conference, noting that USC can bring in as many as 18 players next year. "We had a specific plan which was targeting quality players. As you missed [out on some of them], [it] gives us some room for next year."
The two surprise recruits on Wednesday came from Florida, as Tampa wide receiver Nelson Agholor and Daytona Beach defensive end Leonard Williams gave USC a pair of impact players from the Sunshine State. USC lost two offensive linemen to the Stanford Cardinal in Andrus Peat and Kyle Murphy, but the Trojans still came away with three Rivals top 50 linemen in Zach Banner, Jordan Simmons, and Max Tuerk.
Here is the full class of 2012 for the Trojans, complete with their Rivals star rating:
5-Star Recruits
Nelson Agholor, wide receiver from Berkeley Prep in Tampa, Florida
Jordan Simmons, offensive guard from Crespi High Schoo
Zach Banner, offensive tackle from Lakes High School in Puyallup, Washington
4-Star Recruits
Gerald Bowman, safety from Pierce Community College in Philadelphia
Jalen Cope-Fitzpatrick, tight end from Whitney High School in Rocklin, California
Darreus Rogers, wide receiver from Carson High School
Jabari Ruffin, linebacker from Downey High School
Kevon Seymour, cornerback from John Muir High School
Devian Shelton, cornerback from Inglewood High School
Max Tuerk, offensive tackle from Santa Margarita High School
Leonard Williams, defensive end from Mainland High School in Daytona Beach, Florida
3-Star Recruits
Jahleel Pinner, fullback from Mission Viejo High School
For more on Darreus Rogers and USC Football recruiting, visit Conquest Chronicles and SB Nation Los Angeles. For more on National Signing Day 2012, head over to SB Nation's College Football Recruiting hub.