Everybody obsessing over those 21 five-star kids in the 2027 class and where they fit, and I get it, the star rankings are fun. But the real juice is always in the Juco sleeper pick that nobody sees coming. Mark my words: USC is going to find a gem in the junior college ranks this year, a kid with a 3-star rating and a chip on his shoulder who ends up startiing by year two.
The staff has been quietly building relationships with some Juco programs down in California and I am hearing noise about a specific defensive back who has the measurables but got overlooked because he played at a tiny school. The 247 composite might not love him but the tape is nasty. This is the kind of bump that wins you games when the five-star headliners are getting all the attention.
While Oregon is stacking shiny objects and Georgia is locking down the top of the rankings, we are going to pluck a kid from the shadows who becomes a fan favorite. That is how you build a roster with depth and grit, not just ...