The NFL Draft concluded with just two USC players selected, the fewest since 2002, when Kris Richard and Chris Cash were picked.
Look below at Clay Helton’s 2016 recruiting class and how many players left.
| Player | Rating | Position | Position Rank |
| Oluwole Betiku | 5-star | Weak-side DE | No. 1 |
| Jack Jones | 5-star | CB | No. 3 |
| Jamel Cook | 4-star | ATH | No. 2 |
| Tyler Vaughns | 4-star | WR | No. 3 |
| Vavae Malepeai | 4-star | WR | No. 8 |
| Michael Pittman | 4-star | RB | No. 8 |
| E.J. Price | 4-star | OT | No. 8 |
| Cary Angeline | 4-star | TE | No. 10 |
| C.J. Pollard | 4-star | S | No. 12 |
| Matt Fink | 4-star | Dual QB | No. 13 |
| Connor Murphy | 4-star | Weak-side DE | No. 18 |
| Frank Martin II | 4-star | OT | No. 20 |
| Trevon Sidney | 4-star | WR | No. 26 |
| Nathan Smith | 4-star | OT | No. 26 |
| Josh Imatorbhebhe | 4-star | WR | No. 29 |
| Josh Fatu | 3-star | DT | No. 9 (JUCO) |
| Liam Jimmons | 3-star | Strong-side DE | No. 45 |
| Jordan Loveni Iosefa | 3-star | OLB | No. 50 |
| Keyshawn Young | 3-star | WR | No. 66 |
| Velus Jones Jr. | 3-star | WR | No. 77 |
Meanwhile, LSU
2020 NFL Draft by school:
14 — LSU
10 — Ohio State/Michigan
9 — Alabama ‘
7 — Clemson/Utah/Florida/Georgia
6 — Auburn/Notre Dame
5 — Penn St/TCU/Iowa/Minnesota/Miss State
Scottie, not to nitpick, but you’ve got Pittman as a RB, and Vavae as a WR.
And if you want to look on the bright side (seldom done here, but hey, it’s Scottie’s blog), small number of draft picks now means quality players returning, including:
Slovis, Stepp, Christon, Vaughans, St. Brown, Gaoteote, Hufanga, McCoy, Ford,…
Now, they just need to be coached up…
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Coached up…..
This draft is indicative of Helton NOT coaching up. This is as bad as this years signings. Helton just needs to flat out leave by any means necessary before the Helton virus spreads.
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I am concerned that unfortunately your post doesn’t include any offensive linemen. I’m sorry but I cannot endorse Tim Drevno as competent much less having the ability to “ coach them up.” My beliefs are if a tight end and say Malepeai & Stepp can pass block to keep Slovis upright- 10 wins are inevitable.
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Ken and Bobby,
I agree with everything you note. And in particular, the O-line appears to be the weakest link. Last year, we had Austin Jackson at one tackle, and Drew Richmond, the Tennessee grad transfer at the other tackle, and the O-line still had significant issues.
This year, the O-line is going to have to learn how to run block, Harrell should give Stepp 15-20 carries per game, and Slovis will have to learn to throw the ball much more quickly than last year.
So when I say “coach up….” it is not anything I necessarily expect to happen. More like what the guys need in order to succeed at a high level. The talent is there.
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67- all of us know that you & Michael rule this domain, however I am truly concerned that both the Heat & Stay at home order is causing you mental fatigue. Thinking Stepp will get 15-20 carries a game, ( In my fantasy world- You would be 100% accurate). I’m guessing that 75 plays a game is a fair number with 40 passing attempts. I just ponder that the other 35 plays would be split up between Malapei,Carr & Stepp. If I could be the offensive coordinator, I would make Vavae a fullback in a Two back set, alternating Carr, Stepp &Christenson. I would sub Falo for Malapei when necessary, enabling Slovis possibly to have that extra second to throw with a very suspect offensive line. I’m convinced that I am suffering from the heat. Please take care of yourself 67 always love to read your comments in this non- logical world we are currently living in.
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Bobby, thanks for the kind words. A 2 back set would be great, and I think that as a FB, Vavae could be the reincarnation of Stanley Havili, but even faster. Havili was such a weapon, running routes out of the backfield. And I agree that it is most likely wishful thinking that Stepp gets 20 carries a game. If only…
And thanks to Scottie for putting together a blog that somehow works like no other. Always learn a lot from the posters here.
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Hey, nothing to look at on the bright side here. Scott is correct. Helton didn’t know how to coach these kids. Heck, Pittman’s dad, who is infamous for his tweet, had to yell and scream at Helton to get his kid on the field. What coach has a performance like this? With this group of 4 and 5 stars? It’s disgraceful. Just disgraceful. And those wonderful kids you mentioned above? Poor Vaughns couldn’t even go this year because he was shafted too, Gaoteote and Hufanga have digressed over their freshman years, like most of Helton’s players in his horrible offense and defense. He should be gone, gone, gone. He may have a staff now, so hopefully they can marginalize Mr. Helton. He has ruined those aforementioned kids’ careers.
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This is just flat out embarrassing. This is why the fans want Clay gone now! even when he gets a talented recruiting class he screws it up. Why do i feel like 50 percent of the fans are the only ones who can see this? That idiot Clay Helton could not even figure out to start Darnold over Browne. We had to have a fan uprising just for him to start the correct QB. To add insult to injury that moron of a coach keeps making twitter videos from his picturesque home reminding all of us of just how much he is robbing the university and the fans. SMH just pathetic Folt and Bohn should be ashamed of themselves for retaining this man.
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Helton screwed them all. The Jerk.
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Odd, the one thing, AT THE TIME, that didn’t bother me about Helton, was him starting Max Browne. I’m sure my thinking was skewed due to Max being a 5 Star, Gatorade POY, in system for a few years. I was thinking, “at least give him a chance, he paid his dues, blah blah blah” Obviously, Sam is/was the man.
I hope this does not appear in any way that I support HCH. Simply in over his head and worse, turned out to be a f’n phony.
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Two Trojans drafted. Helton is doing a helluva job coaching those kids up alright.
What’s helton coaching them up to be, waterboys? Or fluffers like pudly dumb ass
LOL!
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E.J. Price, he’s the one that bitch-slapped helton before he left.
Serves helton right for wasting the kids time, talent and year of eligibility.
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5th rated roster produces only 2 draft picks!? What more proof do Bohn and Folt need? Now this moronic coach tweeted out a big shout out to the NFL Draft coverage. Kinda reminds me of when he thanked Iowa and there fans after getting our asses kicked up and down the field. This man is the epitome of tone def. Clueless Clay frustrates me to know end. I just want a real coach for once.
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All but two picks for the 5th best recruiting class is really indication that these recruits were overrated and underachieved under lazy ass coaches who didn’t have a clue to what they were trying to accomplish
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I agree that it represented a BRIEF low point [to all sane Trojans] when Clay THANKED the Iowa fans for cheering the destruction of our football team. Not sure I ever saw a coach dumb enough or clueless enough to do that before. But the real SUSTAINED low point comes to us courtesy of Folt and Bohn —- who continue to applaud Helton for doing shit like that….
#”He’sGotIntegrity!”
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President Carol Burnett is too busy furnishing her $8.4 million palace next to Westwood High using the $20 million in tax payer funds to notice Clay’s antics.
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gt –She only notices them long enough to be amazed by how infused they are with “integrity”…..
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Spot on MG! Spot on. i can understand that point of view of onewayusc but even if we agree or disagree on if Browne deserved the start there is still too much baggage with Clay. Embarrassing losses to rivals (UCLA,ND,OREGON,CAL,STANFORD) embarrassing non rival losses (IOWA,BYU,OHIO.ST, ALABAMA) basically anybody we play that has a pulse. He was also out coached in his biggest victory the 2017 Rose bowl. I love Rose Bowl victories but Penn St. gave that away. The horrible Toa Lobendahn situation. John Houston playing MLB, Talented Freshman and Sophomores not seeing the field. Responsible for the worst recruiting class EVER! Oh, and he does not like to practice especially for bowl games as well as not developing players. I could go on and on but i am preaching to the choir.
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Lol, and with all you mentioned Megatron82, Clay would tell you all the “positives” of those losses, decisions, etc. He’s either the most deluded human being ever, a complete dimwit or a phony. Can’t put my finger on it.
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Megatron — There’s NO need to go on, my bud. That’s already a pretty damning list of fuck-ups you put together. Given all that, it’s odd that Bohn either (1) wanted Helton to stay or (2) wouldn’t fight Folt to save his own reputation.
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Yup! Good point MG. If it were i running the Athletic Dept. If my regime goes down it is not going down on the Clay Helton ship. I would at least want my legacy to be no nonsense i put my best foot forward. If i were this bad at my job i would have been fired long ago.
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Double Yup!
Barry Switzer: “If you’re gonna get fired, get fired doing what you believe in.”
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Why doe this shock anybody? Clay Helton is notorious for not developing players 😂😂. That’s why I laugh when people get excited over the 2021 recruiting class, it’s nothing but a merry go round ride with this dumb ass coach, who’s wasted almost 5 years of opportunities to get to the playoffs.
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Wow that list is so telling of the embarrassment that Clay Helton has made of the the USC Football program. That’s all you can say and be honest and to the point.
Embarrassed.
He’s not but I sure as hell am.
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Scooter,
Tyler Vaughn is returning to school. When you win a naitonal championship, usually a lot of players will go heavliy in the first few rounds. That happened to SC when they won the ’67 championship, they had 5 first rounders.
Helton is not responsible for this mess. The culprit is Haden. Hsi lasting effect has been for over 10 years now by not fighting the ncaa, not hiring Oregeron, and instead hiring a fish out of water from the qb coachin position ot the head coach. He was very lucky to be a qb coach here and he wen past his ablity when he was hired as a head coach. If Haden would have hired Oregeron, I don’t know if he would have won a championship this year at SC, but I don know that SC woudl have had about 10 players picked up in the last three days.
Bohn and Folt, you run the flagship of the PAC 12 and the west coast in football. Folt you were probably too busy burining the bong, but Bohn, that was a total cluster bomb and EMBARRASSEMENT for SC yesterday. SC got their ASSES handed to them. Even ugly the crappiest program behind Saint John bosco and Mater Dei did better than SC. That was an ASS kicking for the ages.
So Bohn and Folt, what are your plans to right the flagship? What the F$%k are you going to do to get SC back where it belongs? You have seen SC get their asses kicked on the field by bama, ohio st., wisiconsin, iowa, texas, and even that perverted school called ugly. Now you saw the ass kicking continue in the draft. What an EMABARRASSMENT. When will the embarrassement end and when will SC get back to where it belongs? i will not put another dime into the program until I see SC play for PAC 12 titles and playing for the Nationaal Championship.
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Pasadena, you are correct IMO, Haden lit the fuse on this bomb. He failed the University in many ways, most of which you mention. I wonder how much his involvement is with the admissions scandal? You have to admit though that the cluster that is today is very much of Helton’s doing. There are very few people that don’t recognize his ineptitude at all phases of this game has dug the hole so deep, it will be years before we recover. I love this University and it kills me to see it going in the toilet when it could have been corrected at least years ago.
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that’s “2” years ago.
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And it will be a cold day in hell when I give up my seats in the Coliseum no matter how much Bohn and Foyt try to bone this team.
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