University Southern California Trojans
USC Signs 18 Players For 2008 Season
February 06, 2008 | Football
Feb. 6, 2008
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USC Signing Day All-Access Coverage 
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Coach Carroll Signing Day Press Conference
LOS ANGELES-Eighteen high school football players signed letters of intent with 6-time defending Pac-10 champion USC, Trojan head coach Pete Carroll announced today.
Additionally, OL Matt Meyer of Lincoln High in Stockton, Calif. enrolled at USC in January as a freshman and will participate in next month's spring practice. DB Shane Horton transferred to USC in January from UNLV, where he started 6 games as a freshman in 2007, but will sit out the 2008 season due to NCAA transfer rules.
"This is a great class for us," said Carroll, whose Trojans went 11-2 last season with a Rose Bowl victory and have appeared in an NCAA-record 6 consecutive BCS bowls, posted 6 straight 11-win seasons and had 6 consecutive AP Top 4 finishes. "We put together this class with an eye on filling needs throughout our depth chart and we did so by signing some very talented football players."
"We went after linemen and signed 10 of them, 5 on each side of the ball. And we added great speed athletes on the perimeter on both offense and defense."
"These players will all get a chance to show they can contribute to our team from the minute they get on the practice field. The competition will be wide open and I anticipate they'll take advantage of that, helping us immensely in our quest to be a championship team."
This fall's incoming freshmen are: DL Armond Armstead of Pleasant Grove HS in Elk Grove, Calif.; TE Blake Ayles of Orange (Calif.) Lutheran High; DB Brian Baucham of West Torrance (Calif.) High; DB T.J. Bryant of Lincoln High in Tallahassee, Fla.; WR Brice Butler of Norcross (Ga.) High; OL Daniel Campbell of Aldine High in Houston, Tex.; DL Jurrell Casey of Long Beach (Calif.) Poly High; OL Khaled Holmes of Mater Dei High in Santa Ana, Calif.; DL Wes Horton of Notre Dame High in Sherman Oaks, Calif.; DL Malik Jackson of Birmingham High in Van Nuys, Calif.; OL Matt Kalil of Servite High in Anaheim, Calif.; LB Uona Kaveinga of Leuzinger High in Lawndale, Calif.; DB Drew McAllister of Monte Vista High in Danville, Calif.; RB Curtis McNeal of Venice High in Los Angeles, Calif.; DL Nick Perry of King High in Detroit, Mich.; WR D.J. Shoemate of Servite High in Anaheim, Calif.; LB Maurice Simmons of Dominguez High in Compton, Calif.; and OL Tyron Smith of Rancho Verde High in Moreno Valley, Calif.
2008 USC FOOTBALL SIGNEES
SPRING ENROLLMENTHIGH SCHOOL PLAYERS
NAME POS HGT WGT HOMETOWN (HIGH SCHOOL)
Matt Meyer OL 6-8 290 Stockton, CA (Lincoln HS, Stockton, CA)
FALL ENROLLMENTHIGH SCHOOL PLAYERS
NAME POS HGT WGT HOMETOWN (HIGH SCHOOL)
Armond Armstead DL 6-5 290 Sacramento, CA (Pleasant Grove HS, Elk Grove, CA)
Blake Ayles TE 6-5 255 Orange, CA (Orange (CA) Lutheran HS)
Brian Baucham DB 5-11 190 Torrance, CA (West Torrance (CA) HS)
T.J. Bryant DB 6-1 190 Tallahassee, FL (Lincoln HS, Tallahassee, FL)
Brice Butler WR 6-3 215 Norcross, GA (Norcross (GA) HS)
Daniel Campbell OL 6-5 330 Houston, TX (Aldine HS, Houston, TX)
Jurrell Casey DL 6-1 280 Long Beach, CA (Poly HS, Long Beach, CA)
Khaled Holmes OL 6-4 305 Santa Ana, CA (Mater Dei HS, Santa Ana, CA)
Wes Horton DL 6-5 245 Chatsworth, CA (Notre Dame HS, Sherman Oaks, CA)
Malik Jackson DL 6-5 230 Northridge, CA (Birmingham HS, Van Nuys, CA)
Matt Kalil OL 6-6 290 Corona, CA (Servite HS, Anaheim, CA)
Uona Kaveinga LB 6-1 235 Hawthorne, CA (Leuzinger HS, Lawndale, CA)
Drew McAllister DB 6-1 200 Danville, CA (Monte Vista HS, Danville, CA)
Curtis McNeal RB 5-8 180 Los Angeles, CA (Venice HS, Los Angeles, CA)
Nick Perry DL 6-3 240 Detroit, MI (King HS, Detroit, MI)
D.J. Shoemate WR 6-0 220 Mira Loma, CA (Servite HS, Anaheim, CA)
Maurice Simmons LB 6-0 215 Compton, CA (Dominguez HS, Compton, CA)
Tyron Smith OL 6-6 270 Moreno Valley, CA (Rancho Verde HS, Moreno Valley, CA)
2008 USC FOOTBALL TRANSFERS
SPRING ENROLLMENTCOLLEGIATE PLAYERS
NAME POS HGT WGT HOMETOWN (HIGH SCHOOL/COLLEGE)
Shane Horton DB 6-2 205 Chatsworth, CA (Notre Dame HS, Sherman Oaks, CA/UNLV)
BIOGRAPHIES ON USC'S 2008 FOOTBALL NEWCOMERS
ARMOND ARMSTEAD-His 2007 honors included Super Prep All-American, Prep Star All-American, Super Prep All-Farwest, Prep Star All-West, Long Beach Press-Telegram Best in the West honorable mention, Tacoma News Tribune Western 100, Cal-Hi Sports All-State first team, All-Northern California, Sacramento Bee All-Metro and All-Metro League MVP as a senior defensive and offensive lineman at Pleasant Grove High in Elk Grove (Calif.)...He had 88 tackles and 11 sacks in 2007...As a junior in 2006, he had 79 tackles and 5 sacks...He also played basketball and was on the track team (shot put, discus throw) at Pleasant Grove.
BLAKE AYLES-His 2007 honors included Super Prep All-American, Prep Star All-American, EA Sports All-American first team, Scout.com All-American second team, ESPN 150, Super Prep Elite 50, Prep Star Dream Team, Super Prep All-Farwest Offensive MVP, Prep Star All-West, Long Beach Press-Telegram Best in the West first team, Orange County Register Fab 15, Tacoma News Tribune Western 100, Cal-Hi Sports All-State first team, All-CIF Pac-5 Division first team, Los Angeles Times All-Star Lineman of the Year, Orange County Register All-Orange County first team and All-Trinity League Co-Offensive MVP as a senior tight end and defensive end at Orange (Calif.) Lutheran High...He had 51 receptions for 723 yards (14.2 avg.) with 8 TDs on offense in 2007, plus had 8 sacks on defense...As a junior in 2006, he made Cal-Hi Sports All-State Underclass first team, All-CIF Pac-5 Division first team, Los Angeles Times All-Star first team, Orange County Register All-Orange County first team and All-Trinity League first team...He had 43 catches for 617 yards (14.3 avg.) with 3 touchdowns in 2006 as Orange Lutheran went 14-1 and won the 2006 CIF Pac-5 Division and the California state Division II championships...He made the 2005 Cal-Hi Sports All-State Sophomore first team while catching 36 passes for 469 yards (13.0 avg.) with 6 TDs...Current Trojans Aaron Corp and Michael Reardon also prepped at Orange Lutheran.
BRIAN BAUCHAM-His 2007 honors included All-CIF Western Division first team and South Bay Daily Breeze All-South Bay first team as a senior running back and defensive back at West Torrance (Calif.) High...He rushed for 1,593 yards on 186 carries (8.6 avg.) with 20 TDs, plus had 3 receiving touchdowns and 2 scores on kickoff returns in 2007...As a junior in 2006, he made Cal-Hi Sports All-State Underclass second team, All-CIF Western Division first team and South Bay Daily Breeze All-South Bay MVP while running for 1,990 yards on 265 carries (7.5 avg.) with 22 TDs, getting 52 tackles and 4 interceptions and scoring twice on defense and twice on special teams.
T.J. BRYANT-His 2007 honors included USA Today All-USA first team, Super Prep All-American, Prep Star All-American, ESPN 150, Prep Star Dream Team, Super Prep All-Dixie, Prep Star All-Southeast and Atlanta Journal Constitution Super Southern 100 as a senior defensive back at Lincoln High in Tallahassee (Fla.)...He had 30 tackles, 4 interceptions, 8 deflections and 5 fumble recoveries in 2007...As a junior in 2006, he had 48 tackles, 3 tackles for a loss, 3 interceptions and 19 deflections...In his career, he had 15 interceptions...He also hurdled for Lincoln's track team, with bests of 14.6 in the 110-meter high hurdles and 38.02 in the 300-meter intermediate hurdles.
BRICE BUTLER-His 2007 honors included Super Prep All-American, Prep Star All-American, ESPN 150, Super Prep Elite 50, Prep Star Dream Team, Super Prep All-Dixie, Prep Star All-Southeast and Atlanta Journal Constitution Super Southern 100 as a senior wide receiver at Norcross (Ga.) High...He had 1,186 receiving yards with 15 TD catches in 2007...As a junior in 2006, he had 35 receptions for 680 yards (19.4 avg.) with 9 TDs...His father, Bobby, was a 1980 All-American cornerback at Florida State who then played 12 years (1981-92) with the Atlanta Falcons...His brother, Brenton, is a sophomore on Fordham's basketball team.
DANIEL CAMPBELL-His 2007 honors included Super Prep All-American, Super Prep All-Southwest, All-State Class 5A, All-District and Houston Chronicle Houston Top 100 as a senior offensive lineman at Aldine High in Houston (Tex.)...As a junior in 2006, he made All-District 19-5A.
JURRELL CASEY-His 2007 honors included EA Sports All-American second team, Super Prep All-Farwest, Prep Star All-West, Long Beach Press-Telegram Best in the West honorable mention, Cal-Hi Sports All-State first team, All-CIF Pac-5 Division Co-Defensive MVP, Los Angeles Times All-Star, Long Beach Press-Telegram Dream Team MVP and All-Moore League Defensive MVP as a senior defensive and offensive lineman at Long Beach (Calif.) Poly High...He had 134 tackles, 7 sacks and 2 fumble recoveries in 2007 as Poly won the CIF Pac-5 Division title...As a junior in 2006, he made Cal-Hi Sports All-State Underclass first team, All-CIF Pac-5 Division first team, Long Beach Press-Telegram Dream Team and All-Moore League Co-Lineman MVP while making 104 tackles, 10 sacks and 6 fumble recoveries...Current Trojans Travon Patterson and Alfred Rowe also prepped at Poly.
KHALED HOLMES-His 2007 honors included Prep Star All-American, EA Sports All-American third team, ESPN 150, Super Prep All-Farwest, Prep Star All-West, Long Beach Press-Telegram Best in the West Best of the Rest, Tacoma News Tribune Western 100, Cal-Hi Sports All-State first team, All-CIF Pac-5 Division first team, Los Angeles Times All-Star, Orange County Register All-Orange County first team and All-Trinity League Co-Lineman of the Year as a senior offensive lineman at Mater Dei High in Santa Ana (Calif.)...As a junior in 2006, he made Cal-Hi Sports All-State second team, Cal-Hi Sports All-State Underclass first team, Los Angeles Times All-Star and All-Trinity League first team...He was named to the 2005 Cal-Hi Sports All-State Sophomore first team...His father, Mike, lettered at defensive end at Michigan in 1974 and 1975...His brother, Alex, was a 4-year (2000-02, 2004) letterman tight end at USC who had 82 career receptions (tied for 24th on USC's all-time list) and was a member of USC's 2003 and 2004 national championship squad, and then played with the NFL's Miami Dolphins in 2005.
SHANE HORTON-He transferred to USC in the spring of 2008 from UNLV, where he started 6 games at safety as a first-year freshman in 2007...Overall in 2007 while appearing in all 12 of UNLV's games, he had 35 tackles, 1 sack, 1 deflection and 1 interception...He prepped at Notre Dame High in Sherman Oaks (Calif.), where his 2006 honors included Super Prep All-Farwest, Prep Star All-West, Cal-Hi Sports All-State third team, All-CIF Pac-5 Division first team, Los Angeles Daily News All-Area first team and All-Serra League MVP as a senior defensive back, quarterback and wide receiver...He completed 27-of-53 (50.9%) passes for 473 yards with 8 TDs and 2 interceptions, ran for 636 yards on 48 carries (13.3 avg.) with 7 TDs, caught 36 passes for 635 yards (17.6 avg.) with 7 TDs and had 2 interceptions in 2006...He was injured for part of his 2005 junior season...Current Trojans Garrett Green and Cary Harris also prepped at Notre Dame...His father, Myke, lettered 2 years (1973-74) as an offensive tackle at UCLA, was drafted by the New England Patriots in 1975, played professionally in the USFL (with Washington and Memphis) and the CFL (with Calgary), then was one of the original members of the syndicated TV show "American Gladiators" (he was Gemini from 1989 to 1992)...His brother, Wes, is an incoming Trojan defensive lineman.
WES HORTON-His 2007 honors included Prep Star All-American, Super Prep All-Farwest, Prep Star All-West, Long Beach Press-Telegram Best in the West Best of the Rest, All-CIF Pac-5 Division first tam and Los Angeles Daily News All-Area second team as a senior defensive lineman at Notre Dame High in Sherman Oaks (Calif.)...He had 61 tackles and 8 sacks in 2007...As a junior in 2006, he made Cal-Hi Sports All-State Underclass second team, Los Angeles Daily News All-Area first team and All-Serra League first team while getting 91 tackles and 13 sacks...Current Trojans Garrett Green and Cary Harris also prepped at Notre Dame...His father, Myke, lettered 2 years (1973-74) as an offensive tackle at UCLA, was drafted by the New England Patriots in 1975, played professionally in the USFL (with Washington and Memphis) and the CFL (with Calgary), then was one of the original members of the syndicated TV show "American Gladiators" (he was Gemini from 1989 to 1992)...His brother, Shane, is a sophomore defensive back at USC (who transferred after playing at UNLV in 2007).
MALIK JACKSON-His 2007 honors included Super Prep All-Farwest, Prep Star All-West, Long Beach Press-Telegram Best in the West Best of the Rest, Cal-Hi Sports All-State first team, All-L.A. City Co-Defensive MVP (with his twin, Marquis), Los Angeles Times All-Star, Los Angeles Daily News All-Area Co-Defensive MVP (with his twin, Marquis) and All-West Valley League Co-Defensive MVP (with his twin, Marquis) as a senior defensive lineman at Birmingham High in Van Nuys (Calif.)...He had 103 tackles, 14.5 sacks, 1 interception and 1 fumble recovery in 2007...As a junior in 2006, he made All-L.A. City first team and Daily News All-Area second team while getting 10.5 sacks.
MATT KALIL-His 2007 honors included Parade All-American, Super Prep All-American, Prep Star All-American, EA Sports All-American first team, USA Today All-USA second team, Scout.com All-American second team, ESPN 150, Super Prep Elite 50, Prep Star Dream Team, Super Prep All-Farwest, Prep Star All-West, Long Beach Press-Telegram Best in the West first team, Orange County Register Fab 15, Tacoma News Tribune Western 100, Cal-Hi Sports All-State first team, All-CIF Pac-5 Division first team, Los Angeles Times All-Star, Orange County Register All-Orange County first team and All-Trinity League Co-Lineman of the Year as a senior offensive and defensive lineman at Servite High in Anaheim (Calif.)...As a junior in 2006, he made Cal-Hi Sports All-State first team, Cal-Hi Sports All-State Underclass first team, All-CIF Pac-5 Division first team, Los Angeles Times All-Star and All-Trinity League Co-Lineman of the Year...He made the 2005 Cal-Hi Sports All-State Sophomore first team...Current Trojan Chris Galippo and incoming Trojan D.J. Shoemate also prepped at Servite...His father, Frank, was a center at Arkansas (1978) and Arizona (1980-81-82), then was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in 1982 before playing for the USFL's Arizona Wranglers in 1983 and Houston Gamblers in 1984...His brother, Ryan, lettered 4 years (2003-06) at center for USC, where he earned All-American honors and was the Pac-10 Morris Trophy winner in 2006 (he was a member of USC's 2003 and 2004 national championship squads), and now plays with the NFL's Carolina Panthers.
UONA KAVEINGA-His 2007 honors included Super Prep All-American, Prep Star All-American, ESPN 150, Prep Star Dream Team, Super Prep All-Farwest, Prep Star All-West, Long Beach Press-Telegram Best in the West first team, Orange County Register Fab 15, Tacoma News Tribune Western 100, Cal-Hi Sports All-State first team, All-CIF Western Division first team, South Bay Daily Breeze All-South Bay first team and All-Bay League Defensive MVP as a senior linebacker at Leuzinger High in Lawndale (Calif.)...He had 145 tackles and 8 sacks in 2007...As a junior in 2006, he made Cal-Hi Sports All-State Underclass second team, All-CIF Western Division first team, South Bay Daily Breeze All-South Bay first team and All-Bay League Co-Defensive MVP while getting 11 tackles, 9 sacks, 5 fumble recoveries and 4 forced fumbles.
DREW McALLISTER-His 2007 honors included Super Prep All-Farwest, Prep Star All-West, Long Beach Press-Telegram Best in the West Best of the Rest and Cal-Hi Sports All-State third team as a senior defensive back and quarterback at Monte Vista High in Danville (Calif.)...He had 51 tackles, 10 deflections and 1 interception on defense in 2007, while on offense he threw for 2,222 yards with 16 TDs and ran for 377 yards with 8 TDs...As a junior in 2006, he made Cal-Hi Sports All-State Underclass first team while completing 65 percent of his passes for 2,200 yards and 22 touchdowns...As a sophomore in 2005, he made Cal-Hi Sports All-State Sophomore first team and All-League first team while passing for 1,943 yards (65.3% completion rate) with 19 TDs and 8 interceptions.
CURTIS McNEAL-His 2007 honors included Super Prep All-American, Super Prep All-Farwest, Prep Star All-West, Long Beach Press-Telegram Best in the West Best of the Rest, Tacoma News Tribune Western 100, Cal-Hi Sports All-State second team and All-L.A. City Offensive MVP as a senior running back and defensive back at Venice High in Los Angeles (Calif.)...He ran for 1,400 yards on 136 carries (10.3 avg.) with 19 TDs, added 278 receiving yards and scored touchdowns by rushing, receiving, interception and punt return...As a junior in 2006, he made Cal-Hi Sports All-State Underclass second team and All-L.A. City first team while running for 2,008 yards with 42 TDs and getting 3,106 all-purpose yards...In his career, he ran for more than 4,000 yards.
MATT MEYER-He enrolled at USC in the spring of 2008 after graduating a semester early from Lincoln High in Stockton (Calif.)...His 2007 honors included Super Prep All-American, Prep Star All-American, ESPN 150, Super Prep Elite 50, Prep Star Dream Team, Super Prep All-Farwest, Prep Star All-West, Long Beach Press-Telegram Best in the West first team, Orange County Register Fab 15 and Tacoma News Tribune Western 100 as a senior offensive lineman...He missed the last half of the 2007 season with a stress fracture in his foot...As a junior in 2006, he made Cal-Hi Sports All-State Underclass second team and All-Area first team...He also played basketball at Lincoln.
NICK PERRY-His 2007 honors included USA Today All-USA first team, Parade All-American, Super Prep All-American, Prep Star All-American, EA Sports All-American first team, Scout.com All-American second team, Super Prep All-Midwest, Prep Star All-Midwest, All-State, Detroit News All-Metro, Detroit News All-Detroit and Detroit News Dream Team MVP as a senior defensive lineman, linebacker and tight end at King High in Detroit (Mich.)...He had 147 tackles and a state record 36 sacks in 2007, plus caught 14 passes for 310 yards (22.1 avg.) with 8 TDs, as King went 14-0 and won the state title...As a junior in 2006 at McKenzie High in Detroit, he made All-Metro and All-City while getting 75 tackles and 11 sacks...He also played basketball at King.
D.J. SHOEMATE-His 2007 honors included Super Prep All-American, Prep Star All-American, EA Sports All-American third team, ESPN 150, Super Prep Elite 50, Prep Star Dream Team, Super Prep All-Farwest, Prep Star All-West, Long Beach Press-Telegram Best in the West first team, Orange County Register Fab 15, Tacoma News Tribune Western 100, Cal-Hi Sports All-State first team, All-CIF Pac-5 Division first team, Los Angeles Times All-Star, Orange County Register All-Orange County first team and All-Trinity League Co-Offensive MVP as a senior wide receiver, running back, defensive lineman and linebacker at Servite High in Anaheim (Calif.)...He ran for 1,291 yards on 241 carries (5.4 avg.) with 24 TDs, caught 40 passes for 570 yards (14.3 avg.) with 4 TDs, threw a TD pass and had 5.5 sacks in 2007...A broken right foot sidelined him for all but the first game of his 2006 junior season...As a sophomore in 2005, he made Cal-Hi Sports All-State Sophomore of the Year, All-CIF Division I first team, Orange County Register All-Orange County first team and All-Serra League Co-MVP while scoring 13 rushing touchdowns, 8 receiving TDs and getting 4 scores on blocked punts...Current Trojan Chris Galippo and incoming Trojan Matt Kalil also prepped at Servite...He lived in Hawaii for 5 years when he was young...His initials stand for Dennis Jr.
MAURICE SIMMONS-His 2007 honors included Super Prep All-American, Prep Star All-American, Super Prep All-Farwest, Prep Star All-West, Tacoma News Tribune Western 100 and Long Beach Press-Telegram Best in the West Best of the Rest as a senior linebacker at Dominguez High in Compton (Calif.), despite missing most of the season with a broken leg...As a junior in 2006, he made Cal-Hi Sports All-State Underclass first team, All-CIF Western Division Defensive MVP and Long Beach Press-Telegram Dream Team while getting 151 tackles, 3 sacks, 3 fumble recoveries and 3 forced fumbles...Dominguez won its second straight CIF title in 2006...He made the 2005 Cal-Hi Sports All-State Sophomore first team...His brother, Melvin ("Champ"), lettered 2 seasons (2002-03) at linebacker for USC (including on Troy's 2003 national championship squad) after lettering 2 years (1999-2000) at Washington State...His brother, Marvin, lettered in 2004 at linebacker for Kansas State (he originally signed with USC)...Another brother, Marlin, signed with California in 2004.
TYRON SMITH-His 2007 honors included Parade All-American, Super Prep All-American, Prep Star All-American, Scout.com All-American first team, EA Sports All-American second team, ESPN 150, Super Prep Elite 50, Prep Star Dream Team, Super Prep All-Farwest, Prep Star All-West, Long Beach Press-Telegram Best in the West first team, Orange County Register Fab 15, Tacoma News Tribune Western 100, Cal-Hi Sports All-State first team, All-CIF Central Division first team, Los Angeles Times All-Star, Riverside Press-Enterprise All-Riverside County first team and All-Inland Valley League first team as a senior offensive lineman at Rancho Verde High in Moreno Valley (Calif.)...As a junior in 2006, he made Cal-Hi Sports All-State Underclass second team, All-CIF Central Division first team and Riverside Press-Enterprise All-Riverside County second team...He was an All-Southwestern League second team pick as a 2005 sophomore.
Pete Carroll SIGNING DAY PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES
The recruiting season as it ends here on signing day, it's a long haul with a lot of work done by the coaches and by the families and the kids themselves to get to this point to make these decisions. It's been a really exciting year for us in recruiting. This is a little bit different year than we've had and it was really necessary for us to address these roster issues and we had to load up on a couple spots. You will see by the numbers how evident it is by the 10 linemen that we've taken in this class.
It's an exciting group of guys. It's a championship class again. We think of this class as a big class because of all the big guys involved in it. Things went well. I know there's a lot of talk with these classes and you can't really evaluate those classes until you're done and they start playing for you and see how it all fits together. It's just a very loyal group and we've had a bunch of these guys in our sights for a long time. We've known a lot of these local guys in Southern California as they've grown up and their senior and junior years, so we feel very solid and secure with the guys that are coming in.
We had big losses on the defensive line this year, losing Lawrence Jackson and Sedrick Ellis and Alex Morrow, who have all done a lot of playing for us. With that thought, we wanted to hit it big and get it across the board, and we brought in three defensive ends and two defensive tackles. I think it's critical that we develop these kids and bring them along to be ready to play.
Before I start on the individual guys, let me say, it's really helpful for us that we always bring in guys that have the mindset that they're coming here to play. Our approach to recruiting has always been very simple, that freshmen come here with the thought that they're going to play and try to find a way to fit in and find a way for them to add to a championship effort and until it doesn't make sense to us, we are going to continue to feel that way and think that way and direct the kids in that fashion. These kids are coming here trying to find a way to get on the field. Over the years, we've had over half of our guys in the freshman class in their first semester contribute in big ways. Guys have started in just about every position. We've had a very big success story in the fact that those guys have been part of it.
Let's start in the inside. Armond Armstead is a kid that is a tremendous kid. He's probably the biggest defensive lineman we've brought in in years. He's going to play the three technique. First start him in the inside and see how he fits in the other spots and move him around to test it out. This is a very talented kid who plays football very well, very much so in his last two years. When we had him in camp, we really fell in love with him and his intensity. He came back-to-back days to make sure that he made an impression. We were impressed with that. He is also a very good basketball player. He scores a lot of points on a very successful basketball team. He's been playing hoops all his life so he's got good foot quickness.
The other defensive tackle is Jurrell Casey from Long Beach Poly. We've seen him play for years. He played both ways, both as an offensive and defensive player. This is a guy that has always been known for his hitting and for chasing the football and making big plays on both sides of the ball. He has been featured as a defensive tackle, and we see him at the nose tackle spot. He's following in the mold we've had with Mike Patterson and Sedrick Ellis. We can expect to have him contribute and play for us in his first year. We had him in camp as well and really loved him when he participated and competed there. He showed us a lot of good stuff.
The defensive ends, we looked to have two big kids play on the side to replace Lawrence Jackson and Alex Morrow. This is Wes Horton from Notre Dame High School and Malik Jackson from Birmingham. Both of these kids are 6-foot-5 plus and have a lot of range and pass rushing ability to them. They're going to fill out into big kids for us.
The other defensive end that we have is really a special speed-rush guy. This guy, Nick Perry, from Detroit, is a guy that we really love. This is the kid that had 36 sacks this year. He led his team to their first-ever state championship. He's just a phenomenal football player. He's real fast. He's a 4.5 guy at the Army combine, which is a tremendous time for this make-up, so we're really thrilled about what he's going to bring and what he's going to add to the pass rush.
Staying with the linemen theme, on the other side of the ball. You've seen we've had a lot of guys move off the roster going into the NFL this year, so with that we've got a bunch of guys coming back there to compete for the spots but really these young guys are going to fit right into the middle of the competition. They've had a chance to see us practice. They're looking for their opportunities. Most of these guys have played tackle and we're going to move them around some and find the best spots.
Matt Kalil, little big brother of Ryan Kalil just a big, strong, tough kid we've seen for years. We've loved the way he plays. Great intensity. We think he's truly a tackle but we're going to see how he fits and see what works best for him. He plays very physical and very tough football.
The other guy who played tackle in high school is already in school, Matt Meyer. He came in early in the spring time. He went to high school up in Stockton. Big kid again. He's about 6-6, 285, and he's working out with our guys. He's a really classy kid, a warm, bright kid who's had a chance to graduate early and take advantage of the academic opportunity and take advantage of spring football. It'll give him a real chance to compete for playing time.
We brought a real big kid who's played guard and tackle and I think in time you'll see him fit into a role. He's Daniel Campbell from Houston, Texas. He's a big, big kid. We've loved the way he plays when he was in camp in the summer time and he competed well and showed us all the things that we we're looking for. So, we think that he comes in full-size. He's over 300 pounds. He's a big, big kid. Might have been in the range of a Deuce Lutui or John Drake kind of kid.
Tyron Smith is a true tackle. This is probably the best athlete that we've recruited in the years we've been here to play offensive tackle. He's a very lean, fit, flexible, quick, strong, beautiful-looking kid. Great competitor. He did a really nice job and did a beautiful job playing on both sides of the football, but we'd love to see what he can do at tackle. He looks like a left tackle. Just in perfect form. He also competed in our camp.
You see we have a set theme. We've got a bunch of these guys that have played with us on the practice field, giving us a real chance to see these guys perform.
Another kid who played at Mater Dei is Khaled Holmes. His brother, Alex, played here. Khaled is a very gifted player who was asked to do a tremendous amount of pass blocking. He has had an opportunity to pull and block out in space and on the perimeter. We'd like to see him play guard, but he can play guard or tackle. He's a really bright kid, a tremendous student. He's just a fantastic prospect to get because of the familiarity he has and the coaching he's had to compete and battle early. Again, a real big kid. He's in the 285-pound range. He's also been in the 300-pound range. We'll see how it settles as we get to the summer time.
So that's a real big group. That's 10 kids, half the class.
Let's stay on the offensive side of the ball with a tight end prospect that we've seen, Blake Ayles, who will is just a tremendous athlete, an all-around athlete. He gets down the field. He's got really good speed. He's got tremendous catching ability. He's been on a wide open offense that's showed him everything we ask our tight ends to do. We've just been thrilled to see him in the process, hoping that it makes sense that this was the right place for him. I think as he watched Fred Davis, who had a very big role in our system this year, it just made perfect sense for him to come to USC. He's also a tremendous track competitor. He throws the discus and just has a really all-around ability. We'll look for him to be a guy that can stretch the field and get down there and make plays for us. We'll look to see how he fits into the offense right from the beginning.
The other offensive player that we have other than receivers is a really exciting player, Curtis McNeal from Venice High School. It's a kid that I saw on film two years ago when he scored 42 touchdowns as a junior and 36 this year. Just a phenomenally productive kid. Can run and catch and do all the stuff that you want. He's a smaller kid with great quickness and explosiveness. He's a great corner as well, so this is a really exciting guy. We see him in the role that we put Desmond Reed in right off the bat and being able to move him around and get him on the edge and involved in the kicking game and really give us some sparks. I think we'll find that he's a very exciting football player with the running backs that we took last year and we'll loop around and next year will be an important year for us and will keep the flow going here. He's really the only guy we're expecting to come out of the backfield for us in this recruiting class.
The final part of this group on offense is the wide receivers. D.J. Shoemate from Servite High School has been a kid that we picked up early on. He was a fantastic player as a sophomore. We found him very early and offered him early. We fell in love with his versatility and ability to do a lot of things. Tremendous catcher. Tremendous run-after-the-catch guy. Also played in the backfield a lot for them. He has the versatility to be a receiver and a running back and that's a nice mix for us. You know how we like to use our guys in expanded roles and there's no question that D.J. can do all of that stuff. He's got great strength to him. He's a 215-pound kid. He's been heavier than that at times. He can catch the ball over the middle and over the crowd and make tough plays. He's a great defensive player as well, but we see him as a wide receiver and a guy we're really excited about being able to do some special things with him. We're always looking for kids with special dimensions to them, and certainly D.J. is a leader and a competitor.
A kid we took from out of the area from Atlanta, Brice Butler is a fantastic receiver. This is the guy that we thought was the best route runner we've seen in a couple of years. Really proficient, a change-of-direction kid. He gets out of his breaks. He's a really accomplished guy for a high school kid. His dad played in the NFL years, Bobby Butler was a defensive back for years. He's been running around with his dad in the backyard for years. They have brought us a really exciting receiver. He's a big play guy. Can make great catches, has a great catching range. He makes plays off his feet into the air and the low balls and all that kind of stuff comes very natural to him. He's really been an exciting prospect for us. We're excited for him to come across the country to come play for us.
On the defensive side of the ball, to finish up we have two linebackers that are extraordinary players. The first one from Dominguez High School, Maurice Simmons, is again another family relation. His brother, Melvin Simmons, played for us many years ago. He's had a tremendous career at Dominguez but was injured late in the season but is a very skilled football player in the mode of Keith Rivers. He's fast, can chase the football, cover a lot of ground, a really athletic kid, great speed. We're thrilled about Maurice coming in.
To finish up here we have another defensive back player. We've hit this really sweet on the backside of the ball. We have two corners and there are two safeties, one who just transferred, Shane Horton. He came in from UNLV. He's from Notre Dame High School and is joining his brother Wes. This is a very good football player and a guy that we missed on the way coming out of high school, but we had a chance because he sought us out to transfer and we're really thrilled about him to give us depth and insight in the back as a safety player. He's plays with a Kevin Ellison style. We've already seen him on film and we're really pleased to have him join us.
A kid from Northern California (Drew McAllister), the best player in the East Bay, was a quarterback and had a big career for a good team and made so many things happen on the football field. When we had him down at camp here he played at safety for us. We just fell in love with the kid. Big strong safety. Runs really well. He's a track guy. He ran a 10.8 as a junior. Physical kid. He brings you all of the awareness that comes with an all-around athlete and a quarterback. Being a safety and quarterback seems to go together. This is one of those guys who is really an exciting football player and a very good student and a basketball player. He's a really exciting kid for us.
Two corners we brought in. Brian Baucham is a kid that we saw as just a tremendous offensive player in high school. Could play on kick returns and all that from West Torrance High School. Just a phenomenal highlight reel. We knew of him, but he got hurt in his senior year, but we got so excited about his all-around athletic ability, so we're bringing him in to play corner for us. He's a track guy with great speed and athletic ability. We're really thrilled about him.
I think one of the great recruiting accomplishments for us is T.J. Bryant. He's a guy that we recruited from Lincoln High School in Tallahassee. We've been through there in years past and kind of knew our way around. We saw T.J. growing up in their program. This is an incredibly gifted corner. This is a guy that has been raised as a corner. He played some wide receiver, but really wanted to be a corner early in his career. He has all of the natural abilities, all of movement, all of the skill to make interceptions and making big plays as well as return abilities that you could want. He's an extremely gifted football player. He saw this opportunity as something very unique and special and his family backed him up on it. We're proud to go into northern Florida and get a kid excited about USC. This is a tremendous accomplishment in our recruiting. We're really excited about T.J.
All of these kids are getting a great chance to start right off the bat, running against the first group, working with the best players. We expect to see these guys championing the cause, and taking advantage of this.
It's great class. Guys that are going to excel in the classroom. Guys that are going to come in here to try to make a spot for themselves right off the bat. Part of the active competition. We're really pleased about it.
(POST-PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES ON LATE SIGNEE UONA KAVEINGA):
Uona Kaveinga is a physical, tough, competitive linebacker. He plays in the same manner as Lofa Tatupu, physical and all over the field. He makes a bunch of plays. He'll be a great special teams player, too. He's a serious competitor. I love his attitude and the toughness he brings.
