Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports
USC may have found the next Mike Williams or Marqise Lee, and the Trojans’ potential next great wide receiver has yet to even enroll in high school.
Incoming high school freshman Nathan Tilford (Upland, Calif. Upland) received a scholarship offer Sunday after dominating on the camp circuit this spring. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound wide receiver in the class of 2017 is not even the first in his class to receive an offer.
That distinction goes to Dylan Moses (Baton Rouge, La. University Lab), who received a scholarship from two-time defending national champion Alabama earlier this year, among others. As shocking as that may sound, it wasn’t even his first scholarship offer from an SEC team because LSU offered the running back/linebacker a scholarship prior to his starting eighth grade.
Do you have an issue with colleges offering scholarships to athletes that have yet to play a high school game?
I find this practice a bit overzealous and have criticized this practice in the past, but in this day of increased attention being paid to recruits USC, Alabama and LSU are just staying one step ahead of the competition. The crazy part about this offer is that head coach Lane Kiffin would be lucky to still be employed at USC by the time Tilford has his driver’s license, let alone by the time he would suit up for USC.
Nevertheless, it will be fascinating to see Tilford develop in high school and if he’ll take USC up on their offer — in four years.
Patrick’s a college football writer for Rant Sports and radio host on Sportstownchicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @PatrickASchmidt and add him to your Google network.
