13 Year-Old Quarterback Commits to USC

Dang. Kid's same age as me, but who seriously thinks this will be a solid verbal for 5 years? Kid seems to like USC a lot though, but things can change quite quickly.

about 2 years ago Pie 19 comments 0 recs |

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Glad you posted this

I was just about to. I am more interested in this Steve Clarkson guy. From reading this article and then going to his website steveclarksondreammaker.com
It seems to me like this guy is almost an "agent’ if you will, for middle and high school athletes. I mean they got a PR director and everything on staff from what I can tell. I guess thats the way things are these days and the kid at your local pop warner game has no chance unless he is streamlined into an elite program like this spending thousands of dollars to make D1. Pretty scary, and pretty sick if you ask me, but hey if they become Ducks I guess I don’t care..

by oregonsportsaddict on Feb 4, 2010 11:31 PM PST reply actions

Someone needs a reality check.

So much pressure on a young kid. How can he possibly live up the expectations? Maybe he’ll develop to plan. Maybe not.

When I was a freshman, I had a teammate who was bigger, stronger and far more intimidating than anyone else on the team. He started both ways, and it was good to avoid him in drills. Our senior year he was my back up. The rest of us grew up, got bigger, stronger and faster. He didn’t develop that much from freshman year.

As a parent of two kids about the same age, I’d like to punch this kid’s father in the throat. Keep the kids away from the leeches and focus on his skills and HAVING FUN!

Remember Todd Marinovich? That’s right, the all-time poster child for being over-hyped and overexposed. This was reported in the Santa Ana, CA newspaper about 10 months ago. “Newport Beach police say 39-year-old Todd Marinovich was arrested by probation officers for violating terms of his probation stemming from his felony arrest for possession of methamphetamine, and misdemeanor possession of a syringe and resisting arrest.”

"...the noise is one aspect, but you can feel the intensity of their crowd." - Pete Carroll on Oregon's Autzen Stadium.

by JConant on Feb 4, 2010 11:53 PM PST reply actions

Great point

Both this kid and your story remind me of the Little League World Series (hate it!). You know where you get to watch a tone of future MLB talent. Oh wait no. It just the kids who got big first and can throw too fast. This kids hit puberty before everyone else and shin for a few years then everyone else catches up.

I love the line, he is already 6’ tall at 13. Yeah and he might be 6’ tall at 30. I just hate this, even if the story were about him loving the ducks, I hate it. Let him be a kid.

PS i like kiffinbear

I Don't Yell O I SCREAM!

by trumpetduck on Feb 5, 2010 12:26 AM PST up reply actions

I couldn’t agree more. If this is the new trend in college football, then count me out of fandom. (To be clear, I have no reason to believe that it is the new trend — one person does not a trend make.) I don’t care how good the kid is; there’s just simply no reason for a commitment of any kind from him at this age. The following things could all change between now and 2015:

-His school interest
-His talent level relative to his peers
-His life goals
-USC’s QB needs
-USC’s head coach
-The desirability of playing for USC

This is a stupid move for both USC and for the kid, but mostly for the kid. There’s just no reason to lock him into the college football recruiting system, which is quite often disgusting and cutthroat (right, Wulff / Stoops?), at this point in his life.

Plus, what happens if this kid gets busted in two years for drinking at a party? Will I get the “pleasure” of reading about it on ESPN just because he’s a USC commit? Throwing him into the limelight like this just isn’t necessary. If he’s as great as his coach says, and remains that way, then what possible purpose did this phone call to Lane Kiffin serve other than prematurely thrusting him into the public spotlight?

The "O" stands for "Oh dear god, when does football season start again?"

by ProbablyMonty on Feb 5, 2010 8:49 AM PST up reply actions

Your points are invalid.

its spelled "S-H-U-F-E-L-T-N-O-B-A-L-L-S"

by JShufelt on Feb 5, 2010 9:34 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs

HAHAHAHA

That is hilarious. Though if they become ducks they are exempt from how screwed up that is.

by oregonsportsaddict on Feb 5, 2010 10:38 AM PST up reply actions

The "O" stands for "Oh dear god, when does football season start again?"

by ProbablyMonty on Feb 5, 2010 12:06 PM PST up reply actions

kiffinbear approves!

the few, the proud, the blazers

by HD on Feb 4, 2010 11:59 PM PST reply actions 1 recs

Kiffin Bear! My three old likes this!

by QuackinAK on Feb 6, 2010 11:24 AM PST up reply actions

that's not a good thing

the few, the proud, the blazers

by HD on Feb 6, 2010 1:50 PM PST up reply actions

Hmmm, In that case...

I sense an offer coming for your 3 year old.

LaMichael James + Kenjon Barner + Lache Seastrunk + Dontae Williams + Josh Huff + Keanon Lowe + Remene Alston +...

by CaDuck on Feb 6, 2010 2:13 PM PST up reply actions

My favorite part of the article...

You might call me crazy, but you’ve known me a long time, right? And when I said if there was going to be a LeBron James of football it’d be Jimmy Clausen that turned out to be a pretty good prediction.

--AddictedToQuack, SBNation's Oregon Ducks blog

by jtlight on Feb 5, 2010 5:56 AM PST reply actions

I stopped reading at that line,

because any credibility this guy had built up until that line went straight out the window.

by HoodRiverDuck on Feb 5, 2010 8:35 AM PST up reply actions

Just another spoiled USC QB, whose ass we will kick.

LaMichael James + Kenjon Barner + Lache Seastrunk + Dontae Williams + Josh Huff + Keanon Lowe + Remene Alston +...

by CaDuck on Feb 5, 2010 7:15 AM PST reply actions

Steve Clarkson, I declare you...Marinovich!

"...the noise is one aspect, but you can feel the intensity of their crowd." - Pete Carroll on Oregon's Autzen Stadium.

by JConant on Feb 5, 2010 8:48 AM PST up reply actions

It's all just TV drama

Truth is if the kid stinks or breaks his leg or switches to placekicker in the next 4 years Kiffin will leave him out to dry and his “offer” will mean nothing. And if the kid turns out to be great in high school his promise to USC means nothing and he’ll go somewhere else.

The worst part is how easily this can screw the kids life up, maybe he has ESPN show up at JV practice and turns into Ryan Leaf. Or the pressure hinders his development and he turns into Brady Leaf. Either way, this fake agreement the two parties made means nothing but has plenty of opportunity to screw one of them over. Problem is the millionaire adult has a lot less to lose than some little kid, but at the same time it’s on his parents for buying into this absurd bullshit in the first place.

Good luck to both of you, in 5 years we’ll be hanging some PAC-10 banners, Kiffin will be coaching Tebow (and his 45% completions) at Jacksonville, and sorry kid, but we’ll have forgotten all about you by this Sunday.

by JonathanPDX on Feb 5, 2010 12:31 PM PST reply actions