By Kevin Carden SCPlaybook.com
Pete Carroll and the USC Trojans showed their recruiting dominance on the west coast once again, going into Arizona and securing the commitment of Phoenix (Ariz.) Desert Vista defensive end Devon Kennard.
The five-star defensive end was one of the most sought after prospects in the 2009 recruiting class, pulling in over thirty scholarship offers from the top programs across the nation.
On Tuesday, Kennard ended the suspense by picking USC over California and Texas.
“I am going to be a Trojan,” Kennard told Scout.com. “I called Coach Carroll and he was really excited. He just wanted to make sure that I was confident in my decision.
“It is just a good situation for me. I wanted to make the best decision all around. I will compete against the best of the best and this will help me be the best I can be.
“It was nothing against the other schools. I just felt USC was a better situation for me.”
The elite pass rusher said he was drawn to USC because he wants to compete against the best and receive a good education.
“They put a lot of guys in the NFL and if that doesn’t work out, I will have a good education to fall back on,” Kennard said.
Kennard, who has elite speed off the edge, had his senior season cut short when he suffered a torn ACL and meniscus in his right knee in the third game of the season.
As a junior in 2007, Kennard recorded 111 tackles and a school-record 24.5 sacks while leading Desert Vista to the 5A1 state title game.
Devon Kennard became the fifth five-star commitment in USC’s 2009 recruiting class, joining Matt Barkley, T.J. McDonald, Vontaze Burfict and JUCO defensive end Hebron Fangupo.
USC commits Devon Kennard and Kevin Graf battle in the trenches.
