Michigan and Alabama may be duking it out for the top recruiting class in 2013 but nobody has loaded up on quality kids like USC has. Already with commitments from the top quarterback and running back, the Trojans added the top safety in the country on Wednesday as Murrieta (Calif.) five-star Su'a Cravens made it official that he would be wearing the cardinal and gold in college.The 6-foot-1, 205-pounder picked USC over his other finalists Michigan, Ohio State and UCLA. Cravens committed before taking unofficial visits to Ann Arbor and Columbus last week. His cousins, Brynn and Jordan Cameron both attended USC with the latter playing football.
"I grew up a USC fan, grew up in LA right by the Coliseum and could hear them playing and the band," Cravens told CBSSports.com about the school in late March. "As you grow up, you have a favorite school but as soon as you get in high school (and get recruited), it becomes a business and you don't have any favorite schools. You don't choose where you'll be the next four years based on that.
"They're not afraid to play freshmen. Half their team is freshmen or sophomores and they're really young but favored to win the national championship. That really stands out to me and says that I'll have a chance if I come in and compete and I'm not afraid of competition at all."
Ranked as the fifth best player in the class, Cravens can line up at multiple positions in college such as running back or linebacker but most see him as a safety. A hard hitter who can roam the secondary, the 16-year-old is one of the most athletic players in the country.
"Su'a can do almost anything," said Vista Murrieta (Murrieta, Calif.) head coach Coley Candaele. "He's a kid that wants to be successful. He wants to do well. He's proven he's willing to be coachable and make adjustments to win. Because that's the ultimate goal, he wants to win."
Academics have been a high priority and played into the decision for Cravens, who is expected to graduate in December and enroll early in Los Angeles. He gives the Trojans eight commitments for the class of 2013 and racked up 100 tackles and three interceptions on top of 15 touchdowns on offense.
