Quinton Powell recruiting updates

Quinton Powell will help ease the wounds of USC’s bleeding recruiting class, picking the Trojans in a TV ceremony on ESPNU. Powell ended up picking USC over Oregon, Miami and South Carolina. Powell was originally a Florida commit but reopened his recruitment in the winter and decided the Trojans were the place for him.

Powell is one of the top linebackers in the country, and even though he’s a bit on the small size, he has the potential to be an excellent speed rusher and blitzer as he develops. Despite Powell’s diminutive frame, he has a solid base that allows him to get away from blockers and move toward the ball carrier.

They’ll be looking to help sway a pretty prominent uncommitted prospect. Keith Bryant is a consensus four-star defensive tackle from Delray Beach, Fla., where he attended Atlantic High. Bryant recently visited Miami last week and Florida State the week before, but Bryant definitely has South Carolina on his short list.

Bud Elliott’s take:

Top linebacker recruit Quinton Powell, of Daytona Beach (Fla.) Mainland, knows his final two schools.

Powell, a four-star recruit, announced via his Facebook that he was cancelling visits to South Carolina, Oregon and Miami. He will decide between Florida, the school to which he was once committed, and USC, where he recently visited.

USC is expecting to welcome a nice group of official visitors this weekend as it tries to wrap up its 2013 recruiting class.

The biggest visitor of the weekend for the Trojans is Eddie Vanderdoes, a five-star defensive tackle from Auburn, Calif., Placer High School. At 6’3, 310 pounds, Vanderdoes is rated as the No. 1 defensive tackle prospect in the Class of 2013 by 247Sports and ESPN, while Rivals lists him as a four-star and the No. 4 player at his position.