Here’s the fifth thing we learned this spring about USC football:

No. 5 — All-Pac-10 center Kristofer O’Dowd is worthy of all the hype.

How can this be? How could Kristofer O’Dowd prove his value without taking a single spring snap?

It seems counterintuitive, but hear me out:

Sometimes we don’t realize the value of a player until he’s gone. Quick example: In the Phoenix Suns’ run-and-gun heyday from 2004-08, they won 70.7 percent of their regular-season games. Out of the 17 games Steve Nash missed, they won all of four.

The O’Dowd-less USC offensive line didn’t have a bad spring, but it didn’t have a great one either. It was one of the Trojans’ more inconsistent units, and arguably their most disappointing given the number of returnees with starting experience (even without O’Dowd).

A lot of variables contributed to that. One was the daily dominance of a deep, talented defensive line that probably would have made any college O-line look bad. Another was a spate of minor injuries that had several players shifting around. (Tackle Butch Lewis briefly played guard — for the first time.) Yet another was the force-feeding of talented but still-learning young tackles Tyron Smith and Matt Kalil.

The constant was the absence of O’Dowd, who missed spring ball while recuperating from shoulder surgery.

It’s hard for even a football fanatic such as myself to truly judge offensive-line play, and it’s especially difficult to assess the interior linemen when so many bodies converge and the ball is often elsewhere. But it was clear during spring drills that USC’s offensive line missed O’Dowd, who earned first-team All-Pac-10 honors as a sophomore. There were far too many tackles for loss and far too many one-sided blitz periods.

The offensive line hadn’t looked that shaky since the start of training camp last year, when guard Jeff Byers was out because of an illness. O’Dowd took just about every snap then, so maybe it’s the combination of him and Byers that makes the O-line click. Once Byers returned, the line jelled.

I expect the same to happen this year when O’Dowd comes back — and adds “All-American” to his growing résumé .

10 THINGS WE LEARNED SCHEDULE

• Thursday, April 30: No. 1 — Freshman quarterback Matt Barkley is really, really good
• Friday, May 1: No. 2 — Junior defensive end Everson Griffen can be as good as he wants to be
• Monday, May 4: No. 3 — The Trojans have more viable tailbacks than they have spots to play them
• Tuesday, May 5: No. 4 — The Trojans are crazy deep at cornerback, and that’s a very good thing
• Wednesday, May 6: No. 5 — All-Pac-10 center Kristofer O’Dowd is worthy of all the hype
• Thursday, May 7: No. 6
• Friday, May 8: No. 7
• Monday, May 11: No. 8
• Tuesday, May 12: No. 9
• Wednesday, May 13: No. 10

More from the USC blog:

• USC football: 10 things we learned in spring (No. 4)
• USC football: 10 things we learned in spring (No. 3)
• USC football: 8 kickoff times set for 2009
• USC football: 10 things we learned in spring (No. 2)
• USC Football: Robinson in CFB Hall of Fame
• USC football: 10 things we learned in spring (No. 1)
• USC basketball: Net result of the comings and goings
• USC football: Pryor engagement already on their minds?
• USC football: The secret to Jethro Franklin’s success
• USC football: A pair of unsolved mysteries

Post from: USC

From Rivals.com:

PAT RUEL – USC

BUZZ:  Ruel was a serious candidate for national recruiter of the year with an average star ranking for his six signees of 4.17.

He helped recruit five-star offensive linemen Matt Kalil and Tyron Smith, but he helped pull in one of the biggest Signing Day surprises when he able to get Rivals100 cornerback T.J. Bryant away from the grips of Miami and Florida State.

Coach Ruel was also named one of the top 25 recruiters nationally.  Also have to give credit to Coach Seto for helping with T.J. Bryant.  Excellent job by both coaches. 

Matt Kalil waited more than a year. The offensive lineman from Anaheim Servite High, who made an oral commitment to USC during his junior season, finally got to sign a letter of intent Wednesday, one of 10 linemen in a 19-player recruiting class that lacked glitz but filled many of the Trojans’ immediate needs. Kalil was among five offensive linemen who could help fill the void left by the departure of four starters who completed their eligibility or turned pro… continue

But the day's biggest surprises came on defense.

From Rivals.com:

11.  Matt Kalil, OL (Servite, Anaheim, CA) - 5*

15.  Tyron Smith, OL (Rancho Verde, Moreno Valley, CA) - 5*

31.  Blake Ayles, TE (Lutheran, Orange, CA) - 4*

40.  Wes Horton, DE (Notre Dame, Sherman Oaks, CA) - 4*

42.  Armond Armstead, DT (Pleasant Grove, Elk Grove, CA) - 4*

79.  Brice Butler, WR (Norcross, Norcross, GA) - 4*

96.  D.J. Shoemate, WR (Servite, Anaheim, CA) - 4*

D.J. Shoemate took the biggest hit, going from a top 30 5-star all the way down to #96 and a 4-star rating.  Personally, I'm not surprised with the move because I've never thought too highly of D.J..  I think he's going to be a solid player in college simply because he's coachable and comes from a great program in Servite, but he just doesn't have the "IT" factor to become a superstar IMO.  I know some recruiting experts, like Garry Paskwietz of WeAreSC.com, thought he was one of the best RB/players in CA this past season and is going to be a tremendous recruit, but I just don't see it the same way.  Garry obviously knows a lot more than I do, but he's also been wrong his fair share.   Also, there is no way D.J. ever becomes a starting RB for SC, barring some ridiculous string of injuries; I see him as a receiver or safety at the next level.  But with that said, I still think #96 is too low of a ranking; I think he should be somewhere in the 50-70 range.  Also on the topic of overrated players, I'll be surprised if Wes Horton ever pans out, I think he's way too upright as a DE and should be at the bottom of the top 100 at best. 

On the flip side, I really like Blake Ayles and think he should be a 5-star prospect, which he essentially is since he's ranked at #31.  He probably won't make an impact right away because of our TE depth, but he should be a very good one in the future.  Also, I've praised Armond Armstead numerous times on this blog back when he was a 3-star prospect.  I also think Joe Adams will be a very good CB assuming he doesn't break out as a receiver first. 

From Rivals.com:

6.  Matt Kalil (Anaheim, CA) - OL

11.  Tyron Smith (Moreno Valley, CA) - OL

22.  D.J. Shoemate (Anaheim, CA) - ATH

47.  Blake Ayles (Orange, CA) - TE

71.  Armond Armstead (Elk Grove, CA) - OG/DT

92.  Joe Adams (Little Rock, AR) - WR/CB

95.  Brice Butler (Norcross, GA) - WR

Looks like another top 5 class.  Amazing how T.J. Bryant dropped off the top 100 list when earlier in the season they were hyping him as the best CB prospects ever to come out of Tallahassee. 

Rivals.com released their new Rivals100 today and there are 6 Trojans on the list:

6.  Matt Kalil, OL

• Kalil is a franchise left tackle that can’t be beat on the pass rush.

11.  Tyron Smith, OL

• Smith is a two-time NIKE Camp MVP and an amazing right tackle prospect.

22.  D.J. Shoemate, ATH

• Shoemate looked back to old self at the USC Rising Senior Camp.

42.  Blake Ayles, TE

• Ayles is the nation’s most well-rounded tight end. Averaged 14 yards a catch in 2006.

68.  Armond Armstead, DT

• Armstead, who also is an AAU basketball star, had 79 tackles as a junior and dominated at USC’s summer camp.

76.  Brice Butler, WR

• Sticky hands led to nine touchdowns as a junior.

I personally like this list better than Scout.com's.  For example, I'm high on players like Armond Armstead (3-star on Scout; 4-star on Rivals) and Tyron Smith (4-star on Scout; 5-star on Rivals) and not so high on players like Matt Meyer (4-star on Rivals; 5-star on Scout).  Then again, I'm not a recruiting expert so what do I know?

We didn't see a better lineman on the NIKE Camp tour than Smith this year. In fact, he might have been the best lineman we saw two years ago when he was just a rising junior. Smith is far more than just a workout warrior however, he's equally as dominant on the field and when you combine his great frame, athleticism with how hard he works off the field and the mean streak he plays with, you can understand why he's so highly touted.