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USC at a recruiting crossroads in Helton's second year

Clay Helton isn’t the splashy recruiter that Pete Carroll, Lane Kiffin or Steve Sarkisian were at USC. And, maybe, he doesn’t need to be.

Since ESPN began ranking recruiting classes in 2006, USC has finished with the Pac-12’s No. 1 class nine out of 11 years -- the only second-place finishes coming in 2012 and 2013, when USC’s scholarship numbers were limited by NCAA sanctions. Those classes were largely built Carroll, Kiffin and Sarkisian, recognized locally and nationally as recruiting stars, capable of going toe-to-toe with coaches across the country to win more than their share of recruiting battles.