A Textbook Lesson In How Not To Recruit?

I am not saying this is the reason 5-star Malachi Nelson did not commit to USC.

But the following incident is well known at Los Alamitos High School and I’ve heard it from two sources.

When Nelson visited USC, a member of the USC football staff made an immediate negative impression by repeatedly using inappropriate language in front of Nelson and his family, according to the sources.

The encounter was so cringeworthy that even some USC people tried to steer Nelson and his family away from the staffer, sources said.

“The damage had been done,” a Los Alamitos coach said. “We heard about it.”

It became a huge talking point at Los Alamitos, which is how I learned of the incident.

Was it a fatal blow? I don’t know. But I know USC felt it had ground to make up with Nelson after the visit. And there was a feeling among some at the McKay Center that Nelson was Oklahoma’s to lose following his visit.

That was confirmed Sunday when Nelson committed to Oklahoma.