LOS ANGELES – It was only four years ago Lane Kiffin offered a PowerPoint presentation to recruits comparing the number of USC offensive linemen drafted in the first round compared to Stanford.
It did not really work because two blue-chip linemen, Andrus Peat and Kyle Murphy, chose Stanford over USC. Coincidentally, former USC athletic director Pat Haden actively pursued both after becoming certified to recruit by the NCAA because the Trojans coaching staff was shorthanded.
But Stanford did not just steal the Trojans’ recruits, it stole the Trojans’ identity in recent seasons. The Cardinal has the Heisman Trophy candidate at tailback (Christian McCaffrey).