Orgeron said USC should not be worried about players who might reject the talent-rich Trojans because of fear of competition or the promise of immediate playing time at another program.
"We raised the bar and went after kids that saw that they could play there and would want to compete -- that was part of the evaluation," Orgeron said by phone last week.
"The guy that doesn't come is a gift, because he doesn't think he can play.... It makes you a better team because he's not there."
Because of its sustained excellence and talent surplus, Wallace said USC could be ripe for a slight drop-off in recruiting over the next two to three years, much as Miami and Florida State experienced after years of dominance.
On Tuesday, running back Jason Gwaltney of Long Island, N.Y., announced that he had chosen West Virginia over USC and Ohio State. Gwaltney was the only running back USC had targeted, meaning the Trojans' recruiting class probably will be devoid of a running back for the second year in a row. Last year, USC lost out on Adrian Peterson, who signed with Oklahoma out of Palestine, Texas, and wound up second in balloting for the Heisman Trophy.
Greg Biggins, director of recruiting for Student Sports, said the opportunity for playing time remains the focus of most recruits. Biggins, however, does not expect USC to be hurt by its stockpile of talent.
"If everything is equal between two schools, they'll choose the school where they can play the earliest, but USC has no equal right now," Biggins said. "They are at such a different level, the kids believe if they can't play right away they still are going to get better and get to be a part of all the winning."
Jackson, the receiver from Long Beach Poly, is deciding between USC and California. Last month, he was onstage with USC players during the school's national-championship celebration on campus, which drew an estimated 7,000.
Also regarded as a top baseball prospect, Jackson said he is aware of the football program's talent base.
"Right now, if I decide to come to SC, they have their big-name people there," he said. "I don't think I would be a big-time player to them right away, but I think I eventually would be."
The trade-off playing for the Trojans, Jackson said, would be "playing with them, and winning all them championships.... We'd always be a contender for the national championship."
