Lane Kiffin Offers 13-Year-Old a Scholarship to USC

Sills in six years?

He may be 13 years old, study in seventh grade classrooms and struggle with Algebra I (not to mention Cover 2 Defenses), but David Sills is promising enough to be USC’s quarterback of the future. In 2015. Or so his scholarship offer claims.

Of course, this move is not without precedent for Trojan head coach Lane Kiffin. Last summer at Tennessee, Kiffin offered the 13-year-old brother of All American safety Eric Berry the chance to be the Volunteers’ first recruit of the class of 2013. Yep, 2013.

Does this oral commitment matter in practical terms? Of course not: Sills can renege at any time and Kiffin might bolt USC — remember, he’s gone through two head coaching gigs in less than three seasons already. And that Berry scholarship at Tennessee isn’t exactly binding any longer.

But symbolically it’s too meaningful, and baffling, not to at least reflect on it.

How in the hell does Kiffin know that Sills has “it,” as football gurus so wonderfully put it? I don’t give a damn whether QB sensei-par-excellence Steve Clarkson (who has also tutored current USC star Matt Barkley and future NFL first-rounder Jimmy Clausen) quips, “I’ve never seen anyone at his age do what he’s been able to do.” The kid’s 13 … he’s never played against post-puberty competition. I’m sorry, but there’s a substantial difference between passing to your pops in the backyard and actually playing against people.

And the kid may dream of playing for Southern California, but maybe, gee, he changes his mind sometime during the next six years? For comparison’s sake, at 13 I still would have served in the North Korean military if it meant I could get my hands on a Playstation 2 (is that a dated reference now?).

It just goes to show how unafraid Kiffin is of headlines. The next couple months are gonna be awful interesting in LA … especially if Kiffin starts talking smack to UCLA a la Kiffin circa-2009 against Florida.

Oh, and Tennessee fans: Rejoice this is no longer your problem.