Paul Myerberg

USA TODAY Sports

LOS ANGELES – In hindsight, there was never any doubt that Sam Darnold was going to Southern California.

“I always knew I wanted to go to USC, honestly,” said the Trojans’ sophomore quarterback. “I think I knew I always wanted to stay at home.”

First he needed a scholarship. As Darnold entered the busiest period of his recruitment – the summer between his junior and senior years in San Clemente, Calif. – it wasn’t clear if the Trojans would extend an offer.

It wasn’t promising. And as he prepared to throw for then-quarterbacks coach Clay Helton that summer, the Trojans already held a verbal commitment from a five-star quarterback recruit, Ricky Town. At that point, the Trojans’ succession plan under center seemed clear: Cody Kessler for one year, Max Browne for two, then Town. For USC, it might seem as if adding another quarterback would be a luxury, not a necessity.

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Not that all would be lost: Darnold still had options, from Oregon and Utah through Duke and Northwestern. The Utes were first to offer. Northwestern rolled out the red carpet when Darnold visited with his father, Mike. Both were impressed by Duke’s David Cutcliffe; Darnold, who had recently seen Cutcliffe speak in a documentary on Peyton and Eli Manning – he coached both in college – said he was “honored to be in (Cutcliffe’s) presence.”

So his parents, while hopeful that he would stay inside the Pac-12 Conference, had resigned themselves to the fact that Darnold might not play close to home.

Then Darnold, auditioning at a camp on campus, wowed Helton and then-head coach Steve Sarkisian, who quickly conferred. Gosh almighty, Sarkisian said. He’s too good to let get away, the two coaches decided. Darnold, who grew up attending several USC home games a year, went home to think.

USC was able to land Darnold’s commitment by making a simple promise. Sitting down with Sarkisian and Helton after earning his scholarship, Darnold said he didn’t care that the Trojans already had a quarterback committed in his class. He only wanted to know: Does the best player play?

Yes, the coaches responded. Less than two weeks later, Darnold verbally committed to USC.

“That’s who he is,” Helton said. “It’s a blue-collar family. Dad’s a plumbing contractor and his mom’s a teacher. They’ve lived in the same house his whole life. His comment is, ‘I’m never going to change.’ And in my heart of hearts, I really believe that.

“No matter how far he goes in this profession, I know I’ll never see this kid change the type of person he is. As good a player he is, he’s even a better person.”

Still, Darnold was considered the second of the Trojans’ two quarterback recruits – Town was viewed as the stronger prospect, not to mention the more likely to make an immediate impact due to his willingness to enroll early and participate in spring drills. Darnold, meanwhile, chose to remain in San Clemente for the final semester of his senior year, driven by the chance to win a league title in basketball.

While invited to participate in the prestigious Elite 11 tournament, held each summer on the Nike campus outside of Portland, Ore., Darnold didn’t make the cut. In general, that he had only played in two games as a junior due to injury meant Darnold wasn’t seen as an obvious can’t-miss prospect.

In a way, even Helton had to be convinced. Coaches get only in-person evaluation during the season, so Helton assumed Darnold might be a little nervous when he arrived at San Clemente High School that fall. Then Darnold completed all 13 of his attempts for five touchdowns – in the first half. OK, this is our guy, Helton thought.

“It was such a rare recruitment,” Helton said. “To go through that process was so different.”

The decision to add Darnold proved prophetic after Town left the program before the team's first game in 2015. After two seasons at Arkansas, he announced his plans to transfer.

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