Armstead is the No. 1 recruit for the 2012 class. Photo Courtesy of Creative Commons

But there’s a catch: He may not be playing the position that fans want him to.

The player I'm talking about is Arik Armstead, the younger brother of current Trojan defensive lineman Armond Armstead. The standout two-way senior lineman from Elk Grove’s Pleasant Grove High School verbally pledged to the Trojans in June 2010, and intends to play both football and basketball at USC.

The biggest question is what position he will play for Lane Kiffin and Co. if and when he gets here.

Some experts prefer his potential along the offensive line, and several have him as the top rated tackle in the country. But he has said repeatedly that he intends to play defensive end in college. 

Queue the controversy.

Armstead possesses incredible size for a high school defensive end at 6-foot-8-inches, 280 pounds, and when combined with his speed and power few opponents at the high school level are able to stop him.

But while he is certainly an incredible athlete, he is not in the same class as say, Julius Peppers, for someone with similar size. His athleticism is good, but not NFL-caliber good.

At his size Armstead appears to be a much better fit in an odd-front defense, as his real value as an end will be clogging running lanes and using his size and strength to tie up multiple blockers. USC primarily plays out of a 4-3 front under Cover-2 guru Monte Kiffin.

Still, it’s not inconceivable for Armstead to play either end or tackle in USC’s defense and be drafted to play as a 3-4 DE at the next level.

There are several highly paid 3-4 defensive ends in the pros, and if I had to pick a player whose skill set Armstead comes closest to it would be Richard Seymour and I’m sure he’d be happy with that comparison.

However, as we all know, the ability to rush the passer is what really makes the big bucks in the NFL, and I just don’t see Armstead contributing in this area as successfully.

This is why a move to the offensive line makes so much sense for him. 

He is basically out of left tackle central casting: tall with long arms and great balance, aggressive in the running game and almost impossible to beat to the quarterback. 

While his athleticism is pretty good for a defensive end, it is phenomenal for an offensive lineman. Think top-5-pick-in-the-draft good.

Not only that, but there is a very good chance USC is going to have a Matt Kalil-sized hole at left tackle come next spring, as the standout junior is widely considered a top-10 lock in April’s draft. 

Armstead could slide into the empty spot on the line and start there for the next three years before heading off to the pros. It may be a bit optimistic to believe that he can step in right away, but he plans on enrolling in the spring, which would give him more time to adjust to the college game.

Not only would this be huge for USC’s offensive line, but financially it would almost assuredly be a smart move on his part as well. Elite left tackles are some of the most valuable commodities in the game, and teams make sure they are paid that way.

If Armstead develops at left tackle as many are projecting him to, he will be a very rich young man early in his career. The potential to do that exists on the other side of the ball as well, it will just be much harder to accomplish.

I will be the first to say that if his heart is truly set on playing defense, he should follow that dream. I am confident he will be great at USC no matter where he plays.

But if his dream is simply to play in the NFL and maximize his potential and earning power, offense is the road he needs to take.

Of course, if Lane Kiffin and Ed Orgeron aren’t able to keep him out of enemy hands, this will be a moot point. But, if they can manage to secure his signature and convince him that his talents belong on the offensive side of the ball, there is no telling how good he could be.

Reach Andrew Parrone here