OUT OF THE SHADOWS

Once overlooked by recruiters, Jordan makes a personal journey and earns a chance to shine on big stage with USC

- RYAN KARTJE

CARLIN STIEHL Los Angeles Times WAYMOND JORDAN runs the ball during the third quarter of USC's 59-20 victory against Georgia Southern at the Coliseum on Saturday.

When he first started spreading the word about Waymond Jordan, Mike Bennett figured the film would speak for itself. The Escambia High coach had been in the South Florida preps scene long enough to know what he was seeing from his new running back.

"Just watching him run the football for the first time, he was amazing," Bennett said. He figured scholarship offers would roll in soon enough.

Jordan had similar expectations. Since he first picked up football, at 4 years old, he'd always told himself that he'd play at a big school, on the biggest stage. He'd come to Escambia as a senior with that in mind.

But in 2021, four years before Lincoln Riley and USC would see that same star potential, other college coaches, for whatever reason, weren't paying much mind.

Given where Jordan stands today - the top running back on one of the nation's top rushing offenses through two weeks of the college football season plenty of them probably regret that now.

"Every coach in the country, I sent stuff to," Bennett said. "I mean, everybody. I sent it out to everybody." Some smaller schools monitored Jordans' senior year at Escambia, keeping a close eye as he rushed for 1,225 yards and 12 touchdowns. A few schools said he could walk-on. But none of them extended a scholarship offer. Jordan couldn't understand why.

Hutchinson Community College, a junior college in Hutchinson, Kan., was one of the only places to give him an opportunity. Hutchinson was a thousand miles from his hometown of Pensacola, and a world away from the major college football he thought he'd be playing. But the staff there knew Escambia well, and they believed in what they saw in Jordan's tape.