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College football: Middle-schooler David Sills verbally commits to USC
Quarterback plans to play at USC
BY BUDDY HURLOCK, THE NEWS JOURNAL • FEBRUARY 4, 2010

David Sills, a highly-touted youth quarterback, made a verbal commitment tonight to accept a college football scholarship from USC.

Sills is not even in high school yet. He is a seventh-grader at Red Lion Christian Academy in Bear.

Red Lion high school varsity coach Eric Day confirmed the decision by Sills tonight, also confirming that USC coach Lane Kiffin made the scholarship tonight to the 13-year-old Sills.

"I'm very excited but I was very, very nervous," Sills said tonight about talking to Kiffin over the phone. "It was very cool [to talk to Kiffin] but my heart was beating so fast, and I was scared. But after it was over, I was so excited and pumped."

"It has been a very interesting last few hours," his father, David Sills IV, said tonight shortly after 9 p.m.

Since 2006, Sills has been trained in California about six or seven times a year by Steve Clarkson, a former trainer of Matt Leinart, Ben Roethlisberger and current USC quarterback Matt Barkley.

Sills IV related a conversation between Clarkson and Kiffin tonight, saying that Clarkson told Kiffin that the younger Sills is "the best I've ever coached," and that Kiffin, as he was watching online video of Sills, told Clarkson "I'd sign that kid today."

Sills is 5-foot-11 and 136 pounds, with doctors having told him he will grow to be 6-foot-5.

"I've always imagined in my dreams going to USC," he said. "But I never really detailed it to the phone call. All I imagined was playing in the Coliseum. But this is so crazy and out of nowhere."

Sills IV said he talked many times with his son about college, specifically USC, cautioning his son about "if that opportunity is there when the time comes.

"We assumed that would be when he was a junior [in high school]," Sills IV said.

Day, previously an assistant coach at two colleges, including Delaware State, said Sills makes believers out of people once they see him play.

"Besides his talent the maturity for his age and just how he handles himself," Day said, "people are drawn to him. All the intangibles you look for in a quarterback, he has."

Sills will be able to sign a letter of intent in February 2015, unless of course NCAA regulations have changed by then.

David Sills, a 13-year-old quarterback from Bear County, Del., has committed to play at USC, according to his private quarterback coach, Steve Clarkson.

ESPN.com's Shelley Smith reported that Sills, a seventh-grader, has verbally accepted a scholarship offer from Trojans coach Lane Kiffin. Sills plays at Red Lion Christian Academy. His coach, Eric Day, confirmed the decision in the Delaware News Journal.

"I'm very excited, but I was very, very nervous," Sills said in the News Journal report. "It was very cool, but my heart was beating so fast and I was scared. But after it was over, I was so excited and pumped."

93henfan wrote:
Btw, I beat you by 1 minute! viewtopic.php?f=35&t=12728

Skjellyfetti wrote: btw. If you see Lane Kiffin outside your kids' middle school in a white van... don't worry. He's just recruiting.

DJH wrote:This makes sense, considering Lane Kiffin is only like 20 years old, himself..

andy7171 wrote:Will Kiffen even be there?

SuperHornet wrote:My question would be: Has this kid just thrown away his HS eligibility?

SACCAT wrote:The MSU Bobcats got there first verbal for the 2023 season. My son last night told me he is going to be a bobcat. He then pretended he was a puppy for an hour. I have called Coach Ash to let him know, but he has not returned my calls.