Hey Joe where you goin'? Really. Where are you going?

Joe McKnight was known as the steal of the year for Pete Carroll after luring him in to come to USC. He was already dubbed as the next Reggie Bush before he finished packing his bags to go to California. His speed, vision, and versatility gave all the fans and scouts all they needed to crown him as the next Reggie who will dazzle the field with quick cuts on his way to the end zone. Hello ESPN, we're going to make the highlight reels once again.

Well two seasons later, he has only made one memorable highlight after a long gain against Illinois in the Rose Bowl. For the most part, he has been more like the other top recruit of his class Jimmy Clausen, as he lays on the ground for a loss of yards. Other times, we usually see him searching for the ball after a run as he has shown he is fumble prone.

In all honesty, when I think at all the Joe McKnight plays the most memorable one comes from the game against the Oregon Ducks. USC forced a turnover early in the game and had a chance to set the tone. It was 4th and inches and instead of seeing Stafon Johnson muscle the ball between the tackles, we saw Joe McKnight dancing left and right before being tackled for a loss.

Is Joe a bust? For being such a highly touted recruit, I would say that he has been a bust. Stafon Johnson and CJ Gable has produced a lot more than Joe without being regarded as high at the running back position. I thought Broderick Green's best performance when he finally got a shot, was overall a better performance than most of Joe McKnight's efforts.

I can't really put the blame on him. The coaches have tried to use him like they used Reggie. They envisioned him to make plays like Reggie. They've sold him on the idea of being the next Reggie. I'm sure Joe himself has pictured himself as the next Reggie. With messages like "pay day" written on his eye black, Joe has probably already envisioned his life in the NFL. But wait a minute Joe. You're still at USC, and you have yet to perform in a way that would make you a valuable stock in the NFL.

Luckily for Joe, Pete Carroll has not yet given up on his dream of having the second coming of Reggie Bush in his squad. Joe to his credit has shown little bits of flashes of greatness here and there. He has been given favorable treatment compared to CJ Gable after his fumbles.

This coming season is definitely going to be the year that Joe McKnight will have to live up to the hype. He was bothered by injury during Spring Camp and have given the likes of Curtis Mcneal and Marc Tyler the chance to steal the spotlight. With another rookie Quarterback taking over, USC needs to dominate the running game again even more than last year. I'm sure as the season begins Joe McKnight will be given a chance to shine. But if he shows us the same o'l Joe we have seen the past two years, the answer to

"Hey Joeeeeee.. where you goin'???"

will be the sidelines...