LOS ANGELES -- JuJu Smith-Schuster had heard about the kid from Illinois who moved to Southern California in high school to play ball. The word was he almost enrolled at his high school, longtime prep powerhouse Long Beach Poly, but ended up instead at nearby Serra, also known for churning out Division I talent.

Poly and Serra play regularly, so when members of each team got together for a 7-on-7 scrimmage in the offseason, it didn’t figure to carry much significance. And, really, it didn’t. The result doesn’t matter, but Smith-Schuster still remembers it well.

"I just knew that this No. 21 kid was following me everywhere. I went to the right side, he went to the right side," Smith-Schuster said. "I went to the left side, he went to the left side. I went to the slot, he went to the slot. And it was like that the whole game."

It got to the point where Smith-Schuster would purposely stay behind after the huddle broke to see where No. 21 would go. He wouldn’t go anywhere. He waited for him to move first.

That’s how Smith-Schuster was introduced to Adoree' Jackson.

As they became two of the most highly coveted recruits in the country and their paths drew closer, Jackson and Smith-Schuster got to know each other a little more. They weren’t particularly close, but they played on a 7-on-7 team together, played against each other in a high school game and developed a mutual level of respect. Neither made their college commitments public until National Signing Day in 2014, when they both put on USC hats during news conferences at their respective schools.

Jackson announced first, so when Smith-Schuster followed suit, he was asked by a local reporter specifically about teaming up with Jackson: "Are you excited to be a part of that? Because this will be a day they’ll talk about for a long time."

Indeed, Feb. 5, 2014, was an important day for USC football.

Without Jackson and Smith-Schuster, it’s unlikely the No. 9 Trojans would be preparing for No. 5 Penn State in the Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual on Jan. 2 (5 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN App). The Trojans will be making a record 34th appearance in the Granddaddy Of Them All, but the first since the 2008 season.

Jackson was named the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year and honored with the Jim Thorpe Award, given to the nation’s best defensive back, and Smith-Schuster is considered a potential first-round pick. Together they form arguably the best receiver-cornerback duo in college football.

"Their relationship was established from the get-go," USC safety Chris Hawkins said. "Both from the Los Angeles area. Both being the two top recruits. Both being five stars. They were those dudes.

"They came in and worked extremely hard, both of them. They came in with a mindset that they were going to play, and they did that. They’ve been hip-to-hip ever since."

Not much has changed from their first encounter. In practice, it is understood among the players that Smith-Schuster and Jackson want to take their reps against each other. It can get heated, but they both say it makes them better.

"It’s like me watching two little twin brothers fight every day and compete against each other," USC senior receiver Darreus Rogers said. "Two great athletes. It’s a matchup that people would pay for to see, and I get to see it every day."

When they first arrived, it wasn’t clear what positions they would play. They were both two-way stars in high school, and USC’s first official roster listed Jackson as a cornerback/wide receiver and Smith-Schuster a wide receiver/safety. In their debut against Fresno State, Smith-Schuster, who started, had four catches for 123 yards and Jackson had three catches for 36 yards with a touchdown.

Tee Martin, who was then the receivers coach and has since added offensive coordinator duties, thought Smith-Schuster had the makings of a top-10 NFL draft pick at safety. The coaching staff didn’t pressure either of them to play a certain position, and it wasn’t until Smith-Schuster started showing up in the receivers room for meetings during his first training camp that Martin knew he would get to coach him.

Over the past three years, Smith-Schuster’s 206 catches for 2,959 yards are the most in the Pac-12, and his 24 touchdown receptions rank No. 2.

Still, Martin doesn’t seem completely convinced he ended up on the right side of the ball.

"Man, just like Adoree', he would be a Thorpe candidate. If he did go over and play some defense, he would be a guy that would be recognized for what he did on both sides," Martin said. "I’ve always thought that, but he wanted to play receiver. If he wanted to go play safety or nickel, he could do it. There’s no question in my mind."

By the second game in 2014, Jackson moved into the starting lineup at cornerback but has seen spot duty on offense ever since and is still perhaps feared most for what he can do with the ball in his hands. Over the past three seasons, Jackson has returned eight kicks for touchdowns -- four punts, four kickoffs -- which is the most over a three-year period in the FBS dating back at least a decade.

Smith-Schuster originally factored into the team’s kickoff return plans, too. He returned 11 kickoffs in 2014, but when it became clear to him what Jackson could do, he decided he wanted a different role on the kickoff-return team: as a blocker.

"He knows he can do a good job for Adoree’ and that Adoree’ will help the team," Martin said. "Those guys are so unselfish for what they do for the team. They’ll do anything they can to help the team."

Added Martin: "It’s a unique relationship. I hope both of them come back again and do it one more time next year."

That’s the question on the mind of a lot of USC fans, players and coaches: Will they stay, or will they go? Or maybe one of each?

Both have filed paperwork to get an official NFL draft evaluation and have said they won’t make up their minds until after the Rose Bowl, but that hasn’t stopped them from having some fun with the looming decision on social media.

2017? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/Ng9xOSg1JH

— Adoree' Jackson (@AdoreeKnows) December 11, 2016

To Be Continued...? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/qmXsmLypDt

— Juju Smith Schuster (@TEAM_JUJU9) December 10, 2016

Though Jackson has had the more high-profile junior year, it’s Smith-Schuster who is widely considered the better NFL prospect. ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. ranks Smith-Schuster as the No. 4 draft-eligible receiver and has Jackson as the No. 10 cornerback.

If he does return for his senior season, Jackson said he would no longer spend time away from football training for track and field in the spring. Last year, he did not participate in spring football as he prepared for an attempt to make the United States Olympic team as a long jumper. In the wake of his 10th-place finish at the Olympic trials -- the top three finishers make the team -- Jackson said he has cooled on making a go of it in the sport.

"There’s a lot of factors to consider," Jackson said of his looming decision. "Obviously, I want to win the Heisman. I want to win a national championship here."

If he returns, both of those things would be in play, and if Smith-Schuster joins him, especially the second.