If only Benny “The Jet” Rodriguez would have been born a few years later.

The neighborhood home run king and future Los Angeles Dodger from “The Sandlot” could have avoided years of backyard stickball. These days, scouts clamor over teenagers with that much talent. By the age of 12, Rodriguez could have inked a full ride to the school of his choice.

Coach Lane Kiffin arrived at his new school, USC, just in time to land one of the top recruiting classes in the nation last week. But Kiffin didn’t waste any time in locking up future classes either; he offered 13-year-old David Sills from Bear, Del., a scholarship.

Just after placing the finishing touches on his 2010 recruiting class, Kiffin turned his attention to his 2015 group. Before the frosty, bleached tips of Sills’ hair could dry, the seventh-grader had locked up his collegiate future, though even he seems perplexed by the ridiculous ordeal.

“This is so crazy and out of nowhere,” the 5-foot-11-inch “phenom” said.

Plenty can happen in five years.

Five years ago, Jack Bauer was busy capturing and interrogating terrorists.

Five years ago, Tiger Woods was happily married and faithful to his wife, Elin. Well, maybe.

Five years ago, Ohio State was sitting near the top of the college football world after defeating Notre Dame 34-20 in the Fiesta Bowl.

Just ask Buckeye Nation, three BCS Bowl Game losses later, about how much can transpire over the course of half a decade.

Five years from now, Sills may have thrown away his football career in favor of high school show choir.

Five years from now, Sills may have derailed his academic career by crashing and burning on the ACT or SAT.

Five years from now, Sills may be married to his high school prom date and have three kids, choosing to forgo college and obtain a 9-to-5 job in order to support his family.

How can coaches and scouts accurately judge a kid who lacks developed muscles and has yet to hit his major growth spurt?

Maybe coaches should at least wait until the prospect has suffered through his first outbreak of acne or until his voice deepens.

This isn’t the first time that a little tyke has been hounded by scouts and offered the world, and it certainly won’t be the last.

So much money is poured into stud fees in horse racing that it’s probably only a matter of time before this practice catches on with humans. An auction for the right to offer a scholarship to any potential children that Terrelle Pryor fathers could raise thousands.

Before we know it, the era of male and female athletes joining together just to produce top-of-the-line athletes will be upon us.

At the end of the day, Kiffin can rest easy, knowing who his quarterback will be five years from now. But maybe he should focus more on who will man the huddle for the Trojans until his middle-school sweetheart graduates.