"Wow" is right.
USCe raises eyebrows by bringing in 20 every year. People think that many forces too much attrition. 27 is simply a huge number.
I'm not up on exactly who from the 2012 team is coming back, but based on what I've read here, there are probably somewhere between 16 and 20 players who think they are. 27 new players means about a dozen cuts before the spring season.
It also means a lot of this year's 27 new players won't be back for 2013-2014 because CDS will need to make room for another recruiting class next year.
I have to think this much quantity shows lack of confidence in quality. It seems sort of desperate to resort to a plan that requires you to blow through huge batches of good-not-great recruits in hopes a few surprises will emerge.
It's going to be a long, hard climb back to becoming competitive again.