Raesjon Davis decommits from LSU
USC has three major local defensive targets still on the board for the 2021 class as the Trojans work to close out this class over the coming weeks. One of the major hurdles in reeling in all three was just cleared this morning, as four-star linebacker Raesjon Davis (Santa Ana, Calif./Mater Dei) announced his decommitment from LSU.
"Tiger nation thank you for everything," Davis posted on Twitter. "I have had some great memories in such little time. As of now I would like to decommit from LSU and explore each of my options thoroughly."
Davis had been committed to the Tigers for nearly a year, as he committed to LSU on January 1 of this year. It was a big blow to USC's early recruiting efforts at the time, as Davis has been seen as a must-get prospect on the defensive side in this class. The 6-foot-1, 215-pound outside linebacker is the nation's No. 45 overall prospect and No. 3 player in the state of California.
He's a versatile linebacker with the ability to play outside, physical nature to play inside, and the speed and agility to even play safety or a role similar to the one Talanoa Hufanga provided against Washington State. While he might not have an exact position he projects to, he's an athlete and a presence you simply want lining up somewhere in your defense.
Davis has publicly stood strong behind his LSU commitment for months, but the Trojans have been pushing consistently for him. Ohio State has also been making progress and probably shouldn't be completely discounted, but the Trojans should have at least a small advantage as the local team.
Davis has recently offered comments on a few USC-related social media posts, including one reacting to a USC hype video and one when high school teammate Kyron Ware-Hudson flipped his commitment from Oregon to USC.
Davis said he wouldn't sign during December's early signing period and still appears on track to do so during the February traditional signing period. He could wind up being the final piece to USC's defensive puzzle in this class, as the other two major local targets -- defensive end Korey Foreman (Corona, Calif./Centennial) and cornerback Ceyair Wright (Los Angeles/Loyola) are scheduled to announce their commitments on Jan. 2.
Davis would be a major get for USC both from a talent as well as a perception standpoint. Mater Dei is a school the Trojans always need to recruit well from, but USC didn't sign anybody from the school in the 2020 class. If Davis eventually joins Ware-Hudson in this class, it could help greatly with a terrific Mater Dei foursome in the 2022 class, that includes five-star cornerback Domani Jackson, five-star running back Raleek Brown, four-star wide receiver C.J. Williams and four-star outside linebacker David Bailey -- all top-100 prospects in the nation.
USC has signed just one linebacker in this 2021 recruiting class, in four-star prospect Julien Simon (Tacoma, Wash./Lincoln).
