Tight end Michael Trigg commits to USC
USC continues to pile up offensive skill players in this 2021 class, adding another playmaker to this group on Sunday in the form of four-star tight end Michael Trigg (Tampa, Fla./Carrollwood Day).
The 6-foot-4, 230-pound tight end is a massive recruiting win for the Trojans, who went into Tampa to pull the coveted two-sport star all the way to the West Coast. Trigg is a terrific basketball player in addition to his work on the gridiron, and he’ll suit up for Andy Enfield and the hoops team as well.
Trigg has narrowed his finalists down to LSU, South Carolina and USC before selecting the Trojans, but Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Miami, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon and plenty of other programs extended offers as well.
Trigg is a physical force on the outside and brings plenty of versatility and pass-catching ability to the tight end position for USC coaches clearly looking for that kind of play making from the spot.
Trigg leads his team with 20 receptions for 353 yards and four touchdowns, which is just less than half of what his entire team has produced. He also has eight tackles and a sack on defense.
Trigg will draw some comparisons to former USC wide receiver Mike Williams, who also came to USC from Tampa (Plant High School) and was a matchup nightmare for defensive backs. They’ll likely play different positions and Williams ultimately became one of the greatest wide receivers in USC history, so the bar isn’t quite set there for Trigg at this point, but expectations will be high for the nation’s No. 152 overall prospect to find a home in this USC offense.
He joins an offensive skill position class that includes fellow tight end Lake McRee (Austin, Tex./Lake Travis), wide receivers Quay Davis (Dallas/Skyline), Michael Jackson III (Las Vegas/Desert Pines) and Josh Moore (Atlanta/Marist School). He’s also already bonded with USC quarterback commit Miller Moss (Mission Hills, Calif./Alemany) as Trigg was in Los Angeles last weekend and attended a brunch Moss put together with some of USC’s highest-priority targets. Trigg, Moss, five-star defensive end Korey Foreman (Corona, Calif./Centennial) and four-star cornerback Ceyair Wright (Los Angeles/Loyola) were in attendance.
Tight end is an important position for USC in this class, as the Trojans clearly like to utilize a big-bodied receiver inside–turning to true freshman wide receiver Drake London to fill that role last season. USC will lose seniors Josh Falo and Erik Krommenhoek following either this season or next, and the Trojans did not bring a tight end in with the 2020 class, as Jack Yary signed with USC but ultimately enrolled at Washington.
That leaves just Ethan Rae and Jude Wolfe on the roster once Falo and Krommenhoek depart, and Rae has yet to fully participate as he continues to recover from a high school knee injury and Wolfe was limited for some of last season due to a back injury.
London’s success as a true freshman on the football field combined with the fact that he was able to suit up for the basketball team was something that undoubtedly worked for the Trojans in their pursuit of Trigg.
He is commitment No. 22 for the Trojans, as USC will take a full class of recruits this year.
Trigg also continues a hot stretch for USC recruiting. After going from mid-July through late September without a commitment, the Trojans have now reeled in four-star cornerback Philip Riley (Valrico, Fla./Bloomingdale), three-star offensive tackle Ty Buchanan (Corpus Christi, Tex./Calallen), Moore and Trigg, all since Sept. 28.
USC’s 2021 recruiting class
4* Quarterback Miller Moss (Mission Hills, Calif./Alemany)
4* Quarterback Jake Garcia (Valdosta, Ga./Valdosta)
4* Running back Brandon Campbell (Katy, Tex./Katy)
4* Wide receiver Quay Davis (Dallas/Skyline)
3* Wide receiver Michael Jackson III (Las Vegas/Desert Pines)
3* Wide receiver Josh Moore (Atlanta/Marist School)
4* Tight end Michael Trigg (Tampa, Fla./Carrollwood Day)
3* Tight end Lake McRee (Austin, Tex./Lake Travis)
4* Offensive tackle Mason Murphy (San Juan Capistrano, Calif./JSerra)
3* Offensive tackle Saia Mapakaitolo (Mesa, Ariz./Red Mountain)
3* Offensive tackle Ty Buchanan (Corpus Christi, Tex./Calallen)
3* Offensive guard Maximus Gibbs (Bellflower, Calif./St. John Bosco)
4* Defensive tackle Jay Toia (Simi Valley, Calif./Grace Brethren)
3* Defensive end Colin Mobley (Hyattsville, Md./DeMatha Catholic)
4* Linebacker Ma’a Gaoteote (Bellflower, Calif./St. John Bosco)
4* Linebacker Julien Simon (Tacoma, Wash./Lincoln)
4* Cornerback Philip Riley (Valrico, Fla./Bloomingdale)
4* Cornerback Prophet Brown (Elk Grove, Calif./Monterey Trail)
4* Cornerback Jaylin Smith (Mission Hills, Calif./Alemany)
4* Safety Anthony Beavers (Harbor City, Calif./Narbonne)
4* Safety Calen Bullock (Pasadena, Calif./Muir)
4* Safety Xamarion Gordon (Downey, Calif./Warren)
