USC Recruiting Roundup: New offers, and commitments coming?
The news and notes from the past week of USC recruiting, as offers were extended, the Trojans landed on a few more top lists, and USC could be in store for a big week on the trail.
A Big Week Ahead?
The Trojans had a really good month of May on the recruiting trail, as wide receiver Quay Davis (Dallas/Skyline), athlete Julien Simon (Tacoma, Wash./Lincoln), defensive end Colin Mobley (Hyattsville, Md./DeMatha Catholic) and offensive tackle Saia Mapakaitolo (Mission Hills, Calif./Alemany) all announced their commitments to USC.
This first week of June could take the class to another level, as there is plenty of momentum building for a big week. On Saturday, running back commit Brandon Campbell (Katy, Texas/Katy), who has hinted at virtually every incoming USC commitment since he joined the class, was at it again.
Wide receiver Michael Jackson III (Las Vegas/Desert Pines) is scheduled to announce his commitment on Wednesday morning, as the Trojans appear to be in good shape for the 6-foot, 200-pound receiver, who has said USC coaches have compared his potential role to that of Amon-Ra St. Brown.
Jackson is someone who could play inside or outside receiver, but he is dynamic and dangerous with the ball in his hands after the catch. Minnesota, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Texas and a few other programs were among his top schools, but it would be a surprise if he doesn’t announce for the Trojans.
USC also appears to be in a good spot with four-star quarterback Miller Moss (Mission Hills, Calif./Alemany), and his decision could come sooner rather than later. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound, four-star quarterback is the nation’s No. 52 overall prospect and No. 7 recruit in the state.
USC will look to take two quarterbacks in this class and already holds a commitment from four-star Jake Garcia (La Habra, Calif./La Habra). After losing five-star quarterback Bryce Young to Alabama in the 2020 class and failing to land a signal-caller late in the cycle, the Trojans are faced with serious depth issues at the position. Those were compounded recently when JT Daniels announced his transfer to Georgia.
USC will have just two scholarship quarterbacks available for the 202o season, in Kedon Slovis and Matt Fink. With Fink leaving after this season, any quarterback signed by USC in this class could have the opportunity to serve as the No. 2 quarterback during Slovis’ junior season in 2021.
A commitment could come sometime relatively soon for three-star tight end target Lake McRee (Austin, Texas/Lake Travis), after he released a top-six list with USC included. McRee has been a USC target for some time after he attended a camp with the Trojans last summer and picked up an offer following his performance.
McRee committed to Texas shortly after grabbing that offer from USC. He then missed his entire junior season due to a knee injury and announced his decommitment from Texas this past February. The 6-foot-4, 217-pound tight end was a versatile weapon during his sophomore season, lining up as a traditional tight end, an H-back and split out wide. That is how Graham Harrell used his tight end at North Texas, so there is a clear desire for that kind of versatility from a prospect at that position.
More Wide Receiver News
USC did not make the cut for elite wide receiver Troy Franklin (Menlo Park, Calif./Menlo Atherton), as the No. 1 receiver in the state did not include the Trojans in his final four he recently released.
But the Trojans could wind up just fine with wide receivers in this class. With Davis already in the fold, and USC hoping to reel in Jackson this week, the Trojans also found themselves among the final eight for four-star speedster Malcolm Johnson Jr. (Alexandria, Va./St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes).
USC only offered in late April, but the coaches have done well to make a quick impression.
“I think USC is a great place for me to really do something special in the business world, and also play football and run track at a high level,” Johnson said. “The coaches are really cool and from my short period of time knowing them, seem very authentic.”
An Early Impression
USC isn’t in the habit of offering eighth-grade prospects, but every once in a while an exception comes along. That was the case late last week, as the Trojans joined the race for Aydin Breland, a prospect who has yet to enroll in high school.
Breland is already 6-foot-5 and 321 pounds, and projects as a potential No. 1 overall recruit in the 2024 class. He comes from a program that has produced more than it’s share of highly-ranked prospects, as quarterback DJ Uiagalelei, defensive end Korey Foreman, cornerback Domani Jackson and defensive lineman Matayo Uiagalelei are all potential top-10 prospects in their classes and all products of Winners Circle Academy.
Breland’s first offer came from Arizona State when he was in sixth grade. Oregon offered in seventh grade. Colorado, Kansas and Kansas State have already offered as well.
More Offers Extended
USC coaches were active again on the recruiting trail, as a handful of 2022 offers went out in the Southeast.
The Trojan coaches haven’t been shy about heading to Florida and hitting up IMG Academy prospects with offers. USC signed defensive back Briton Allen out of the school in the 2019 class and are looking hard at linemen in the 2021 and 2022 classes. The most recent offer went to four-star defensive tackle Nick James (Bradenton, Fla./IMG Academy), a native of Alabama with offers from Auburn, Florida State, Ohio State and others.
Two more offensive line offers went out, as USC officially joined the race for a couple of 2022 standouts prospects. Offensive tackle Gunner Givens (Daleville, Va./Lord Botetourt) is a four-star prospect with offers from Alabama, Florida State, Notre Dame, Penn State, Virginia Tech and others. Offensive tackle Dayne Shor (Bradenton, Fla./IMG) holds offers from Georgia and Georgia Tech, as well as offers from Auburn, Florida, LSU, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas A&M and others. And now Shor counts as another offer at IMG, as he announced a transfer there from his high school in Georgia the same day USC offered.
Wide receivers aren’t hard to come by in the West region, but USC is going to continue extending offers to national prospect at every position, and that’s the case again at the position, as 2022 receiver Kojo Antwi (Suwanee, Ga./Lambert) picked up a USC offer. That offer was followed by one from LSU, and the four-star prospect now has them from Arizona State, Auburn, Georgia, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M and others.
