Elite 2025 EDGE Isaiah Gibson commits to USC

Warner Robins (Ga.) four-star EDGE Isaiah Gibson had never been to the state of California — let alone USC — until this weekend.

The 6-foot-4, 240-pounder wanted to check out what Lincoln Riley and Eric Henderson had going on though, and he was accompanied by a number of fellow prospects from the Peach State. The visit blew him away, from the Trojans’ staff to the vibes in California, and especially the opportunity to play for Henderson, who previously coached Aaron Donald with the Rams.

All of that was enough to make him want to be a Trojan, and on Sunday he made his commitment to USC official.

“The opportunities that USC has on and off the field were big, for sure,” he told On3. “It was my first time in California, and I like that they have my major [business real estate]. I feel like I could thrive inside and outside of football, and it was just the right decision.”

He chose the Trojans over the likes of Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, Clemson, Oregon and more than 20 other programs. Riley and Co. also flipped Georgia five-star defensive line commit Justus Terry, who was on the visit as well. And the two actually committed back-to-back in Riley’s office.

“I was in the office talking to Coach Riley for like an hour,” Gibson said. “And Justus and Coach Henny were in the office, Justus was like, ‘Let’s make it a done deal, Coach.’ And I came right behind him and committed.”

Playing for Riley and Henderson is a big opportunity for Gibson

Gibson admits he himself was surprised by how much he liked it on Los Angeles. But the way Riley runs his program appealed a lot to him. As the atmosphere in L.A. for a kid coming from Warner Robins.

“I like his coaching style for sure, the way he lets his player be themselves,” Gibson said of Riley. “It’s like so many different personalities, but everyone is themselves. It’s a lot different vibes.”

But most important in his decision was the chance to play for Henderson, who coached Donald and built one of the NFL’s best defensive lines while with the Rams. Donald himself was even at the practice, and Gibson got a chance to chop it up with him.

“I went to the practice and had a lot of meetings with different coaches. Spent the most time with Coach Henderson,” he said. “It’s amazing to be coached by the guy who coached one of the greatest linemen of all-time (Aaron Donald), it’s a no-brainer for sure.

Gibson is the No. 37 overall prospect and No. 2 EDGE in the 2025 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He’s also the No. 8 player in Georgia.

He becomes the third commitment from the Peach State for the Trojans, joining Terry and Carrollton (Ga.) five-star quarterback Julian Lewis.