USC recruit Alijah Arenas' family provides encouraging update after fiery crash

Alijah Arenas, the son of Gilbert Arenas and the top incoming recruit at USC, was involved in a terrifying car wreck on Thursday that resulted in doctors putting him into an induced coma. Now, the family has since released a statement on the latest with his status on Friday.

ESPN’s Shams Charania posted that statement on social media this morning. Arenas has since come out of that coma and, while still being intubated, is doing fine in recovery alongside his family.

Update: Alijah Arenas is now out of his induced coma and making progress in recovery while being intubated following a car crash Thursday.

Statement from the family: pic.twitter.com/SgzHbrPJ3c

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 25, 2025

“In a remarkable and hopeful development, Alijah Arenas has come out of his coma and has shown significant signs of progress within the last 24 hours,” the statement read. “In a powerful and emotional moment, Alijah opened his eyes and was able to write on a piece of paper that he remember the smoke and asked, ‘Did anyone get hurt?’

“Although he remains intubated, this progress marks a critical step forward in his recovery,” it continued. “His mother, Laura Govan, Father, Gilbert Arenas, siblings and family have been by his side every step of the way, holding onto faith and drawing strength from the prayers and love pouring in from around the world.”

Per reports, Arenas’ crash of a Tesla Cybertruck took place early on Thursday morning. Video from the scene didn’t show exactly what happened but did show a fire hydrant was hit and the car quickly went up in flames. That fire created smoke that Arenas inhaled while trapped inside the Tesla, which is why he was placed in that induced coma. He reportedly suffered no other bodily injuries from the accident.

“I remember hearing banging on the car window, but I couldn’t see anything because the smoke was so thick. That’s when I realized someone was inside. I tried to break the window, but it wouldn’t give. Then I saw one of the windows was cracked just enough and we used everything we had to bend it and pull him out,” said one of the bystanders who helped get Arenas out of the burning car. “The car was on fire. We just knew we had to get him out.

“This act of courage, along with Alijah’s incredible will to survive, has been nothing short of miraculous,” the Arenas family’s statement added.

Arenas, a native of Chatsworth, is a Five-Star+ prospect in the incoming class in 2025. He’s at No. 12 overall as the No. 4 shooting guard in the class and the No. 3 prospect out of the state of California. That’s according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. With that, Arenas committed to the Trojans back at the end of January over other offers like Arizona, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, and UCLA. He also, just earlier this month, participated in the 2025 McDonald’s All American Game.

This was terrible news on the west coast considering the seriousness of the initial reports. That said, per the latest from the family, Arenas is moving in the right direction in his recovery going into the weekend.

“The family continues to ask for the public’s prayers and support as their miracle baby fights his way back to full recovery. They remain deeply grateful for the exceptional care provided by his medical team and the overwhelming love and encouragement from the community,” closed the statement. “Further updates will be shared as Alijah continues to heal.”