USC trending to flip one of the nation's top safety prospects

After a week that saw two five-star defensive line decommit from USC, the Trojans are in desperate need of some good news on the recruiting trail.

And they could be getting it soon. Late Saturday night, WeAreSC.com recruiting insider Scott Schrader logged an expert prediction for Lincoln Riley and Co. to flip UCF four-star safety commit Kendarius Reddick away from the Knights.

The 5-foot-11, 170-pounder has been pledged to UCF since February, when he flipped his commitment from Auburn, who he’d previously been committed to since October 2023.

Reddick is the No. 118 overall prospect and No. 13 safety in the 2025 class, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

On3, however, is higher on him than the other three rating services. In the most recent On300 rankings, he was tabbed as the No. 76 recruit nationally and No. 6 safety.

In his first three seasons of high school varsity football, Reddick — while playing at Georgia high school powerhouse Thomas County Central, has recorded 157 tackles, five interceptions, five tackles for a loss and two sacks.

Trojans looking to hold on to 5-star QB commit, add more talent to class

Should USC pull off the flip, Reddick would become the 12th commitment of the cycle for the Trojans. Coming into the week, they ranked among the top five nationally in the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings.

And they were one of just three programs with multiple five-star pledges. But fellow Georgians Justus Terry and Isaiah Gibson, who had been committed to the program since late March, both backed off those pledges and are now expected to land with the home-state Bulldogs.

Another Peach State native, quarterback Julian Lewis, now sits as the lone five-star in the Trojans’ class. And they have a major battle on their hands with both Auburn and Colorado — schools he’s visited each earlier this month — to keep him in the class.

Lewis kicked things off for USC in the 2026 recruiting class by pledging to the Trojans in August. The elite signal-caller proceeded to reclassify to 2025 this winter, where he ranks No. 10 nationally and No. 2 among quarterbacks, according to the On3 Industry Ranking.

With him still in the fold, the Trojans sit just outside the top 10 nationally. And adding a prospect like Reddick could push them right back in.