USC nearing Top-10 class in On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings after latest commitment

Lincoln Riley and USC continue to recruit Georgia hard, and the Trojans have picked up another commitment from the Peach State.

Gainesville (Ga.) four-star offensive tackle Alex Payne was pledged to North Carolina since January, but he told On3’s Chad Simmons on Friday evening that he has flipped to the West Coast Big Ten program.

“I’m headed west,” Payne told On3. “At first I thought, no way, that’s too far away from home. But the more I talked with the coaches through FaceTime conversations almost daily and really getting to know them, I could start seeing myself playing for those guys.”

With the addition of Payne, USC jumped two spots in the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings and now has the No. 12 class in the nation. The Trojans are pushing hard to sign a top-10 class with the Early Signing Period less than two weeks away.

Trojans waste no time adding another OT to the fold

Earlier this week, Mobile (Ala.) Williamson four-star OT Carde Smith decommitted from USC. He is trending to follow former USC four-star QB commit Julian Lewis to Colorado, so the Trojans’ staff didn’t take long to fill the gap left by Smith.

Payne took his official visit to Los Angeles last weekend and quickly flipped away from the Tar Heels. He joins a trio of other O-line commits, headlined by Spanish Fork (Utah) four-star OT Aaron Dunn, a top-200 recruit who pledged in October after decommitting from Utah.

USC finally lost its pledge from Lewis earlier this month, but again, didn’t waste time getting another QB in the fold. Corona (Calif.) Centennial five-star QB Husan Longstreet flipped from Texas A&M moments after Lewis decommitted on Nov. 17. He is the No. 20 recruit and No. 4 QB in the cycle.

“What made USC right for me is what Coach Riley has done in the past,” Longstreet told On3. “He has five quarterbacks starting in the NFL right now and four that won the Heisman. It’s hard to turn down something special like that.”

Longstreet is one of two five-stars in the class, alongside West Jordan (Utah) Corner Canyon five-star wide receiver Jerome Myles. The No. 4 WR in the cycle, Myles was previously committed to Ole Miss, but joined the Trojans’ class in September.

Seven additional blue-chippers bolster the class in L.A. San Clemente (Calif.) four-star Matai Tagoa’i, Loxahatchee (Fla.) Seminole Ridge four-star Ty Jackson and Buford (Ga.) four-star Jadon Perlotte are a dynamic linebacker trio. Upland (Calif.) four-star cornerback Trestin Castro and Thomasville (Ga.) Thomas County Central four-star safety Kendarius Reddick add to the secondary, while Saint Louis Christian Brothers four-star Corey Simms and Houston DeKaney four-star Tanook Hines add some depth in the wide receiver room.