Early National Signing Day: USC Trojans Live Updates
It’s National Signing Day across the country and the USC Trojans will be adding the newest group of incoming student-athletes. Players are able to sign and send their NLI at 7:00 am local time
It doesn’t appear as though this will be a busy news day for the Trojans. But that doesn’t take away from the tremendous recruiting class USC is going to announce. Much of the work was done early in the process by landing commitments from multiple five-star prospects. And the USC coaches did plenty to address both lines of scrimmage.
USC heads into the day with 20 verbal commitments and the No. 12 recruiting class in the country.
National Signing Day Arrival
The First Signee
Defensive lineman Elijah Hughes is the first player announced by USC. The school is announcing players along with their personalized pre-game playlists in partnership with Beats by Dre and Apple Music.
Hughes is a three-star prospect who kept largely under the radar during his recruiting process. It looked as though he would commit to USC following an official visit at the end of September but held off doing so. The 6-foot-3, 255-pound lineman ultimately announced his commitment this past weekend and becomes USC’s first official addition to the 2023 class.
The Defensive Dynamos
USC’s highest-rated defensive commitments are officially Trojans. Inside linebacker Tackett Curtis was a huge recruiting win as the Trojans went into Louisiana and also won a head-to-head battle against Ohio State.
The 6-foot-2, 220-pound Curtis was an absolute star during his high school career, shining on both sides of the ball. He’ll be an immediate contributor for the Trojans during the 2023 season, whether on special teams or defense, or both.
And edge defender Braylan Shelby is officially a Trojan. The 6-foot-5, 240-pound edge saw his recruiting rankings climb steadily throughout the process. He’s now the No. 33 overall prospect in the 2023 On3 Rankings, with the skill and frame to potentially contribute as a true freshman. The Texas product held offers from LSU, Miami, Texas, Texas A&M and plenty of other programs.
The Texas Tailbacks
USC wanted two running backs in this class and position coach Kiel McDonald found them down in Texas. It’s fitting that the NLIs from Quinten Joyner and A’Marion Peterson came in back-to-back today because they’ll likely be grouped together throughout their Trojan careers.
USC announced Joyner first today. The 5-foot-10, 190-pound back is the nation’s No. 184 overall prospect and a really talented do-it-all back.
The 6-foot-2, 220-pound Peterson has surprising agility and long speed for a big back. He is a four-star prospect and No. 18 running back in the On3 Rankings.
Both will add much-needed depth to the USC backfield as true freshmen. The Trojans will be without Travis Dye next season and Austin Jones said he’s unsure still about a possible return for a final season. If Jones does depart, that would leave Darwin Barlow and Raleek Brown as USC’s only scholarship running backs.
A Big-Time Tackle
USC will likely sign five offensive linemen and it starts with four-star tackle Elijah Paige. The 6-foot-6, 307-pound, four-star tackle initially committed to Notre Dame this past summer. But USC never stopped its pursuit and eventually got Paige on campus for an official visit in late September. That was enough to convince Paige and he flipped his commitment to USC on the heels of that trip.
This is a major addition for USC along the offensive line. The Trojans needed to add depth at all five spots in this class and Paige could be a future star at tackle.
The Five Star Teammates
Two of USC’s three five-star commits are announced.
Five-Star Plus+ quarterback Malachi Nelson is the headliner for the Trojans. The 6-foot-3, 182-pound Nelson is the nation’s No. 2 overall prospect and top-rated player in California. He’ll head to USC looking like the next quarterback up once Caleb Williams heads to the NFL.
Wide receiver Makai Lemon is a huge get for the Trojans. He will play offense in college but likely would have been recruited at the same level if he decided to play defense. The 6-foot, 180-pound talent is a five-star and the No. 25 prospect overall in the On3 Consensus.
Another Five-Star Plus+
USC signed two of the eight Five-Star Plus+ prospects in this class. Those are recruits who earn a five-star designation by all four of the major rankings services. The second one is now officially signed as wide receiver Zachariah Branch is announced. The 5-foot-10, 176-pound Branch is arguably the nation’s top playmaker. The USC official site called him “lightning in a bottle” in their announcement and it’s impossible to argue. He can score as a runner, receiver and on special teams. There is always an adjustment to the speed and skill of the game in moving from high school to college. But Branch seems to be as much of a “can’t-miss” prospect as there is in this 2023 class.
More Big Men
Three more offensive linemen are officially announced. Local 6-foot-6, 265-pound offensive tackle Tobias Raymond will be someone to watch develop down the line. He didn’t receive a ton of recruiting attention, but he did grab a few Pac-12 offers from Arizona, Cal and Washington State. But USC targeted him and now brings him in as part of a big group of offensive linemen.
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The Trojans also announced their potential center of the future in four-star lineman Micah Bañuelos. The 6-foot-3, 285-pound Bañuelos plays with the type of physical edge that makes him the best kind of teammate and worst kind of opponent. USC won a major recruiting battle with Oregon, Texas A&M and Washington for his signature. He was one of the very first offers extended by offensive line coach Josh Henson when he arrived at USC. That says plenty about what this staff thinks of Bañuelos and his potential as a Trojan.
And three-star lineman Amos Talalele is the fourth offensive lineman officially announced by USC today. The 6-foot-4, 330-pound Talalele is a two-way standout, but he’ll start his USC career on the offensive side of the ball. He possesses tremendous agility and quickness for a player his size and is one of the more intriguing players in the state as far as potential development and impact goes.
Sacramento’s Grant Union HS won a CA State Title earlier this month and one of their premier players is IOL Alani Noa (6-4, 320).
Noa is exceptionally agile and athletic for a kid his size. He moved extremely well and can get downfield for second level blocks.
Offensive Line coach Josh Henson sees him as a future guard at USC.
A San Diego Standout
USC won a big recruiting battle against Oregon for three-star edge defender David Peevy and now the 6-foot-4, 235-pounder is officially part of the Trojans’ recruiting class.
Peevy is coming off winning a state championship at Lincoln and will team with Shelby to add two dynamic edge rushers with size to this USC roster.
The DC Dominator
USC’s three defensive line commits heading into Wednesday are all three-star prospects with high ceilings. Sam Greene is a 6-foot-2, 260-pounder with a high motor and quickness. He held offers from Penn State and Texas A&M, among others, and is another Washington D.C. talent headed to USC.
The Senior Riser
Three-star defensive lineman Deijon Laffitte did not finish his junior year with a lot of recruiting attention. But a rush of offers came in during the month of September for the 6-foot-3, 260-pound interior defensive lineman. Those included offers from Tennessee, Washington and eventually USC. It took all of five days between USC’s offer and Laffitte pulling he trigger on a commitment to the Trojans. He’s another lineman with significant upside thanks to his athleticism. He’s a very solid, local get for a USC program looking to build the trenches.
The H-Back
The H-back role is a key component of a Lincoln Riley offense. Riley and the Trojans filled that role with a few different players this season, including tight ends, running backs and wide receivers. In three-star tight end Kade Eldridge, it appears the Trojans went out and specifically grabbed a player to play that spot.
The 6-foot-4, 235-pound Eldridge broke onto the recruiting scene with a standout junior season. He starred at running back, rushing for 709 yards and 10 touchdowns while averaging 8.3 yards per carry. He also tallied 62.5 tackles, incluing 4.5 sacks and 15 tackles for loss, on defense.
Eldridge eventually earned an offer sheet that looks very promising when discussing bigger athletes. Michigan, Oregon, Utah and Washington all pushed for his commitment, with USC eventually winning out.
The Big Hitter
Safety Christian Pierce checks in at 6-foot, 191 pounds, and a three-star prospect. But he will deliver a hit and embodies defensive coordinator Alex Grinch’s mantra of “strain.” There are a handful of Southern California three-star prospects this staff targeted with reason and Pierce joining this USC class is a result of that localized effort.
