USC Recruiting Roundup: New offers, more top lists for the Trojans

Spring ball has started and while USC and the rest of college football is unable to host official and unofficial visitors right now, the Trojan coaches continue to push forward with recruiting. Over the past week, USC sent out a number of new offers and again landed one several top lists for major 2022 targets.

USC on top lists for top receivers

It’s clear that USC would like to put together a major haul of wide receivers in this 2022 class, and it starts with local prospects Tetairoa McMillan (Anaheim, Calif./Servite) and C.J. Williams (Santa Ana, Calif./Mater Dei). But the Trojans have been active with wide receivers across the country in this 2022 class, and USC is on the top schools lists recently released by four-star Chris Marshall (Missouri City, Tex./Fort Bend Marshall) and four-star Shazz Preston (St. James, La./St. James).

Marshall released a list of top eight schools, which included Alabama, Arizona State, Auburn, Jackson State, LSU, Oregon, Texas A&M and USC. It’s becoming a familiar site to see Arizona State, Oregon and USC involved for national prospects across the country, as those three schools are doing very well in catching the attention of national recruits.

Marshall is the nation’s No. 185 overall prospect and No. 23 wide receiver. He caught 45 passes for 1,009 yards and 18 touchdowns last season, and at 6-foot-3, 195 pounds with good hands and speed, he’s a guy who can do a bit of everything at the receiver position. Marshall has an official visit set to USC in June and while Texas A&M is seen as a likely landing spot, he’s a guy who could give USC a serious look.

Preston is the nation’s No. 69 overall prospect and No. 10 wide receiver. He put USC among his final seven schools, along with Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Miami, Mississippi State and Texas. His older brother Shawn is a redshirt junior safety at Mississippi State, and obviously the SEC pull to Alabama and LSU is strong for a Louisiana prospect. USC’s director of scouting and player relations Jeff Martin could be a key in USC developing enough of a relationship with Preston to at least get him on campus for a visit. Preston is a tremendous athlete and plays bigger than his 6-foot, 190-pound frame.

USC’s wide receiver room has undergone some significant changes since last year. The Trojans lost both Amon-Ra St. Brown and Tyler Vaughns to the upcoming NFL draft and signed three high school receiver prospects in the 2021 class. USC then added K.D. Nixon as a transfer from Colorado and is also set to bring in Memphis transfer Tahj Washington this offseason. Nixon has one year of eligibility remaining, while Washington comes in as a redshirt sophomore. It’s likely USC will lose Drake London following the 2021 season, meaning there could be more opportunities for 2022 freshmen to get involved early if both Nixon and London leave after the season.

USC lands in top 10 for DT

USC is involved with a couple of the more interesting defensive tackle prospects in the country in this 2022 class, in three-star recruits Hero Kanu (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif./Santa Margarita) and Maxie Baudoin IV (Youngsville, La./Ascension Episcopal). Kanu is a transfer from Germany and one of the fastest risers of the past few weeks. Baudoin had the same meteoric rise a few months ago, as programs from across the country arrived with offers.

The 6-foot-3, 290-pound Baudoin released his top ten list on Monday, with USC joining Arizona State, Auburn, Florida State, Georgia, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Texas A&M and Virginia.

New 2023 offers

USC went out across the country with new offers into the 2023 class over the past week. The biggest name to get a USC offer was five-star defensive tackle David “DJ” Hicks (Katy, Tex./Morton Ranch). The 6-foot-4, 250-pound lineman is the nation’s No. 31 overall prospect and No. 5 defensive tackle in his class. He hols offers from a number of top programs, including Alabama, Florida, Oklahoma, Stanford, Texas, Texas A&M, Washington and others.

Defensive ends Blake Purchase (Englewood, Colo./Cherry Creek) and Zavion Hardy (Macon, Ga./Tattnall Square Academy) picked up USC offers.

USC is in fairly early on Purchase, as Colorado, Iowa State and Oregon State were the three schools to previously offer the 6-foot-4, 210-pound hybrid defensive end/outside linebacker. Hardy, at 6-foot-5, 235 pounds, is just beginning to build his offer sheet as well, though his have come from Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech and South Carolina, and all since late February.

USC also extended an offer to 2023 wide receiver Samuel M’Pemba (Bradenton, Fla./IMG Academy). M’Pemba transferred to IMG from St. Louis and also trains with Texas-based wide receiver trainer Margin Hooks.

A couple of 2023 cornerbacks picked up offers as well. A notable one went to Daylen Austin (Long Beach, Calif./Long Beach Poly), a 6-foot, 175-pound athlete who came on strong with his work this offseason. USC should be in good position with Austin if the Trojans go after him hard. USC also offered A.J. Harris (Phoenix, City, Ala./Glenwood School), a five-star prospect with offers from Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State and plenty of others. Harris is the nation’s No. 21 overall prospect in his class.

USC dips into 2024

USC’s class of 2024 offer sheet continues to slowly expand as well, as the Trojans are now involved for two of the West Coast’s best in that class.

The Trojans jumped on board early for wide receiver Aaron Butler (Calabasas, Calif./Calabasas), as USC became the first school to offer him. He plays wide receiver, cornerback and returns kicks as well. At 6-foot-1, 175 pounds, he’s on his way to becoming a really special athlete and USC likely did well to get in early. The Trojans will hopefully get a bit of a boost from Butler’s head coach as well, former USC cornerback Cary Harris.

USC also joined the early mix for 2024 running back Unterrio Latin-Henley (Sammamish, Wash./Eastside Catholic). It’s the first running back offer USC has made in the 2024 class, and the 5-foot-11, 195-pound back is on a bit of a roll, grabbing offers from Nevada, Utah, USC and Arizona over the past week to get his recruitment started.