USC Signees and Commits in the Final On300 Rankings

On3 released its final rankings for the 2023 recruiting cycle on Tuesday. Seven of USC’s 19 signees are ranked inside the top 300 and the Trojans are one of just two programs with multiple Five-Star Plus+ prospects in this class.

Here’s a look at the final rankings for the recruits who have signed with or are committed to USC.

New On300 Recruits

Safety Christian Pierce is a new four-star prospect and into the On300 at No. 293 overall. He’s now the No. 27 safety nationally and No. 21 overall prospect in California. This makes Pierce a four-star prospect in two of the four major rankings services and lands him as the No. 406 overall prospect in the 2023 On3 Consensus. He’s still a consensus three-star prospect but this is a solid jump in the final rankings for Pierce, who begins his USC career as an early enrollee.

Offensive tackle Elijah Paige is another new entry into the On300. He now checks in as a four-star prospect and the No. 247 overall recruit. His consensus ranking is up to No. 195 and only ESPN rates him as a three-star prospect. Paige is another early enrollee for the Trojans in this class.

Wide receiver Ja’Kobi Lane is another new member of the On300. He’s in at No. 264 and the nation’s No. 35 wide receiver. Lane is still considered a USC commit, but did not sign with the Trojans during the early signing period. His RPM favors Oregon at the moment.

Highest Ranked Recruit

Wide receiver Zachariah Branch finishes the cycle as USC’s highest-ranked signee. He’s the No. 5 overall prospect and No. 1 wide receiver. In the On3 Consensus, he’s the No. 3 overall prospect. Branch is an early enrollee for the Trojans and will be on the field in some capacity as a true freshman.

On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power had this to say about Branch when discussing the five-stars: “USC wide receiver signee Zachariah Branch (No. 5) remains a top five prospect for On3 and is the most electric skill player in the cycle. The 5-foot-10, 170-pounder has true game-breaking ability with the ball in his hands. His ability to harness the elite top-end speed as a route-runner and after the catch makes for a special receiver prospect.”

The Five-Star Quarterback

All Lincoln Riley does is coach five-star quarterbacks, so it’s no surprise that Malachi Nelson finished as one. He’s the nation’s No. 30 overall prospect and No. 5 quarterback. On3 is the only ranking to have Nelson outside of the top 10 and he’s still the No. 4 overall prospect in the 2023 On3 Consensus. This is a jumbled quarterback class without a clear-cut No. 1 guy. Three different quarterbacks are ranked as the No. 1 overall player in various rankings. ESPN has Nelson at the top. Rivals and 247 have Texas signee Arch Manning. And On3’s new No. 1 prospect is Tennessee signee Nico Iamaleava. And both Oklahoma signee Jackson Arnold and UCLA signee Dante Moore could be in the discussion as well.

But Power said this of Nelson: “The USC signee is one of the more polished passers in the cycle with consistency in multiple settings, showing accuracy, touch and feel.”

The Other Four-Stars

Edge rusher Braylan Shelby continues to be a recruit On3 ranks the highest of the four services. He finishes as the No. 37 overal prospect and No. 6 edge defender. He’s No. 62 in the On3 Consensus due to a much lower ranking from ESPN. But 247, Rivals and On3 all have him as a top-10 edge defender.

Here’s Shelby’s On3 Scouting Report: “Physically gifted EDGE prospect with high-end upside. Prototype frame and build for an edge rusher. Looks college ready now as a junior in high school. Athleticism jumps off the screen. Extremely comfortable in space and can run with receivers downfield. Quality bend and flexibility off the edge during pass rush. Totaled 77 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and 8 sacks during his junior season. Played as an off-ball linebacker often and posted a very high sack rate in limited pass rush opportunities.

Jumped just shy of 19 feet in the long jump and an impressive 45 feet in the triple jump during his junior track and field season. Solid hand usage and ability to strike his opponent first. Needs to refine his ability to disengage when blockers are latched on. Will develop a wider arsenal of pass rush moves with continued experience collegiate coaching. Potential is through the roof. One of the higher upsides in the country due to physical build and athletic ability. One of the younger edge defenders in the 2023 recruiting cycle turning 17 years old in the summer prior to his senior season.”

One USC signee that On3 has been lower on than the other services is wide receiver Makai Lemon. He finishes at No. 107 overall in the On3 Rankings, but all the way up as a five-star and the No. 28 overall prospect in the On3 Consensus. Even at No. 107, he’s considered a tremendous prospect and should be able to contribute fairly early in his USC career.

Linebacker Tackett Curtis is the No. 197 overall prospect in this class and No. 101 in the On3 Consensus. This is clearly a recruit the USC coaches disagree with any ranking that doesn’t have him as the No. 1 inside linebacker in the country. He was a priority from Day 1 and will be looked at to contribute early and often at USC.

Running back A’Marion Peterson finishes as a four-star prospect but outside of the top 300 recruits. He’s in at No. 371 and the No. 26 running back in the nation.

Remaining Targets

There are two targets remaining for USC who landed in the final On300 rankings.

Tight end Duce Robinson is at No. 23 overall and a five-star prospect. His RPM favors Georgia at the moment, but USC has been a consistent factor in his recruitment for a long time.

Cornerback Rodrick Pleasant is No. 174 overall and a top-20 cornerback in the nation. He’s coming off an official visit to USC and the RPM sees him as a strong lean to the Trojans.