Go beyond the scoreboard
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At this time last year, coach Lincoln Riley and his new USC staff were in the final, torrid stretch of a full-on sprint, piecing together whatever recruiting class they could in less than a month’s time.
Now, with an 11-2 season under their belt and a full recruiting cycle to find their footing, the pace is less breakneck ahead of early signing day Wednesday. Most of the Trojans’ 2023 class was built before their breakout 2022 season began. The headlining trio of five-star players — Los Alamitos quarterback Malachi Nelson and wide receivers Makai Lemon (Los Alamitos) and Zachariah Branch (Bishop Gorman, Las Vegas) — have been committed for nearly a year now.
There are still some additions that could be made Wednesday, while other top prospects might wait until February to decide. Another five-star player or two would probably push USC’s class into the top 10 nationally. Plus, there’s always more mining to do in the transfer portal, where the Trojans have been prolific under Riley.
Check out which players are leaving and which are joining the UCLA and USC football program via the transfer portal.
So where do things stand for USC ahead of the early signing window, which starts Wednesday and ends Friday? Let’s answer some key questions you might have ahead of national signing day.
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Could USC snag any more five-star prospects?
Matayo Uiagalelei
(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)
Three five-star prospects are already committed to USC, its most since 2018.
There are only seven uncommitted five-star players left on the board ahead of the early signing window, per 247Sports’ composite rankings, but USC could very well end up with two of them. Bellflower St. John Bosco defensive end Matayo Uiagalelei and Pinnacle High (Phoenix) tight end Duce Robinson are both believed to be leaning toward the Trojans, and both could make immediate contributions if they do wind up at USC.
Robinson, who’s also considering playing baseball, might wait to declare his intentions. But Uiagalelei is expected to make his decision Wednesday. For USC, which has a dire need for depth along its defensive front, it will be the most anticipated announcement of the day.
Dorian Singer, the Pac-12 leader in receiving yards, is transferring to USC. He can help replace Jordan Addison, who will likely enter the NFL draft.
“If [Riley] pulls in Matayo, he pulls in Duce, he gets the No. 1 player in Vegas [Branch], the No. 1 player in Arizona [Robinson], the No. 1 player in California [Nelson], two more top-five players in California [Lemon and Uiagalelei], I think that’s exactly what USC’s competitors feared,” said Brandon Huffman, national recruiting editor for 247Sports.
Not since 2010 has USC has managed to sign five five-star prospects in a recruiting cycle.
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What is USC getting in new quarterback Malachi Nelson?
Malachi Nelson
(Ashley Landis / Associated Press)
Riley is notoriously selective when it comes to quarterback recruits, doling out few offers over the years. His success rate on quarterbacks, however, is as impressive as it gets.
Since he took over at Oklahoma in 2015, four of his last five passers have made it to the Heisman Trophy ceremony. Three won outright. So Nelson, who committed to Riley in July 2021, will have some big shoes to fill when he’s handed the keys to USC’s offense in 2024.
The No. 2 passer in the 2023 class and the No. 1 player in California, Nelson is “one of the most natural passers” in his class, Huffman said.
Whether his ceiling is as high as the Trojans’ current Heisman winner at quarterback remains to be seen, but his ability to process quickly makes him “probably more college-ready than any quarterback in this class, save for maybe [No. 1 overall prospect] Arch [Manning],” Huffman said.
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How is USC addressing its defense with its recruiting class?
Rodrick Pleasant, center
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)
USC is well on its way to signing the most dynamic collection of offensive talent in the nation in its 2023 class, but it’s on defense where the Trojans most desperately need reinforcements.
USC might not get all the help it desires on the recruiting trail. The Trojans need as much talent as they can get on all three levels of their defense. But in this class, they have just three defensive commits ranked in the top 400.
Friendswood (Texas) edge rusher Braylan Shelby is the only top-100 defensive player slated to sign. Uiagalelei would be USC’s highest-rated defensive recruit, if he chooses the Trojans. Oxnard Pacifica cornerback Maliki Crawford is the only four-star defensive back — and just one of two defensive backs overall in the Trojans’ class.
Adding Uiagalelei could be critical, not only because plays a position of need but because he’s a blue-chip prospect in Riley’s backyard. “His ceiling is Kayvon Thibodeaux,” Huffman said. “He has all the tools.”
USC is also still in the hunt for four-star Gardena Serra cornerback Rodrick Pleasant, but his timeline for a decision remains unclear.
USC linebacker Shane Lee will return to the Trojans next season. Others, like Pac-12 defensive player of the year Tuli Tuipulotu, are undecided.
One soon-to-be signee to USC’s defense has continued to turn heads in recent months, rising quickly up the rankings. Four-star linebacker Tackett Curtis of Many, La., was named the state player of the year in Louisiana and a finalist for the Butkus Award as the best high school linebacker in the nation. He could quickly ascend the depth chart.
“He’s the one guy that you might look back and think, ‘Who’s a guy that would play early for Pete Carroll?’ ” Huffman said. “Tackett Curtis, that’s the guy who gets you 350 tackles over his career.”
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Which position of need should be in a better place after the early signing period?
Offensive line. USC will lose at least three members of its starting line ahead of next season, and to begin with it didn’t have much depth. That made adding bodies up front critical in this class.
The Trojans are set to sign five offensive linemen, including Pinnacle High (Phoenix) four-star tackle Elijah Paige, who flipped from Notre Dame in October. It will be just the third time in nine seasons that USC has added a full line’s worth of prospects in one class.
On the flip side, there’s not much in the way of heft along the defensive line in this class. The Trojans have already dipped into the portal for one defensive tackle, but they could use a few more.
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What work is left to be done in the transfer portal?
Trace Ford
(Brody Schmidt / Associated Press)
USC has wasted no time in raiding the portal again. Five transfers are already committed to USC, including the Pac-12 Conference leader in receiving yards, Arizona’s Dorian Singer, and one of the Big 12 Conference’s best tackling linebackers, Oklahoma State’s Mason Cobb. But USC is expected to remain aggressive moving forward.
One of the top available offensive tackles on the transfer market, such as Tulsa’s Dillon Wade, would help matters up front.
Defensive lineman Trace Ford from Oklahoma State and defensive tackle Braden Fiske from Western Michigan would give USC’s defensive front a major lift if Riley is able to lure them from the portal.
