Five Star Linebacker Includes USC in Top Five Schools
The USC Trojans are among the five finalists for five-star 2024 linebacker TJ Capers, he announced Wednesday evening.
The 6-foot-2, 230-pound inside linebacker listed USC along with Colorado, Georgia, Louisville and Miami as his finalists. Capers is the No. 10 overall prospect in the 2024 On3 Consensus and the nation’s No. 1 inside linebacker. He’s capable of playing inside linebacker, outside linebacker, and as an edge rusher at the next level.
“USC just brings a whole different type of energy,” Capers told On3’s Hayes Fawcett. “The whole city is just a welcoming environment.”
It’s certainly an interesting list of five finalists. Miami is the hometown team for the Miami Columbus product. And Georgia needs no explanation when it shows up as a finalists for a top defensive player. Louisville has recruited well thanks in large part to NIL deals. The Cardinals lost a commitment from four-star running back Rueben Owens but just signed five four-star prospects, including linebacker Stanquan Clark from Miami.
And Colorado is going to show up on plenty of top schools lists going forward thanks to the recruiting momentum new head coach Deion Sanders brings to the Buffaloes.
USC previously made the top-12 list Capers released earlier this month. Back in September, Capers told On3’s Chad Simmons that he doesn’t need to stay close to home.
“Location doesn’t matter me,” Capers said to Simmons. “You just gotta get where you fit, do what’s best for you.”
USC’s Class of 2024 Commitments
USC holds three verbal commitments in its 2024 recruiting class.
Four-star cornerback Aaron Butler is the top-rated commit for the Trojans. The Calabasas standout is the No. 92 overall prospect and No. 8 cornerback in the 2024 On3 Consensus.
Four-star tight end Joey Olsen announced his commitment to USC in September. The 6-foot-5, 220-pound tight end is the nation’s No. 205 overall prospect in the 2024 On3 Consensus. But Olsen ranks higher than that on the 2024 On3 Rankings. There, he checks in at No. 167 overall and the No. 7 tight end.
Four-star wide receiver Jason Robinson is USC’s longest-tenured commitment in this class. Robinson announced his decision to commit to the Trojans all the way back in September of 2021.
USC previously held a commitment from four-star linebacker Dylan Williams, but the Long Beach Poly star backed away from that in mid-October.
