First USC Visit Set for Top 50 Georgia Safety
Atlanta (Ga.) Douglass four-star cornerback Jontae Gilbert received an offer from USC earlier this year on February 28. He announced the news over Twitter.
Gilbert is the No. 8 overall prospect and No. 3 Safety in the 2025 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He’s also the No. 7 ranked player in Georgia.
The 6-foot-1, 170-pounder has been committed to Ohio State since last July 29, but for a stretch he’d pinned the USC offer announcement to the top of his Twitter page.
WeAreSC traveled to Atlanta on May 19 for the Frederick Douglass Spring Game. We spoke to Gilbert about his busy Spring visit schedule ahead, including a trip to Los Angeles (CA) to check out USC in June. Although he didn’t have a date set for the USC visit 10 days ago, Gilbert texted us this morning about his plans to be at USC June 14.
June 14 USC Visit
The USC visit will happen while Gilbert’s in Los Angeles for The Elite 11 Finals June 14-16 and OT7 7v7 Finals June 16-18. Gilbert will be playing for the Miami RAW team at OT7.
“USC has been my dream school,” said Gilbert. “I love USC, that’s really the main reason I want to visit. When I was a little kid, I was watching Reggie Bush highlights when he and Pete Carroll were there. I was at a track meet when USC offered. Coach Donte said he loved my tape and Coach Riley’s big on me, too. Coach Donte doesn’t talk with me every week, but he talks with my coaches every week.”
Coach Donte
One of the primary reasons for Gilbert’s interest in USC is defensive backs coach Donte Williams.
I mean it’s better opportunities for me, I can get a great education there and play for the best defensive backs coach in America…Coach Donte Williams,” Gilbert said. “He keeps it real with me and tells me the truth. I feel like he’s the best defensive backs coach right now in college football. We have great conversations every time we talk.”
Although Gilbert’s ranked as a Safety by On3, USC considers him an extremely versatile defensive back.
“Coach Donte says he can see me playing cornerback, nickel or safety,” said Gilbert.
Busy Travel Schedule Resumes May 31
In January Gilbert took three visits Miami on Jan. 21, Georgia on Jan. 28 and Georgia Tech on Jan. 29.
Gilbert didn’t take any visits in February during the recruiting “Dead Period”, but hit the road again in March. He was at Tennessee on March 4, Texas A&M March 23, Alabama March 24 & April 22, South Carolina April 1 & 15, Ohio St. April 4, Georgia Tech April 7.
While Gilbert’s main focus in May was on Spring Ball at Douglass, he told WeAreSC last week he plans to travel to Los Angeles in June to visit the Trojans.
His upcoming visits are Tennessee (5/31), South Carolina (6/2), Auburn (6/5) and I’m planning a Florida trip.
Gilbert’s NIL Valuation
Gilbert currently has an On3 NIL Valuation of $116K. On3’s NIL Valuation is the industry’s leading index that sets high school and college athletes’ projected annual value (PAV). The NIL valuation does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals an athlete has completed to date. It rather signifies an athlete’s value at a certain moment in time.
