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USC lands commitment from transfer defensive back Jacobe Covington

Erik-McKinneyby: Erik McKinney05/16/22ErikTMcKinney
Jacobe Covington

The Trojans have added another player from the transfer portal this offseason as former Washington defensive back Jacobe Covington announced his commitment to USC on Sunday.

Covington entered the transfer portal earlier this month and quickly set up an official visit to USC. The Trojans did enough to earn the commitment from the 6-foot-1, 198-pound versatile defensive back.

Covington was a consensus four-star prospect in the 2020 class out of Scottsdale (Ariz.) Saguaro. He was a top-300 recruit by the three major recruiting services at the time. He held offers from LSU, Michigan, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, USC and other programs.

Covington was listed as a safety prospect as a recruit but played cornerback for the Huskies. He saw limited action in 2021, making just five tackles. Though, cracking the starting lineup that included first-round draft pickĀ Trent McDuffieĀ and second-round draft pickĀ Kyler GordonĀ at corner was impossible.

Potential Fit for Covington at USC

USC chasing another cornerback in the transfer portal doesnā€™t come as a surprise. The Trojans lost last yearā€™s startersĀ Chris SteeleĀ andĀ Isaac Taylor-StuartĀ to the NFL this offseason. USC did landĀ Mekhi BlackmonĀ andĀ Latrell McCutchinĀ out of the portal. But Blackmon has just one year of eligibility remaining. And McCutchin spent a lot of time this spring at safety and nickel.

There are some young options inĀ Prophet BrownĀ andĀ Ceyair Wright. But adding to the position looks like a priority based on injury history and a lack of depth at the position.

Covington is a known entity to USC defensive coordinator Alex Grinch, who recruited the defensive back hard when he was at Oklahoma. Covington took an official visit there and was seen as a versatile defender who could play multiple spots in the secondary in his defense. Oklahoma made Covingtonā€™s top eight schools before he ultimately committed to Washington. Covington gives USC some positional versatility with his ability to play both cornerback and safety. Itā€™ll be interesting to see where he lines up initially and how heā€™s used during fall camp.

Hereā€™s a look at what we learned about the USC cornerbacks during spring ball.

USCā€™s Transfer Portal Haul So Far

USC haul via the transfer portal this offseason is impressive. Covington becomes addition No. 17 via the portal this offseason.

Hereā€™s a look at the new additions.

QuarterbackĀ Caleb Williams.

Running backsĀ Travis DyeĀ andĀ Austin Jones.

Wide receiversĀ Mario Williams,Ā Brenden RiceĀ andĀ Terrell Bynum.

Offensive linemanĀ Bobby Haskins.

Defensive linemenĀ Tyrone Taleni,Ā Earl Barquet and Solomon Byrd.

Rush endĀ Romello Height.

LinebackersĀ Shane LeeĀ andĀ Eric Gentry.

CornerbacksĀ Latrell McCutchin,Ā Mekhi Blackmon and Covington.

SafetyĀ Bryson Shaw.

Ahe TrojansĀ are squarely in the mix for wide receiverĀ Jordan Addison, who is coming off an official visit to USC.

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Garry Paskwietz (1966-2019)

Garry Paskwietz was a pioneer in bringing team-specific sports coverage to the internet. He founded WeAreSC in 1998 and was an Emmy winner for his work with Fox Sports West. Always generous with his time, knowledge, and compassion, he touched the lives of countless USC and high school football fans.

Garry Paskwietz