USC Trojans Make Top Lists for Two Talented Cornerbacks
Two standout cornerbacks announced their top schools on Saturday and the USC Trojans are still in the hunt for both.
The first list came from 2023 four-star cornerback Maliki Crawford. It looks as though the Oxnard (Calif.) Pacifica defender will be staying in-state for college. He announced a top three of Cal, UCLA and USC.
Crawford is a 6-foot-3, 180-pound corner who is a four-star prospect and the No. 328 overall prospect in the 2023 On3 Consensus. He checks in as a three-star recruit and the No. 38 overall corner in the 2023 On300 Rankings.
Crawford took an official visit to UCLA in May and one to Cal in early June. He originally planned to take an official visit to USC for the Trojans’ huge recruiting weekend in mid-June, but wasn’t able to make it. It’ll be worth watching whether that trip gets rescheduled. But Crawford visited the USC campus on unofficial visits a number of times in the past.
He’s an extremely long cornerback and becomes a tough matchup for wide receivers because of that height and arm length. Currently, Cal holds a massive lead in the RPM for Crawford.
USC holds a commitment from four-star cornerback Braxton Myers, who has the defensive versatility to play corner, nickel or safety for the Trojans. USC chased a number of other cornerbacks in this class but have seen more than a few commit elsewhere. Four-star Christian Gray announced his commitment to Notre Dame. Four-star Dijon Johnson pledged to Ohio State. And local standout Daylen Austin is locked in with LSU.
The Trojans did add some cornerback help for the future in the 2022 class. USC signed Five-Star Plus+ cornerback Domani Jackson and brought in four-star defensive back Fabian Ross. Incoming Colorado transfer Mekhi Blackmon has just one year of eligibility remaining, but Washington transfer Jacobe Covington and Oklahoma transfer Latrell McCutchin have several years left to play.
Top 10 for 2024 5-Star
USC is also in the mix for the nation’s best 2024 defensive prospect, five-star cornerback Desmond Ricks.
The 6-foot-2, 175-pound corner is a five-star prospect and the nation’s No. 2 overall recruit in the 2024 On3 Consensus.
He’ll be able to attend any school he wants and his initial list of ten finalists is impressive. He spoke with On3’s Chad Simmons about what he’s looking for in his eventual school of choice.
Alabama, Florida, Jackson State, LSU, Miami, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas A&M and USC are the top 10 for Ricks at this point. The Virginia native and IMG Academy standout has taken multiple unofficial visits to Alabama, Florida and LSU among his finalists. It’s also clear that Miami is going to be a significant factor with IMG stars moving forward.
USC is on the board already with 2024 cornerback recruiting. The Trojans hold a commitment from four-star local prospect Aaron Butler. The 6-foot, 170-pound prospect is the nation’s No. 104 overall prospect and No. 11 cornerback.
