USC Football Recruiting 2024: Top Remaining 2024 Recruits, Class Predictions
February 7, 2024
After taking a step back in 2023 and losing star quarterback Caleb Williams to the NFL, head coach Lincoln Riley has a lot of work to do this offseason to get USC back into the national title picture.
The Achilles heel for the Trojans during Riley's tenure has been on defense. They've finished 94th and 121st in FBS in points allowed per game in the past two seasons. The 2023 team allowed 28 points in 11 of 13 games, including 10 straight to end the year.
Riley's first attempt to solve the problem was to hire D'Anton Lynn as the new defensive coordinator in December.
Improving the defensive talent on the roster is the next step in the process. But the Trojans also have to worry about replacing arguably the most-talented quarterback in college football.
While most recruiting for 2024 is done thanks to the early national signing period, there are still some things left to be sorted out that could benefit USC with the start of signing day on Wednesday.
USC's 2024 Recruiting Class (Enrolled/Signed Letter of Intent)
4-star offensive lineman Jason Zandamela (Clearwater, FL)
4-star EDGE Kameryn Fountain (Atlanta, GA)
4-star wide receiver Xavier Jordan (Chatsworth, CA)
4-star cornerback Marcelles Williams (Bellflower, CA)
4-star defensive lineman Carlon Jones (Bay City, TX)
4-star linebacker Elijah Newby (Cheshire, CT)
4-star tight end Walter Matthews (Hiram, GA)
4-star safety Marquis Gallegos (Chatsworth, GA)
3-star athlete Desman Stephens (Clarkston, MI)
3-star offensive lineman Makai Saina (Arlington, TX)
3-star offensive lineman Justin Tauanuu (Huntington Beach, CA)
3-star tight end Joey Olsen (Lake Oswego, OR)
3-star safety Jarvis Boatwright (Clearwater, FL)
3-star defensive lineman Jide Abasiri (Prior Lake, MN)
3-star offensive tackle Kalolo Ta'aga (San Francisco, CA)
3-star cornerback Braylon Conley (Humble, TX)
3-star running back Bryan Jackson (McKinney, TX)
3-star offensive tackle Hayden Treter (Englewood, CO)
3-star EDGE Lorenzo Cowan (Savannah, GA)
A complete list of USCs 2024 class can be found at 247Sports.
National Signing Day Predictions
It's notable there's not a quarterback among USC's incoming recruits, but the team did land an intriguing prospect in the transfer portal.
Jayden Maivia is transferring to USC after spending his freshman year at UNLV. He's rated a 4-star transfer prospect after throwing for 3,085 yards and 17 touchdowns in 14 games last season.
Maivia's arrival came after Malachi Nelson, a 5-star recruit in the 2023 class, transferred to Boise State. Miller Moss is also returning for his fourth season. He threw for a career-high 681 yards and seven touchdowns in five games during the 2023 campaign.
Per 247Sports, Trever Jackson is the only 2024 recruit among the top-50 quarterback prospects who hasn't committed. Florida State is viewed as the favorite to land him, and USC hasn't even offered him a scholarship.
Among potential late additions to Riley's recruiting class, all eyes are going to be on Terry Bussey. The 5-star athlete gave a verbal commitment to Texas A&M in September, but he has not yet signed a letter of intent.
Bussey said at the Under Armour All-America Game in December that USC and Georgia made a move in his recruitment. The Trojans still feel like a long shot, with Sam Spiegelman of On3.com reporting on Jan. 31 that Texas A&M and LSU are the favorites.
Barring some late surprises, USC is looking at a solid-not-great incoming class. Its ranked No. 17 by 247Sports' composite rankings with 20 total commitments, including 13 4-star players.
Among Big Ten programs, the Trojans are behind Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State and Michigan.
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