USC Football: Will Signing No. 2 Kicker Improve 2024 Trojans?
USC has a total of 23 letters of intent from high school seniors (class of 2024) planning on enrolling this summer at USC. Some of these recruits, like cornerback Marcelles Williams and defensive end Kameryn Fountain, have already enrolled and have been working out with the team since January.
One of these 23 commits, elite kicker recruit Ryon Sayeri, will be a preferred walk-on upon arrival at USC. This is surprising given how heavily recruited Sayari was for quite some time. He is rated a six-star recruit by an industry-trusted kicker/punter recruiting service 'Chris Sailor Kicking'. They think he projects as a day-one starter at any Power-Five school and that his talent garners a scholarship straight out of high school. Despite
Denis Lynch, USC's lefty kicker for all 2023 was 3-for-3 on kicks beyond 40 yards, but 7-for-11 on kicks inside the 40-yard line, good for a 71% field goal percentage on the season. According to ESPN, he had the 86th-best field goal percentage in the entire country in 2023. Needless to say, there's room for improvement.
Nobody on staff here at AllTrojans.com is an expert in kicking, so we'll defer to the Chris Sailor scouting report on Sayeri to better understand his potential.
"Ryon does a excellent job on field goal, a strength. He hits a clean ball off the ground, gets great lift and has 55+ yard range. His kickoffs are strong, D1 ready. Ryon drives the ball 65+ yards with 4.0+ hang time. Also a very talented punter. A competitor who thrives under pressure. Ryon has all the tools to be a phenomenal college player. I am excited to see what the future holds. Ryon is a fine young man with a great attitude and work ethic. One of the hardest workers out there. Excellent prospect. OFFER NOW!!! Huge pick up for USC."
Judging based on that scouting report, and the kicking standard currently at USC, it's fair for Trojan fans to expect Lincoln Riley to feel more confident in his kicking game heading into the Big-10 in 2024. However, kicking a field goal under pressure is nearly impossible to practice. We'll have to wait and see just how much ice is in Sayeri's veins when USC kicks off against LSU on September 1st in Las Vegas.
