Georgia, Alabama, Texas Perusing 4-Star Recruit Khamari Brooks: USC Trojans Visit

USC Trojans defensive line coach Eric Henderson was down in the Peach State on Wednesday to visit North Oconee (Ga.) four-star EDGE recruit Khamari Brooks. Can the Trojans pull Brooks away from a trio of SEC schools of Georgia, Alabama and Texas?
North Oconee's Khamari Brooks (5) breaks a tackle from 	MaristÕs Cullen O'Leary (13) during the GHSA Division 4A Football State Championship game in Atlanta, on Monday, Dec. 16, 2024.
North Oconee's Khamari Brooks (5) breaks a tackle from MaristÕs Cullen O'Leary (13) during the GHSA Division 4A Football State Championship game in Atlanta, on Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. | Joshua L. Jones / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

USC Trojans defensive line coach Eric Henderson was down in the Peach State to visit North Oconee (Ga.) four-star EDGE Khamari Brooks. 

Brooks is the No. 108 overall prospect, No. 12 EDGE and No. 12 player in the state of Georgia according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings. 

Khamari Brooks
North Oconee's Khamari Brooks (5) breaks a tackle from MaristÕs Cullen O'Leary (13) during the GHSA Division 4A Football State Championship game in Atlanta, on Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. | Joshua L. Jones / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

A trio of SEC programs are in hot pursuit of Brooks — Georgia, Alabama and Texas, but the Trojans are firmly in the mix for the coveted prospect with Henderson as his lead recruiter. 

Brooks has an official visit scheduled with USC on June 20, the last of his four official visits, so the Trojans will have the opportunity to leave a lasting impression on the Georgia product.  

The Trojans have developed a strong recruiting footprint in Georgia over the past few recruiting cycles. They signed two players in the 2024 cycle in sophomore defensive end Kameryn Fountain and redshirt freshman tight end Walter Matthews. And then they signed four in the 2025 cycle, four-star offensive tackle Alex Payne, three-star safety Steve Miller and Kendarius Reddick, and three-star cornerback James Johnson. 

USC holds a commitment from Gainesville (Ga.) five-star linebacker Xavier Griffin in the 2026 cycle. Griffin is the top-ranked linebacker and player in Georgia according to the 247Sports Rankings. 

The crown jewel of USC’s No. 1 ranked recruiting class was back on campus on April 26 for the Trojan Olympics, an event that brought together the families of current and high school recruits. Instead of having a spring game, the Trojans hosted this event. It was Griffin’s sixth visit to Los Angeles so far. 

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Griffin will return the same weekend as Brooks for his official visit this summer. The highly coveted linebacker has not officially shut down his recruitment but has stated he is “fully committed” to USC and does not have any other official visits scheduled. 

Griffin will push for Brooks to join him in what has become an impressive recruiting class on the defensive side of the ball. 

Khamari Brooks
North Oconee's Khamari Brooks (5) celebrates with his teammates after winning a GHSA high school football game against Eastside in Bogart, Ga., on Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. North Oconee won 40-35. | Joshua L. Jones / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Trojans hold three commitments from recruits ranked in the 247Sports top 100 prospects on the defensive line in Santa Margarita (Calif.) four-star EDGE Simote Katoanga, Richardson (Texas) four-star defensive lineman Jaimeon Winfield and Mater Dei (Calif.) four-star defensive lineman Tomuhini Topui. 

Mount Carmel (Ill.) four-star defensive lineman Braeden Jones is the No. 156 overall prospect. USC has commitments from Prosper (Texas) three-star defensive lineman Jake Johnson, Fremont (Calif.) three-star EDGE Andrew Williams and St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy (Calif.) three-star defensive lineman Malik Brooks. 

USC has also loaded up in the secondary with Rancho Cucamonga (Calif.) five-star cornerback RJ Sermons, Archbishop Hoban (Ohio) five-star cornerback Elbert Hill, Loyola (Calif.) four-star cornerback Brandon Lockhart, St. John Bosco (Calif.) three-star cornerback Joshua Holland and Sierra Canyon (Calif.) three-star safety Madden Riordan. 

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Kendell Hollowell
KENDELL HOLLOWELL

Kendell Hollowell, a Southern California native has been been covering collegiate athletics since 2020 via radio and digital journalism. His experience includes covering programs such as the USC Trojans, Vanderbilt Commodores and Alabama Crimson Tide. Kendell He also works in TV production for the NFL Network. Prior to working in sports journalism, Kendell was a collegiate athlete on the University of Wyoming and Adams State football team. He is committed to bringing in-depth insight and analysis for USC athletics.

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