USC football: Trojans' LB Raesjon Davis will return for 2023 season
USC linebacker Raesjon Davis will return to play for the Trojans in 2023, his father Rashad confirmed to SI All Trojans on Tuesday.
Davis, a 4-star high school recruit out of Southern California power Mater Dei-Santa Ana, has played sparingly on defense in his first two seasons at USC. This past year, Davis logged just 41 snaps on defense and in 2021 he played only 11.
But instead of entering the transfer portal, the rising junior is going to stay and fight for playing time.
USC's linebacking corps struggled in 2022. Starters Eric Gentry and Shane Lee were given the second and third-lowest defensive grades by Pro Football Focus of USC defensive players who logged at least 500 snaps.
Davis played the most defensive snaps of his USC career in the Trojans' 46-45 Cotton Bowl defeat to Tulane, which may be a sign he'll factor in more next season. He made three tackles in the bowl game setback.
Coming out of high school, 247Sports.com recruiting analyst Greg Biggins projected Davis as "an impact, upper-tier Power 5 starter and future high-round NFL draft pick."
USC's linebacker room will be crowded once again next season with both Lee and Gentry returning. USC has also added Oklahoma State linebacker transfer Mason Cobb and Georgia State linebacker/edge defender transfer Jamil Muhammad. From the high school ranks, the Trojans bring in 4-star linebacker Tackett Curtis as well. Curtis was named Louisiana Mr. Football, an honor given to the top high school football player in the state.
Lincoln Riley confirmed that Trojans defensive coordinator Alex Grinch will return next season, but acknowledged that USC "needs to take a big jump in all areas" defensively.
Grinch is clearly going to make some defensive changes in 2023, but will they include Davis? Time will tell.
