USC Football: Despite First Game Woes, USC 2025 Prospect Upbeat About Defense
2025 LB prospect Madden Faraimo is already one of the more hotly pursued prospects on the West Coast...and he's still got two more years of high school ball before he steps foot on any college field.
Having transferred to San Juan Capistrano Junipero Serra Catholic High School from Cathedral Catholic High School in San Diego, Faraimo is now playing in one of the more competitive leagues in all of the United States. The step-up in competition can only help Faraimo -- a versatile defender with plenty of room to grow.
USC's defense got mixed reviews during its 56-28 season-opening win over San Jose State. While some of the new additions to the defense played well, a large contingent of the fan base was not super pleased with the scheme employed by DC Alex Grinch.
Faraimo ended up watching the game from home on television. In an interview he recently gave with 247Sports.com, he offered some comments on what he saw from the game:
"I just think that they were a little new last year. People were just bashing, giving coach Grinch all this crap, but they're getting flipped around. I'm excited, I have high hopes for SC."
- Madden Faraimo per 247Sports
The Spartans did notch nearly 400 yards of total offense versus the Trojans -- including 198 yards on the ground. With that said, USC was liberally subbing. As the Trojans get more game film on their roster, surely they'll be able to shorten the rotation accordingly.
Originally a safety, Faraimo has transitioned more to a linebacker role. His rangy nature in coverage is complemented by a mean streak on the field. 247Sports ranks him as the No. 3 player in the state of California for the class of 2025 (No. 54 nationally).
In the interview with 247Sports, Faraimo mentioned speaking with both Grinch and Coach Brian Odom the most. He mentioned that USC is recruiting him as a middle linebacker. While there are reportedly no plans for him to visit USC any time soon, it sounds as if Faraimo will try to make it out at some point down the line.
Aside from USC, it's been reported that Faraimo has 17 other scholarship offers in hand. Some of those offers have come from Alabama, Miami, Notre Dame, Oregon, Ohio State, Penn State, Washington, Utah, Tennessee, and UCLA (among others).
This recruitment ultimately could come down to a UCLA-USC battle. Madden's brother, Matthew, played volleyball at USC for four years.
Madden's sister, Megan, is considered to be one of the best softball players in the history of UCLA's illustrious program. She just finished a career in which she was a 4-time All-Pac-12 member, a 2-time First Team All-American, and UCLA's all-time leader in wins, shutouts, and perfect games.
