USC Trojans add 19 football recruits on Early National Signing Day 2022 (full list)
The USC Trojans added 19 high school football recruits from the class of 2023 in the early signing window concluding on Wednesday.
Highlighting the Trojans’ recruiting class are quarterback and ESPN No. 1 overall player Malachi Nelson out of Los Alamitos High School and five-star wide receivers Zachariah Branch and Makai Lemon.
Most would consider the state of USC’s next recruiting class a success, even if it’s not a home run. Here's a position-by-position recap of USC’s signees and transfers up to this point.
QUARTERBACK
Lincoln Riley continues to reload the offensive skill positions, as expected. The biggest name in this class is Nelson, ranked first nationally by ESPN and third in the 247Sports Composite. He will sit behind Caleb Williams next season and likely assume the starting job in the 2024 season. This has been a done deal for a while, but it’s nice to have the future of the most important position figured out for the Trojans.
WIDE RECEIVER
Zachariah Branch
Photo by Jann Hendry
Branch and Lemon should make immediate impacts in an already highly-talented receiver room. Also joining USC is sophomore Arizona transfer Dorian Singer.
As the second option for the Wildcats, Singer caught 66 passes for 1,105 yards and six touchdowns this year and torched USC for 141 yards and three scores in their Week 9 matchup.
He’s the No. 4 ranked receiver transfer in the nation per 247Sports.
Branch’s older brother Zion is currently a freshman safety at USC. He appeared in just one game this season, but maintained a year of eligibility and will compete for playing time next year. He can be expected to have an impact amongst USC’s defensive backs in 2023.
Zachariah is the No. 1 wide receiver and No. 5 player in the 2023 class. As a track athlete who ran a 10.33 100-meter dash, he possesses plus speed and has the ability to be an elite downfield threat.
"His explosiveness is very, very rare,” Riley said of Branch. “You can go a lot of years and not come across a guy that has that elite explosiveness combined with just really, really good football skills. A lot of times you have to pick one or the other.”
If Branch sees the field as a true freshman, USC’s offense will be very dangerous.
Lemon is the No. 5 wide receiver in his class and is also an elite athlete. He has played with Nelson at Los Alamitos High School and will add nice depth to USC’s receiver room. Lemon flipped his commitment from Oklahoma to USC when Riley took the USC job.
USC also added a tight end, three-star Kade Eldridge out of Washington.
RUNNING BACK
USC is also adding two four-star running backs out of the state of Texas in Quinten Joyner and A’Marion Peterson. Joyner, who totaled 58 touchdowns over his last two high school seasons, is the No. 12 running back in the nation and Peterson is No. 24.
The Trojans will be losing leading rusher Travis Dye, but should have nice depth at the position with workhorse Austin Jones and speedster Raleek Brown returning alongside these two newcomers.
OFFENSIVE LINE
USC’s offensive line has consisted of highly-experienced veterans for a couple of years, but it’s time for several of USC’s starters up front to move on. Center Brett Neilon, guard Andrew Vorhees and tackle Bobby Haskins are all set to move on, and team captain/starting guard Justin Dedich undecided on his potential return.
While USC is as talented as any team in the country at skill positions, recruiting help is needed in the trenches. USC has signed five offensive linemen ahead of next season and is projected to add some decent size to this position group: Four-star Elijah Paige (6-7 / 304), three-star Amos Talalele (6-5 / 330), three-star Micah Banuelos (6-2.5 / 290), three-star Alani Noa (6-4 / 320), and three-star Tobias Raymond (6-7 / 270).
Depth at this position may still be weak, but USC will hope to fill out the line through the transfer portal this offseason.
DEFENSIVE LINE
On the flip side of the ball, USC desperately needs some physicality and size to help stop opposing run games. Four-star edge Braylan Shelby out of Texas is the most significant addition to a hit-or-miss defensive line.
At 6-4.5 / 235, Shelby has solid size and length and is a talented athlete. As the No. 8 ranked edge in his class, he’ll join a group that will likely include former starter Romello Height, who suffered a season-ending injury early in the year, and former No.1 overall recruit Korey Foreman, who still hasn’t quite blossomed into the player he was expected to be. Solomon Byrd is undecided on whether he will return for the 2023 season as well.
Other newcomers on the defensive line will be three-star edge David Peevy and three-star interior defensive linemen Sam Greene, Deijon Laffitte, Elijah Hughes, and Arizona transfer Kyon Barrs.
LINEBACKER
With the impending departure of Ralen Goforth, USC will restock the linebacker room with an exciting recruit out of Louisiana, four-star Tacket Curtis.
“There wasn’t a linebacker in the country we wanted more than Tackett Curtis,” Riley said. “I think he’s the best inside linebacker in the country, there’s not one I would take over him.”
Curtis won the 2022 MaxPreps Louisiana High School Player of the Year Award and is the No. 10 ranked linebacker in the nation per 247Sports. He’s a hard-hitting enforcer at 6-2 / 224 and should bring some very welcome aggressive play to USC’s defense.
Two transfers, four-star Mason Cobb out of Oklahoma State and three-star Jamil Muhammad out of Georgia State will look to make an immediate impact as well.
Shane Lee and Eric Gentry will return as starters for another season, and it’s possible Korey Foreman could see some playing time in the second level as well.
DEFENSIVE BACK
USC’s secondary will be bolstered by four-star and strong athlete Maliki Crawford, who has an unusual size for a cornerback, at 6-3.5 / 180, and three-star safety Christian Pierce, both out of Southern California.
Four-star transfer Christian Roland-Wallace from Arizona will also look for reps at cornerback. The Trojans’ secondary was a bit difficult to evaluate this season, sometimes looking very strong and other times hardly showing up at all. However, they did elevate USC to the top of the country in turnover margin.
Calen Bullock’s return is another very positive sign for USC’s defense.
Check out the full list of USC’s high school signees from this transfer window below:
| NAME | POS | HGT | WGT | HOMETOWN (HIGH SCHOOL) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Zachariah Branch | WR | 5-10 | 175 | Las Vegas, Nev. (Bishop Gorman HS) |
Micah Banuelos | OL | 6-3 | 290 | Auburn, Wash. (Kennedy Catholic HS) |
Maliki Crawford | DB | 6-4 | 180 | Oxnard, Calif. (Pacifica HS) |
Tackett Curtis | LB | 6-3 | 220 | Many, La. (Many HS) |
Kade Eldridge | TE | 6-5 | 240 | Lynden, Wash. (Lynden Christian HS) |
Sam Greene | DL | 6-2 | 260 | Washington, D.C. (St. Frances Academy) |
Elijah Hughes | DL | 6-3 | 265 | Arlington, Va. (Washington-Liberty HS) |
Quinten Joyner | RB | 5-11 | 205 | Paige, Texas (Manor HS) |
Deijon Laffitte | DL | 6-4 | 280 | Ontario, Calif. (Colony HS) |
Makai Lemon | WR | 6-0 | 180 | Los Alamitos, Calif. (Los Alamitos HS) |
Malachi Nelson | QB | 6-4 | 180 | Anaheim, Calif. (Los Alamitos HS) |
Alani Noa | OL | 6-4 | 320 | Sacramento, Calif. (Grant Union HS) |
Elijah Page | OL | 6-7 | 305 | Phoenix, Ariz. (Pinnacle HS) |
David Peevy | EDGE | 6-4 | 230 | San Diego, Calif. (Lincoln HS) |
A'Marion Peterson | RB | 6-2 | 210 | Wichita Falls, Texas (Hirschi HS) |
Christian Pierce | DB | 6-2 | 180 | Fontana, Calif. (Rancho Cucamonga HS) |
Tobias Raymond | OL | 6-7 | 270 | Ventura, Calif. (Ventura HS) |
Zachariah Branch | WR | 5-10 | 175 | Las Vegas, Nev. Bishop Gorman HS) |
Micah Banuelos | OL | 6-3 | 290 | Auburn, Wash. (Kennedy Catholic HS) |
Braylan Shelby | EDGE | 6-5 | 235 | Friendswood, Texas (Friendswood HS) |
Amos Talalele | OL | 6-5 | 330 | Santa Clara, Calif. (Santa Clara HS) |
