A spate of de-commits in just nine days is certainly concerning for the USC football program. The most recent de-commitment came from four-star Hylton Stubbs, a highly ranked safety from Mandarin, Florida. Stubbs was the No. 17 safety prospect in the nation, making his loss particularly tough for USC.
While it’s not entirely unexpected for a program like USC to see players with strong offer lists leaving, losing three key players in such a short period of time is definitely concerning. The trend of de-commitments is not entirely unexpected for a program like USC, which has a high level of recruiting and attracts top talent from all over the country. However, while losing some players is inevitable, USC under head coach Lincoln Riley is expected to win many of these battles in the future.
In the past month, USC has seen three key de-commits: Isaiah Gibson, a five-star defensive lineman from Georgia; Justus Terry, another five-star defensive lineman from Georgia; and Stubbs. All three players were in the top 100 recruits in the nation according to 247Sports rankings (Gibson at No. 12, Terry at No. 17, and Stubbs at No. 99). These setbacks are definitely concerning for the Trojans as they attempt to build their roster for next season.
Despite these setbacks, USC currently has the No. 31 recruiting class in the nation. Their top commit, Julian Lewis, a five-star recruit and the No. 16 player in the nation, has generated interest from other top programs as well but recruiting analyst Steve Wiltfong believes Lewis is likely to stick with his commitment to USC. While this may be some solace for Trojans fans, it doesn’t change the fact that losing key players can have a major impact on any team’s performance on the field next season.
