The last remaining target in a stunning turnaround on the recruiting trail has chosen the Trojans.
Four-star Santa Ana Mater Dei outside linebacker Raesjon Davis committed to USC on Wednesday morning, rounding out a resurgent 2021 class in which the Trojans sought to re-establish their recruiting prowess out West.
That new swagger was not lost on Davis, nor on many of the other state’s top prospects. Davis, who ranks as the No. 3 prospect in California according to 247 Sports, will be the ninth top-20 player in the state to sign with USC in the 2021 class, after just one chose the Trojans in 2020.
That class ranked a meager 64th nationally. With Davis now in the fold, USC currently sits at No. 7 overall, just behind Oregon, which will ink the Pac-12’s top class.
“Really just being able to play early, being able to come in and work, I see where the program is going, and it looks like it’s going in a great direction,” Davis said, after announcing his commitment during 247 Sports’ National Signing Day show.
The 6-foot-1, 215-pound linebacker could make an immediate impact on a USC defense that may find itself relying on a fleet of talented freshmen in 2021. Davis joins two other top-100 prospects on the defensive end in Corona Centennial defensive end Korey Foreman, the No. 1 overall prospect in this class, and Loyola cornerback Ceyair Wright.
Davis, the nation’s No. 48 prospect, initially committed to Louisiana State last January. But the Tigers faltered over the course of 2020, and in December, just as USC was surging on the recruiting trail, Davis re-opened his recruitment.
He ultimately chose to stay close to home, selecting USC over LSU, Ohio State, Oregon, and Vanderbilt.