Reign of Troy
Fansided

USC Football Recruiting: Javon Kinlaw Sets Announcement Date

By Alicia de Artola

Dec 30, 2015; San Diego, CA, USA; USC Trojans defensive tackle Noah Jefferson (91) and defensive tackle Kenny Bigelow Jr. (95) work against each other before the game against the Wisconsin Badgers in the 2015 Holiday Bowl at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 30, 2015; San Diego, CA, USA; USC Trojans defensive tackle Noah Jefferson (91) and defensive tackle Kenny Bigelow Jr. (95) work against each other before the game against the Wisconsin Badgers in the 2015 Holiday Bowl at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

Four-star defensive lineman Javon Kinlaw will announce his college decision on the eve of Signing Day, picking between USC and South Carolina.

UPDATE: Kinlaw has changed his plans and will now announce his choice on Signing Day.

ORIGINAL: Some families open Christmas presents on Christmas Eve and the Trojan Family is hoping that’ll be the case for Signing Day Eve, as junior college defensive lineman Javon Kinlaw is set to announce his college choice.

The 6-foot-6, 305-pound big man tweeted on Monday that his choice between USC and South Carolina will be coming on Tuesday night, Jan. 31.

Kinlaw is the No. 11 junior college player for 2017 and the No. 2 defensive end in that pool.

Since he is based in Goose Creek, South Carolina, the Gamecocks have been the favorites to land his signature from the beginning, but USC was able to bring him in for an official visit in the middle of January, boosting their hopes in the process.

More from Reign of Troy

Should the Trojans pull the rabbit out of the hat and steal Kinlaw’s commitment from out of South Carolina’s nose, they’d be getting an instant contributor for the defensive line, which is an area of particular need.

USC’s defensive front was boosted by the graduate transfer of Stevie Tu’ikolovatu last season, but his departure leaves a hole to be filled. On top of that, the Trojans are losing defensive tackle Noah Jefferson and part-time defensive lineman Khaliel Rodgers to transfer.

However, if Kinlaw opts to stay home as expected, USC has other options to fill the gap. The Trojans recently enrolled four-star defensive tackle Marlon Tuipulotu, while they are still in the running to sign highly-rated tackles Jay Tufele and Aubrey Solomon.

In addition, USC already has commitments from three-star prospects Brandon Pili, Jacob Lichtenstein and Terrance Lang.