Vavae Malepeai Flips to USC from Oregon on Signing Day

Four-star running back Vavae Malepeai backed away from his Oregon pledge to sign with USC football on Signing Day, adding a bruising runner to the Trojan arsenal.

Hawaii running back Vavae Malepeai flipped to USC on Signing Day over Oregon, despite familial ties to the school, after making a late trip to Los Angeles this past weekend.

That makes him the 15th commitment for USC in the class of 2016. Here’s a look at the new Trojan:

Vavae Malepeai | Running Back

Height: 5-11  Weight: 195

Scout’s Take: Coincidentally Malepeai was a record-setting running back for the Mililani High School Trojans in Hawaii, setting the state mark with 4,549 yards and 71 touchdowns in his career. He also impressed at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in January.

At 5-foot-11, 195 pounds, Malepeai is a between the tackles runner who proves difficult to take down. But he’s not a one-trick pony either. He has good enough hands to contribute in the passing attack and is quick enough to do damage once he gets away from traffic.

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Ranked as a four-star by each of the four major recruiting sites, Malepeai ranks between the 5th-best and 20th-best running back in the class depending on where you look.

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• USC football adds Xavion Alford as transfer from Texas
• USC Podcast: RoT Radio Ep. 396 on the Football Season’s Fallout
• Talanoa Hufanga named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, USC football with five first-teamers

Impact: In a way, the Trojans are exacting revenge on Oregon for their Signing Day steal of DeAnthony Thomas in nabbing Malepeai so late in the game. Adding to the intrigue of his decision is the fact that three of his uncles played for Oregon in the 1990s.

USC just brought in a class of three running backs and saw great early returns from Ronald Jones II as a freshman. However, Tre Madden’s graduation and just a year left of eligibility for Justin Davis means the Trojans could still use some shoring up at that position.

Malepeai is unlikely to be an instant contributor but he’ll get his shot at making a difference for the Trojans eventually. If Jones keeps up his high level, there’s a good chance he will leave for the NFL after his junior season, so the wait would not be particularly long.

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