How USC Signing Stevie Tu’ikolovatu Affects Recruiting

USC got big news on Thursday night, as 320-pound defensive tackle Stevie Tu’ikolovatu announced his intentions of transferring in from Utah. But what’s it mean for recruiting?

Per NCAA rules, Tu’ikolovatu will count as a future initial scholarship against USC’s allotment of 25 scholarships per recruiting class.

That means the Trojans’ 25-ride class for 2017 is now down to 23, with Tu’ikolovatu taking up a scholarship, along with 2016 blueshirt kicker Michael Brown.

Currently, eight recruits are committed to the 2017 class, leaving 15 scholarships open until Signing Day.

Losing that scholarship is a big price to pay, but one that USC could afford given the extreme lack of experience of the defensive line in 2016.

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Kenny Bigelow was lost for the season in spring camp, and five seniors graduated after last season to create an very talented, yet green defensive line.

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That will change dramatically going forward, given the youth of the roster. The Trojans signed nine defensive linemen in the last two recruiting class.

Plus, Clancy Pendergast’s 5-2 base defense uses just three down linemen, with the ends essentially being outside linebackers.

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Add in the fact that USC has brought in at least 25 high school prospects just four times since 2004, and the recruiting impact on a one-year player is significantly negated.

For the Trojans, the hope is that he Tu’ikolovatu can fill in for the graduation of Antwaun Woods and serve as a pause button for the burden of developing young linemen like Noah Jefferson, Jacob Daniel and Kevin Scott.