DB Briton Allen flips from Georgia Tech to USC football on Early Signing Day

Three-star safety Briton Allen flipped his commitment from Georgia Tech to USC football at the last minute on Early Signing Day.

USC football is in desperate need of reinforcements in the secondary, so it’s a good thing Early Signing Day contained an early Christmas present.

The Trojans managed to flip the commitment of three-star safety Briton Allen out of IMG Academy in Florida on Wednesday, according to HSSportsFlorida. Allen himself retweeted a graphic from IMG Academy touting “West Coast Best Coast” and USC for the defensive back.

Allen had been committed to Georgia Tech just before the start of December, so his pledge had not been a long standing one with the Yellow Jackets. A week after his commitment, USC came calling with a scholarship offer and his apparently-settled recruitment got a little bit more interesting.

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The weekend before Early Signing Day, Allen made the trip out to Los Angeles to officially visit the Trojans and it appears that visit left a big impression.

Allen’s 6-foot, 186-pound frame doesn’t exactly fit the mold for USC’s safety prospects over the years. No scholarship safeties on USC’s roster are under 6-foot-1 while Isaiah Pola-Mao and Talanoa Hufanga are each above 200 pounds. Still, Allen is an athlete who could certainly bulk up once he gets to college.

Ranking 33rd among safeties, per the 247Sports composite, Allen is the 394th-rated player in the class nationally and 50th in Florida.

The pick up is an important one for the Trojans whose depth at safety is particularly troubling. The graduation of Marvell Tell, combined with the departures of Ykili Ross, Bubba Bolden and Jamel Cook have left USC with three scholarship safeties returning for the 2019 season: C.J. Pollard, Isaiah Pola-Mao and Talanoa Hufanga.

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Cornerback Chase Williams could bolster that number if he stays in the position while walk-on safety Jordan McMillan, who performed admirably filling in during the second half of the Notre Dame game, will also be available to help with depth.

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Considering the thin depth chart, it is concerning USC came into Early Signing Day with no safeties committed to the class of 2019. Since the Trojans missed out on Mater Dei’s Jeremiah Criddell, Mayfair’s Chris Adimora and Bakersfield’s Cameron Williams, Allen is the first on the board and it’s unlikely USC will add another.