Korey Foreman’s Clemson decommitment is huge opportunity for USC

Five-star defensive end Korey Foreman decommited from Clemson, opening a huge door for USC football.

USC football’s April recruiting momentum has been immense, with a slew of new commitments driving the Trojans into the Top 5 of team recruiting rankings.

Yet the biggest development of all may be a decommitment.

On Tuesday, Korey Foreman decommitted from Clemson. As the No. 1 player in the class of 2021, that’s a big deal.

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Foreman is a local prospect, so his commitment to Clemson was a blow to USC in the first place. His commitment is a second chance for the Trojans to follow through on their promise to #TakeBackTheWest.

The 6-foot-4, 265-pound defensive end doesn’t just rank first in 247Sports composite recruit rankings. He is the No. 12 prospect of all-time.

Charles Power of 247Sports compared Foreman to Cameron Jordan of the New Orleans Saints. He called him “one of the more talented defensive linemen to come out of Southern California in several cycles.”

In 2020, USC missed the boat on five-star linebacker Justin Flowe, who ultimately signed with Oregon, as well as five-star quarterback studs Bruce Young and DJ Uiagalelei.

Making another run at Foreman could be a gamechanger for the Trojans when it comes to restoring their recruiting mojo at the highest level.

Already signs are positive on that front.

Adam Gorney of Rivals called USC “the big winner” in the decommitment.

Over on 247Sports, Steve Wiltfong pointed out how USC has all the momentum in Crystal Ball predictions, quickly shifting to take over 40 percent of projections from Clemson.

Tom Lemming of CBS Sports called USC and Oregon the top contenders for Foreman’s signature.

USC and Oregon may be on track to get into another epic recruiting battle. It’s worth noting how Foreman’s rational for decommitting may have been tied to a desire to play closer to home, according to Grace Raynor of The Athletic, who first reported the news.

If that’s the case, the Trojans would have a clear leg up.

One thing working in USC’s favor is Foreman’s connection to Drake Jackson, who also came out of Corona Centennial.

Ryan Kartje of the Los Angeles Times drew attention to recent workouts with the two. Trojan fans should be salivating over the possibility of a 2021 defense featuring Jackson in his junior year opposite Foreman on the defensive line.

Jackson isn’t Foreman’s only connection to USC either. Current Trojans Jayden Williams and Gary Bryant Jr. were also high school teammates at Centennial.

The recruiters around USC have indicated they’re up for the task.

Defensive line coach Vic So’oto didn’t reference Foreman directly when he tweeted on Tuesday, but it was clear what exactly he was celebrating.

https://twitter.com/Coach_Sooto/status/1252651289348935681

Even other recruits are getting in on the action.

Four-star running back Brandon Campbell has been particularly active on the recruiting trail for USC since committing at the end of March. Helping to secure Foreman’s pledge is his next goal.

USC’s 2021 recruiting class ranks No. 5 in the 247Sports team rankings, with nine commitments in place. Those include Top 100 players like quarterback Jake Garcia and linebacker Ma’a Gaoteote.

More recently the Trojans have added pledges from four-star athletes Anthony Beavers Jr. and Calen Bullock, as well as four-star safety Xamarion Gordon and three-star offensive tackle Maximus Gibbs.