USC football recruiting roundup: Trojans make early 2023 prospect list

USC football recruiting efforts started early with a 2023 favorites list and 2022 offers.

USC football recruiting has cooled down in the last few weeks.

Since picking up three commitments in the span of just a few days from quarterback Miller Moss, receiver Michael Jackson III and tight end Lake McRee, it’s been quiet for the Trojans.

Even so, a lack of new pledges doesn’t mean a total lack of news.

There are still recruiting stories to discuss.

USC football makes Leblanc’s Top 15

Recruits in the class of 2023 have lots of time to figure things out. So Top 15’s might not mean everything, but they do mean something.

CHECK OUT: Reggie Bush’s Top 10 plays at USC

Derrick Leblanc, a strongside defensive end from Kissimmee, FL, dropped a Top 15 over the weekend. He included USC in his list along with Georgia, Tennessee, Oregon, Auburn, Miami, Florida, LSU, Alabama, Florida State, Notre Dame, Michigan, Texas A&M, Texas and Penn State.

https://twitter.com/getrightderrick/status/1274835822165065728?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1274835822165065728&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2F247sports.com%2Fcollege%2Fusc%2FArticle%2FUSC-recruiting-2023-defensive-end-Derrick-LeBlanc-top-schools-Osceola-148425850%2F

At 6-foot-5, 240 pounds as a high school sophomore, the interest in Leblanc makes sense.

Leblanc’s teammate on the defensive line, 6-foot-4, 260-pound defensive tackle John Walker, also boasts an offer from the Trojans.

Christian Dixon toying with USC?

Mater Dei wide receiver Christian Dixon is expected to commit to Michigan when the time comes, but that’s not stopping him from teasing an affinity for USC.

He started out tweeting a clip from his upcoming commitment video.

He then tagged the schools in contention for his signature, including LSU, Nebraska, Oregon, USC, Michigan, Texas A&M, Cal and Washington State.

https://twitter.com/Dixondoesit8/status/1274389909411782661?s=20

After a few more tweets highlighting LSU and Oregon, Dixon posted a photo from his LSU visit with his mother.

That’s when the talk of USC began.

Dixon could be impacted by distance from family, but he also put some context around that thought.

Whatever Dixon decides, it sounds like it’s coming soon.

Two USC football recruits commit elsewhere

USC football missed out on a couple of prospects over the past week. Nathan Rawlins-Kibonge, a four-star defensive end out of Portland, chose Oklahoma over USC, Washington, Washington State, ASU, Colorado, Stanford, Miami and Cal.

More locally, the Trojans saw cornerback Jaylin Davies, Mater Dei’s four-star cornerback, choose Oregon over USC, Ohio State and ASU.

https://twitter.com/jaylin_davies/status/1274056512852291584

USC football’s newest scholarship offers

Four-star tight end Thomas Fidone, a Top 100 prospect in the 247Sports composite, claimed a scholarship offer from USC last Tuesday. That’s interesting since the Trojans already have a commitment from three-star tight end Lake McRee for 2021.

The Iowa-native is being heavily pursued by the Hawkeyes while the 247Sports Crystal Ball projects him heavily to Nebraska.

Fidone wasn’t the only 2021 tight end to earn a scholarship offer from the Trojans either.

In fact, two-sport star Michael Trigg claimed two offers from USC for both football and basketball.

https://twitter.com/mtrigg_23/status/1274460171784331271

Coming out of Tampa, Florida, Trigg is a rising four-star tight end who ranks 154th in the 247Sports composite.

He is being pursued in both sports by LSU, Kentucky, South Carolina and others, though Auburn has the early edge in the 247Sports Crystal Ball.

MORE: Breaking down USC’s DB depth chart

The Trojans also dropped a slew of offers for the class of 2022 over the past week.

Four-star outside linebacker Jaishawn Barham from St. Francis Academy in Maryland was among them as USC looks to keep a broad recruiting reach.

https://twitter.com/JaishawnBarham/status/1273020088115957761

Barham doesn’t have a 247Sports composite rating yet, but the 6-foot-3, 230-pounder ranks No. 40 in the 247Sports independent rankings.

Running back Jaylen Thompson, who most recently played for Calabasas High School as a running back and outside linebacker, grabbed an offer.

The 247Sports independent rankings list Thompson as a three-star and 38th in California for 2022.

On Monday, another offer went out on the east coast, this time to Moses Walker.

https://twitter.com/moseswalker58/status/1275104036820267010

The four-star outside linebacker also has offers from the likes of Miami, Tennessee, Penn State and LSU.