USC football recruiting: Aaron Armitage picks Stanford over the Trojans

Four-star defensive end Aaron Armitage announced his commitment to Stanford on Tuesday, spurning USC football and Florida.

USC football had been the longtime favorite for four-star defensive end Aaron Armitage. Something major changed as his commitment day approached.

Armitage ended up committing to Stanford on Tuesday, picking the Cardinal over USC and his other finalist Florida.

It was a sizable disappointment for the Trojans as the 2020 season opener approaches.

Aaron Armitage will strengthen a USC football rival

Armitage ranks No. 198 in the 247Sports composite. Coming out of Blairstown, New Jersey, he is the No. 3 prospect in his state and No. 15 among strongside defensive ends.

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USC wanted the 6-foot-4, 242-pound prospect because of his strong potential with room to grow into his frame. It helped that new defensive line coach Vic So’oto had a relationship with him from his days at Virginia.

That connection didn’t prove the difference-maker in the end.

USC has one defensive end committed for the class of 2021. Colin Mobley out f Hyattsville, Maryland is a three-star prospect with similar length but he lacks the national recruiting ranking of Armitage. Four-star defensive tackle Jay Toia is the Trojans only other defensive line pledge.

Defensive line recruiting is a concern for USC. Caleb Tremblay, Nick Figueroa and Connor Murphy are seniors who may stick around for another season or leave to take the next step in their careers. The Trojans did well to stock up the defensive tackle position in 2020 but they’re light on ends.

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It’s still possible USC could get the ultimate victory with one of Korey Foreman or J.T. Tuimaloau, the top two players in the class of 2021, but those are tough recruiting battles they aren’t guaranteed to win.

Tiaoalii Savea, a four-star from Las Vegas, also has an offer from the Trojans. However, recent predictions expect him to land with Nebraska.