Micah Banuelos sets sights on violent five-star Interior OL recruit for USC football

Micah Banuelos revealed that he'd be recruiting three-star 2023 IOL recruit Alani Noa when he committed to the USC football program, but he also set his sights on a 2024 IOL recruit too. Which recruit, one might ask?

Well, the very best one. Isendre Ahfua is the recruit, and he just so happens to be the No. 1(!) IOL recruit in the entire 2024 class. Hailing from O'Dea (Washington), he's the No. 1 player in the state. It isn't often to find the best of the best O-Line recruits on the west coast, so USC needs to be chomping at the bit for the services of Ahfua.

Not only did Banuelos say that he'd be recruiting him, but he called him his "brother." Clearly, they have a genuine relationship on top of the fact that they can wreck the Big Ten together. Ahfua, according to 247Sports National Recruiting Editor Brandon Huffman, has "no bad weight and he's not sloppy at all" despite being 330 pounds.

He said that the 6-5 monster "carries weight extremely well and uses that weight and strength to his advantage." Huffman said that he uses his strength and quickness as a defensive lineman, but it's not just defense where his attributes as a player come into play.

"When he flips over to the offensive line, you see how light on his feet he is and how well he moves," said Huffman.

Micah Banuelos and Isendre Ahfua on USC football's offensive line would be a problem for opposing defensive lines.

Micah Banuelos and Isendre Ahfua on the same line would bring so much size to this USC football team. Not only is Ahfua a giant, but Banuelos is 6-2.5, 290 pounds as well. He's not undersized either. The best part is that with Ahfua though, is that he's not just about size, but his mentality as a player.

"He uses his hands well offensively," said Huffman. "And he's violent and sudden on both sides of the ball."

The Trojans need absolutely nothing more than that type of physicality and toughness in the trenches. It's something they had been missing at times during the Clay Helton era. He has the chance to play multiple different roles as a guard on this team, if he's picked up.

"On the offensive line, his strength and aggressiveness make him an optimal guard but his foot quickness and violent nature lend to a high upside pulling guard at the next level," said Huffman.

USC's 2023 recruiting class is solid right now at No. 13 in the country, and their 2024 recruiting class is elite at No. 6 in the country. Banuelos has already enforced the '23 class, and if he can bring in a stud like Ahfua in the year after him, USC is going to have a FAR easier transition to the Big Ten than some may expect.