USC football's latest 2025 commitment is massive for two reasons

Shamar Armoux committed to the USC Trojans on Wednesday. The 6-foot-1, 175-pounder chose Troy (for now) over Tennessee, Auburn, and Georgia.

If Armoux's commitment holds, Lincoln Riley will add another three-star defensive back to his 2025 recruiting class. Rivals currently list the Carrollton (GA) prospect as a four-star player. It's anticipated that Armoux will likely gain his consensus fourth star by the end of his senior high school season, a testament to his potential growth.

Armoux and Julian Lewis are high school teammates.

Adding Armoux is huge for Riley's hopes of retaining five-star prospect Julian Lewis. Lewis and Armoux are teammates at Carrollton High School and likely maintain a close relationship. Thus, the odds of USC signing a high-profile signal-caller from Georgia are greater if Lewis has teammates enrolling with him.

Many still project Lewis will ultimately flip to Georgia or Auburn before or during National Signing Day. Lewis recently returned from an official visit to Colorado that was quite the spectacle. But despite Coach Prime's best attempts to swoon the five-star, Lewis contends he remains locked into USC.

Riley has prioritized defense on the recruiting trail.

Riley's recruiting strategy has prioritized courting defensive players, many of whom reside in the Southeast. Half of the Trojans' current pledges are defensive players, including three of the top four in the projected class.

USC currently lacks a five-star defensive player following a pair of recent decommitments. However, adding talented players like Armoux is a significant step toward stockpiling playmakers who rival the offense. Armoux is the 44th-ranked cornerback nationally and the 54-ranked player from Georgia.

Unfortunately, USC fans cannot get overly excited about Armoux's commitment this early in the recruiting cycle. Multiple players have flipped their commitments recently, especially after completing visits to other schools. There's also an apparent dynamic of players holding commitment ceremonies while simultaneously leaving their recruitment open.

Yesterday, four-star receiver CJ Wiley announced his commitment to Florida State but later told reporters that his pledge was "for now" and that his recruitment remains open. Armoux has not made such a statement but will likely continue fielding calls from and visiting other schools.

On3's Recruiting Prediction Machine currently lists Tennessee as the 47.6% favorite to sign Armoux.