USC football swipes commitment away from Georgia Tech, lands much-needed pass rusher

When Wyoming Defensive End Solomon Byrd committed to transfer to Georgia Tech, USC football persisted. A Palmdale, California native, Byrd did choose to switch to the USC football program just two weeks after he committed to the ACC school.

Byrd will return home with his wife and son, as he looks to bounce back from a shoulder injury last year. It would appear that bringing in a player coming back from an injury wouldn't be ideal, but keep in mind that SC needs depth.

Of course, Byrd doesn't have All-American projections for 2022. But he provides another body on the depth chart, which was necessary for this team coming into the season. He will likely play either Defensive End or Rush End for Alex Grinch's system this upcoming year.

For what it's worth, Byrd received FWAA Freshman All-American honors in 2019--collecting 6.5 sacks, 45 tackles, and 9.5 tackles for loss. All those numbers led the team. Not playing in the COVID-19 2020 season, that was his last chance to prove himself over the course of a full year, and he showed promise.

New USC Football Defensive End Solomon Byrd had 37 tackles in eight games last season.

That means that if Solomon Byrd would have been able to stay healthy last season, he would have reached 55 tackles if that average maintained for the new USC football pickup. Back when he was healthy in 2019, he also forced two fumbles and recovered one too.

If he can stay healthy again, he has the chance to thrive now that he's working with Power 5 coaching. He also has the chance to stick around for the future as well. he has two years of eligibility left due to redshirting in 2018 and receiving an extra year of eligibility due to the coronavirus pandemic drastically affecting the 2020 season.