USC football can’t miss on this 5-star recruit in 2021

USC football has a shot to land one of the best college recruits all time.

The USC football program is in the driver’s seat to get the No. 1 player in the country.

Yes, the USC Trojans have a legitimate shot at landing the best player in the 2021 recruiting class. The 247Sports Composite has defensive end, Korey Foreman, as the No. 1 player in the United States of America. Not only is he the best player in his recruiting class, but he’s No. 12 all-time in the history of the 247Sports Composite. The Trojans absolutely cannot screw this up.

At 6-foot-4 and 265 pounds, the Corona, California native has a ridiculous 0.9997 five-star rating in 247Sports’ eyes. He has 27 offers and is looking pretty heavily at five Power 5 programs: USC, the Alabama Crimson Tide, the Clemson Tigers, the Georgia Bulldogs and the LSU Tigers. So we’re looking at four southeastern blue-bloods and USC vying for his game-changing commitment.

Foreman’s primary recruiter is USC defensive backs coach Donte’ Williams. In his previous job at the University of Oregon, Williams netted the Ducks a pair of five-star signings in inside linebacker Justin Flowe and cornerback Dontae Manning. USC defensive line coach Vic So’oto is serving as Foreman’s secondary recruiter.

Despite having home-field advantage, USC is by far the least stable of the five Power 5 programs actively pursuing him. All competitors for his commitment sans Georgia has won a national championship in the last three years. These are the only four programs in the country to play for a national championship in the College Football Playoff in the last three years.

USC football can change its entire program around with one big commitment.

So what are the chances USC ends up landing Foreman at the end of the day? Very likely, but so much of this has to do with Kedon Slovis’ right arm, Clay Helton’s ability to coach and how badly Foreman wants to stay and play his college football in sunny Southern California.

Slovis has a great chance to be Sam Darnold, Matt Barkley, Mark Sanchez-level player for USC. In two years’ time, he could be a top-five pick like Darnold, Sanchez and 2002 Heisman Trophy winner Carson Palmer. No, he’s probably not going to win a Heisman like Palmer or Matt Leinart did, but he can play well enough to cover up Helton’s inherent coaching limitations.

If the USC offense plays up to Pac-12 standards, the Trojans can win the Pac-12 South. Doing that will keep Helton in a job and ensure superstar recruits like Foreman come to USC. If not, athletic director Mike Bohn needs to give his friend Luke Fickell from the Cincinnati Bearcats a call.

As for the home-field advantage, you can ever overestimate the value a high school player places on playing for the star program in his home state. If you grew up in Alabama, it’s either “Roll Tide” or “War Eagle”. If Georgia is your home, it’s all about “Go Dawgs, Sic ‘Em.” If you were born on the bayou, it’s “Geaux Tigahs!” Foreman may very well stay home and “Fight On” for USC.

Foreman has the chance to change the course of USC football in the 2020s with his commitment.

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