The Story
After a lot of consideration and thought I’ve decided to commit to the University of Southern California! I’d like to thank everyone that has supported me throughout this process and all of the programs that recruited me! #FightOn #USC ✌️ pic.twitter.com/bAU84ixsYX
— TACKETT CURTIS (@curtis_tackett) July 18, 2022
After having his official visit the weekend of June 10, four star linebacker from Louisiana, Tackett Curtis commits to the Trojans for their 2023 recruiting class.
What it Means for USC
USC’s brand is still strong, and it means something. Even with all their struggles in recent years, amongst Southeastern Conference dominance, they were able to go into the heart of SEC country and “steal” a recruit.
When most people think of defensive excellence Southern California doesn’t come to mind. They have definitely had their fair share of defensive stars, but they haven’t been an NFL defensive factory in awhile.
If high school players defensively want to go to the NFL, conventional wisdom tells you to commit to Alabama, LSU or any of the top SEC schools.
On the field they haven’t had a truly elite defense since the end of the Carroll era at USC. The sanctions from the USC impermissible benefits scandal of the late 2000s/early 2010s put them in a hole. One of the punishments was losing 30 scholarships over three years.
When you don’t have to try to land certain positions like QB, WR or RB, the punishment doesn’t matter. But when there’s a recruiting battle, losing scholarships makes it a choice between elite running back who wants to attend my university or elite defensive player who needs to be convinced.
Once the scholarship punishment was finished the Trojans still struggled to reestablish their reputation for being a NFL defensive factory. Not only did USC go through through three head coaches but they are all offensive guys and didn’t put as much effort into defensive recruits than their bread and butter, offense.
This commitment shows the recommitment to raising a great defense, because one of the best offenses is an elite defensive.
The Background
According to 247 sports Curtis is 6 – 2 and weighs 218 pounds. As a sophomore he helped win the 2A state championship and was the Shreveport Times Defensive Player of the Year. He also was the Louisiana Sports Writers Association 2A Defensive Player of the year and was a first-team all-state selection.
Make sure to check out our article on Pac-12 power rankings.
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