For the past few seasons, the USC Trojans have been known for their high-octane offense, led by Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams. It was the defensive side of the football, however, that cost the Trojans a chance at a national championship. Last season, 11 of USC’s 13 opponents managed to score at least 28 points, and the Trojans ranked 116th out of 130 teams in total defense. Recently, though, a pair of commitments from 2025 Georgia high school football recruits drives hope for future defensive improvements at USC.
On March 24, the Trojans earned the commitment of Warner Robins edge rusher Isaiah Gibson. Gibson is ranked within the Top 10 nationally at his position as he enters his last spring session.
The careerlong Demon has posted impressive stats the past two seasons, notching 17 sacks and 55 tackles in 2023 and six sacks and 24 hurries as just a sophomore in 2022.
Gibson has also been seen as somewhat of an athletic freak; he clocked a top speed of 18.6 mph in-game last year.
If he remains committed to the Trojans, Gibson’s arrival will mark back-to-back recruiting classes with an edge rusher from the state of Georgia (Kameryn Fountain, 2024 commit) for USC head football coach Lincoln Riley.
USC struck gold by flipping five-star defensive lineman Justus Terry from Georgia on March 24 as well. Terry, a standout at Manchester, committed to the Bulldogs in January to join a talented front-seven room, but surprisingly altered his college choice after just two months.
Just like Gibson, Terry was immediately known as an athletic phenom even before his first varsity snap with the Blue Devils. His muscular build drew attention from college coaches early on in his career, and he has now supplemented that by wreaking havoc on opponents on the field.
Last season, Terry led Manchester to the Class 1A-DII state championship while racking up 78 tackles, 6 ½ tackles for loss, 13 sacks, and two forced fumbles. He is currently rated as the second-best defensive lineman in both the state and the nation behind Savannah Christian’s Elijah Griffin.
These two commitments have begun to lay the groundwork for a potential shift in defensive efficiency for USC football. However, that doesn’t mean Riley has forgotten about the offensive side of the ball.
The Trojans have managed to hold onto Carrollton star quarterback Julian Lewis since August of 2023, impressive considering the caliber of player Lewis is and the proximity of SEC powers like Georgia and Alabama.
As of now, Lewis, Gibson, and Terry are the only three commitments that USC has managed in the 2025 Class. They are sure to bolster the defense with impact transfers next offseason, as they did with former Georgia defensive lineman Bear Alexander.
It remains to be seen if the Trojans will improve their front seven, but USC has taken steps already to secure Georgia’s best football talent at those positions.
